Minor chords tend to be more versatile for many types of music, particularly chord melody playing.
To construct a minor chord, first locate its major scale pattern, and then lower one fret of its third note to form a flat third chord.
This exquisite Resonator Dobro Guitar Chord and Fretboard Poster Set, tuned GBDGBD is ideal for round neck slide players as well as square neck slide players.
Open G
Open G is a tuning used on six string resonator guitars. It is predominantly employed by slack-key guitarists and Hawaiian musicians, as well as some bluegrass players. Low notes in Open G are tuned three semitones higher than high strings and two semitones lower than middle string; making it easier for guitarists to create G chords without using fretting hand.
Andy Hall from the Infamous Stringdusters provides this technique in this video. He recommends that beginners learn to tune their strings by ear rather than with a tuner, and suggests tuning B notes several notches flat so as to produce less bright sounds and consonant intervals.
Shot Jackson used a dobro tuning similar to D tuning; typically tuning it to E as this provides the same intervals (1-3-5-1-5). This was ideal for country music due to this similarity in intervals.
Open D
Bluegrass and country musicians alike tend to favor this tuning as an effective compromise between Open G and standard tuning. Here, the low E string is tuned down one step to D; all other strings should still be tuned according to standard rules – G, A and D tuning being most frequently seen.
Dobros (and resonator guitars in general) are often tuned to this chord as it produces a bright sound that works well with bluegrass music. Andy Hall from The Infamous Stringdusters utilizes this tuning frequently when performing with his band, The Infamous Stringdusters. Although it may take some getting used to, once it does add a unique sound to your songs! Tuning this particular tuning can be challenging; we suggest tuning G and D strings first before adjusting B strings accordingly in order to produce consistent chord sounds as this will reduce stress when needing to play quickly!
Open E
Most dobros are tuned to open E, making this the standard tuning for many bluegrass musicians and country artists alike. This tuning also works perfectly when playing slide guitar; Duane Allman was known to use open E tuning extensively on his slide guitar solos; singer/songwriters often choose this tuning when performing folk songs on acoustic folk albums like Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks which was recorded with open E tuning.
Minor seventh chords can be challenging, so the key of E is an ideal place to practice them if you’re new to them. Much like major chords, minor sevenths are easily fingered when played open E; however, one key distinction from these chords is that G and B strings are barred three frets higher; an Em7 chord would therefore consist of four notes starting 0-0-3-0-3.
Are you ready to practice major and minor seventh chords in open E? Why not jam along with Hoobastank’s She Talks to Angels by practicing slide technique and hammer-ons in open E? This song offers the ideal opportunity!
Open A
This tuning is great for playing melodies as both strings sound B, making any two-note minor chord that can be formed with open strings also work here. In this lesson you’ll learn to create simple melodies in closed position using these chord shapes as well as add classic Josh Graves roll patterns.
Your instructor will also teach a two-octave G Major scale that starts on a barred C chord and ends on an open A string, and is easily portable across the fretboard. Each scale note corresponds with its location on a fretboard diagram allowing easy identification on diagrams.
Start practicing these techniques on an age-old jam session favorite: Amazing Grace’s melody can be played almost entirely on one string, offering a perfect opportunity to refine your intonation on that string.