Swing Low Sweet Chariot - "Open D Tuning" Dobro Lessons

Hi! Welcome to lessonswithtroy.com. On today’s lesson, we’re going to learn the tune “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” kind of a bluesy arrangement in open D tuning. So remember an open D, our sixth string is a D, our fifth string is an A, fourth string is a D, third string is an F#, second string is an A and your first string is a D, so D, A, D, F#, A, D. Okay, let’s go and start with the first phrase, close up on the left hand. Okay, in this first phrase, you follow along your tablature. I’m going to replaying measures, one, two, three, four, and part of measure five. I’ll play it a few times at tempo just to get it in your head but it sounds like at full speed. Here we go [Demonstration]. So again, [Demonstration] Okay, so you start off with the pick up on beat four, which 0/2 in your 5th string. Okay, so you count that in [Demonstration]. So, it’s just 2/8 notes there and then you’re going to slide that to up to fret five there on your fifth string. Okay, cut that short. Give a little bit more rhythm. I’m also playing my open fourth string there, so I’m doing little double stop pinch with my thumb and index and I hit my open sixth string. What you will do is bluesy bend from F to F#, three to four there in my fourth string and to an open fourth string. So I’ll add that together [Demonstration]. A little bit slower [Demonstration] Okay then after that, you’re going to slide on your 5th string up to fret five. You’re going to slide it right on fret three [Demonstration]. You’re going to do a four there, open fourth string, open first string, back to open fourth string [Demonstration]. Yeah, I’m at measure three in the tab, if you’re following along. I’m sliding up there, fret five on my fifth string, open fourth string, open first string, back to open fourth string and then I’ll get two to zero on my fifth string and open sixth string, open fifth string. So we’re going to have measure three, sounds like this [Demonstration]. Okay, then all three measures, measures one, two and three put together slowly and sounds like this [Demonstration]. Okay, and go into measure four, you slide back into that 5th fret and your 5th string there to a four roll [Demonstration], 5th fret, fifth string and open fourth string, open first string. And you can get four to zero pull on my fourth string [Demonstration] and then 7th fret there on my fourth string, four to zero on my fourth string, 7th fret on my fourth string. I’m going to slide up this triple stop in my sixth, fifth and fourth string [Demonstration]. So I’m getting my sixth, fifth and fourth there, right on my 6th fret, sliding that up to my 7th fret and I just pick it individually, six, five, four. You want to make sure not to push down because the string is pretty loosing an open as you can see I’m just barely pushing on it. You can easily push it on it [Demonstration]. So try it with light hand, but not [Demonstration] a tune light towards buzzing. Okay, so measures one, two, three, four, part measure five again, sounds like this [Demonstration]. Great, it’s good working on the right hand. Okay for the right hand, for this 4-1/2 measures, as soon as I play differently each time, so when the example, I might play it little differently than what I’ve written. But this is an example finger and what I’ve got written in the tab. You start off with your thumb, and I do it with double stop with my thumb and index there, my fifth and fourth string [Demonstration] with the bluesy band, three to four there on your fourth string with your middle [Demonstration]. And then I do with the thumb [Demonstration]. Then for that roll, just thumb index, thumb, index then a lot with your thumb there. So it measure three, looks like this [Demonstration]. Okay, once again [Demonstration], measure four, [Demonstration]. Now, I played that different than what’s written. Let me play what’s written [Demonstration]. See the difference between what I just played, the first time I use my middle finger on the fourth string, at the same I use my thumb. It really doesn’t matter. Whatever you think sounds best and feels best for you [Demonstration]. That feels nice to me and also the thumb too [Demonstration]. All right, so it’s measure four, measure five, now just that triple stop there in your sixth, fifth, fourth string [Demonstration]. Now, you will just roll it [Demonstration]. And that’s it and I play the whole thing [Demonstration] So again, [Demonstration] See I changed them up and used my middle finger there instead of my thumb. Like I said, just make sure you’re not using bad technique. Whether you’re not, you change at one finger, that here and there. That really doesn’t make a difference but just stick of what I’ve got written and that will probably stir you in the next direction. Let’s go ahead and move on to the next phrase.