3-Note Dobro Chords    

Tuning Chord Angles/Strings Misc. Options
(Open G)
(C6 steel)
(Drop E)
(G Minor)
(G add9)
(G High E)
(Open D)
(D6)
(Bb Minor)
(Hawaiian A)
Chord name or notes:
e.g. names like: F#m7, G, C9,
or lists of notes like: F# A C# E
In a list of notes you can mark "color" notes with an asterisk. For example, C E* G Bb* would represent a C7 chord with the E and Bb being color notes.
C C# D D#
Db Eb
E F F# G
Gb
G# A A# B
Ab Bb
Available chord types:
6 M7 M9 add9
M11 69 s4 +
m m6 m7 mM7
m9 m11 m69 m7s4
7 7b5 7b9 7#9
7+ 9 9b5 7s4
11 13 o 0
(Hover for a longer name.)
Bar Angles
Straight The bar contacts all the strings at the same fret.
Half-Forw The slanted bar contacts the high strings further from the nut with a slope of one half a fret per string.
Forward The slanted bar contacts the high strings further from the nut with a slope of one fret per string.
Dogleg The dogleg uses the end of a forward-slanted bar to contact the two high strings at the same fret.
Half-Back The slanted bar contacts the high strings closer to the nut with a slope of one half a fret per string.
Backward The slanted bar contacts the high strings closer to the nut with a slope of one fret per string.
Allow pulls The left hand pulls the 1st or 2nd string sideways behind the bar, raising the pitch by one half-step. The diagram shows this as if the bar was bent.

Left-hand
All notes barred No open strings.
1 open high string Move the bar so it's only touching two of the strings being played, with a high string open.
1 open low string Move the bar so it's only touching two of the strings being played, with a low string open.
2 open strings Use the tip of the bar to touch only one of the strings being played.
All open Strings Don't use the bar at all to make the chord.

Right-hand
Adjacent strings Play the neighbor strings: 6,5,4 or 5,4,3 or 4,3,2 or 3,2,1.
Skip 1 string Play strings 6,5,3 or 6,4,3 or 5,4,2 or 5,3,2 or 4,3,1 or 4,2,1.
Skip 2 strings Play strings 6,5,2 or 6,4,2 or 6,3,2 or 5,4,1 or 5,3,1 or 5,2,1.
Skip 3 strings Play strings 6,5,1 or 6.4.1 or 6,3,1 or 6,2,1.


Chord "color notes" are 6, 7, 9, etc.
Chords w/o color notes OK Normally "color" notes are required
e.g. The 7 and 9 in a Dom. 9th chord.
Chords need ≥ 1 color note Only one "color" note is required
in each chord.
Chords need ≥ 2 color notes All "color" notes are required
in each chord.
Allow color notes low Normally "color" notes are restricted to the high parts of the chord.

Notes too close together
Avoid "jangling" This avoids chords wth notes 1/2 step or a whole step apart.

With other low instruments...
Avoid chord roots Assume some other instrument (bass?) will be playing chord roots.

Close voicing has all notes within one octave...
Require close voicing Require all notes to fit within an octave.
Require open voicing Require the chord to span more than an octave.
Allow either Whatever. . .

SlowFast
Strum Speed
How quickly the strings are strummed when playing a chord.


(debug) Extra info that probably only Peter wants to see. . .

• You can generate a whole sequence of positions for a whole sequence of dobro chords with the 3–Note Dobro Chord Sequences page.
• If you want to make chords with more notes in them, check out the 4, 5, & 6–Note Dobro Chords page.
• If you want to do similar things on a 5-string banjo, check out the 3, 4, & 5–Note Banjo Chords page.
• To report a problem, make a suggestion, or leave kudos about this website send me a note at psl@acm.org.


This page was last modified on December 30, 2023 at 14:15:31.
The visitor count stands at: 1.
Peter's home page email to Peter © 2022 Peter Langston, all rights reserved (psl@acm.org )