The Resophonic Guitar

With Jerry Douglas

A guided tour towards learning and mastering the Dobro™ guitar

Jerry Says

I created this course with three ends in mind:

To give beginner reso players a solid start by teaching foundational skills

To share insights with experienced players that can fix any bad habits they may have acquired

To offer fans of reso guitars an inside look at how it is made and how it is played

Take a Peek Inside

FOUNDATIONS

INSIGHTS

PERFORMANCES

Watch Course Videos

About the Course

Foundations

Insights

Performances

JUST

GETTING

STARTED?

Jerry de-mystifies the resophonic guitar by breaking down basic concepts into easily learned lessons and gets you playing the right way, right away.

BEEN

PLAYING

FOR YEARS?

Get rid of your bad habits and pick up some tips and insights from the premier reso player of his generation. Learn the essential exercises and techniques he uses in his own practice routine.

CURIOUS ABOUT

THE RESO

GUITAR?

Learn how it's made and watch luthier Paul Beard explain the amazing mechanical process that creates "that sound".

LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR TONE?

Jerry covers the techniques and gear he prefers that will help you dial up a great tone no matter what gear you are using.

LOOKING

FOR

LICKS?

Jerry teaches/performs some classic licks and tunes to demonstrate many of the course concepts in action.

Jerry's course includes an invitation to participate in a student-only Community - a place to hang out with your fellow students to share tips & tricks, discuss lessons, post pics and files, share links to videos, and more!

THE COURSE SYLLABUS

WELCOME

Welcome to the Course

GETTING STARTED

Bars

Finger Picks

Thumb Picks

Strings

Capos

Using A Capo

Capo Maintenance

Tuning By Ear

Using A Tuner

RIGHT-HAND TECHNIQUE

Right Hand Placement

Anchoring and Picking

Beginning Rolls

Rolls Part 2

Rolls Part 3

Rolls Part 4

Ground Speed Roll

The Rake

Natural Harmonics

Blocking

LEFT-HAND TECHNIQUE

Holding the Bar Pt 1

Holding the Bar Pt 2

Getting Tone

Bar Pressure Pt 1

Bar Pressure Pt 2

Blocking Behind the Bar

Hammer Ons & Pull Offs Pt 1

Hammer Ons & Pull Offs Pt 2

Slants

Josh Graves' Slant

Hawaiian Slants

Harmonics & Chimes

HARMONY

Intro to Major Chords

Basic Chord Progressions

Minor Chords

Moving From Chord to Chord

Single Notes Into Chords

SCALES

G Major Scale Noting & Sliding

Finding Unisons

The A Minor Scale

E Minor Sounds

Pentatonic Scale Basics

THE BLUES

JD's Blues (Performance)

JD's Blues (Explained)

Walk-ups, Walk-downs and Turnarounds

MUSICIANSHIP

Phrasing & Dynamics

Role of the Dobro™ Pt 1

Role of the Dobro™ Pt 2 Bluegrass Band

Role of the Dobro™ Pt 3 That Reso Sound

Good Posture

Good Posture Pt 2 - Standing

Mic Techniques: Shure SM57

LICKS

Pentatonic Licks

Wabash Cannonball

G Run Lick

G Roll Lead Up

GEAR

My Guitars

Picks & Bar Cases

Pedals & Pedalboard

The Fishman Aura

MAINTENANCE (with Paul Beard)

Parts of the Resonator Guitar

Buzzes and Rattles

Cones and More

Changing the Cone

The Hipshot System

SONGS

When You and I Were Young Maggie

Fireball Mail

The Cincinnati Rag

The Knoxville Girl

Greensleeves

FINAL THOUGHTS

Final Thoughts

RESOURCES

How to Navigate the Course

The Nashville Number System

Basic Music Theory

Major Scales and Triads

Budget Reso Manufacturers

All Course TABs

Background Drones in Various Keys

Browser Settings for PDF files

Blank TAB

TESTIMONIALS

“Already gleaned several valuable nuances from this course while continually looking forward to spending time with the wealth of material.

Worth every penny and then some!

Kudos to JD and the crew for a job well done. Thank you thank you.”

"Great course ! I’m finding it very inspirational in re-energizing me to work on the Dobro. Thanks Jerry. Just what’s needed these days !"

"Thanks for going through the pioneering archives and leading us to the legit core stuff.

Due to this course (and putting in the time) I have made tremendous progress in a few short months. Very pleased with return on my investment. I’ve always loved Dobro and this course is helping me realize a dream to actually play the dang thing well."

"Thank you so much for this amazing course. Learning resonator will be a challenge but as a fan of yours for so long I'm hoping to raise my game. Great job!"

"Could anyone have a more perfect professor? And Paul Beard, to boot! Wowsers."

"Just started it. Its great! Love how it tracks your progress! Thanks Jerry!"

"An excellent course - thank you Jerry Douglas!"

"This is just what I need, thank you Jerry!"

"Loving the course, Jerry! Thanks for providing it to your fans!"

"I am enjoying the course tremendously.

I love the set up and the format is perfect as I am able to organize my practice based on Jerry's guidelines - and refer back to anything at anytime."

“I’ve been playing for years, and I signed up for this course and immediately found it helpful! . . . I’ve only watched a few lessons, but I already am glad I paid for this course. Definitely something in this for everyone."

“I’m loving everything JD touches on, and it’s already taught me so many things the initial cost is solidly in the rearview mirror. No exaggeration when I describe it as a “wealth” of practical and helpful “pro” information.

This course is the perfect type and amount of quality information for my growing needs."

JERRY DOUGLAS

Dobro master and 14-time GRAMMY winner Jerry Douglas is to the resonator guitar what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric guitar, elevating, transforming, and reinventing the instrument in countless ways.

Additionally, Douglas is a freewheeling, forward-thinking recording and touring artist whose output incorporates elements of country, bluegrass, rock, jazz, blues, and Celtic into his distinctive musical vision.

Called “Dobro’s matchless contemporary master” by The New York Times, three-time CMA Musician of the Year award recipient Jerry Douglas is one of the most innovative recording artists in music.

Jerry shines and soars as a solo artist, band leader for The Jerry Douglas Band and his GRAMMY winning bluegrass band The Earls of Leicester, as well as a member of groundbreaking ensembles including Alison Krauss & Union Station, J.D. Crowe & the New South, The Country Gentlemen, Boone Creek, and Strength In Numbers.