Dobro quesitons: Down home summertime blues

[ba4x]

Hi Folks,

I don't know much about dobro, but I've been listening to this song on repeat, find it really fun and interesting. I'm trying to play something like it on my guitar.



Maybe someone can answer my questions:

1) This is Norman Blake and Tut Taylor. Is Blake playing anything on this track, or is it all dobro? Sounds like all dobro to my untrained ears, but it's hard to imagine Blake just sitting there without playing anything.

2) To play this song, I've got my guitar tuned to open D and put a capo on the 5th fret, using a slide to hit the 10th and 12th frets (playing G, C, D). Am I getting close to what Tut was doing? It is fun trying to emulate his rhythm and licks.

[Mr. Jelly]

I'm wondering why do you think it is Tut playing the song. Blake plays slide and in fact that was how he got hooked up with Johnny Cash. There's a YouTube of Blake playing with a full band on the Johnny Cash show where they give Norman numerous breaks in the song to play. banjo, dobro, and mandolin.

[ba4x]

Oh wow, I did not consider that it might be Blake playing. On the album the credits are pretty straightforward: Norman Blake on Guitars and Mandolin, and Tut Taylor on Dobro. I guess the question is - are we hearing dobro, or slide guitar?

Thanks for bringing this up. I just assumed it was a dobro.

Edit:

Upon looking closer, the album notes say, "Down Home Summertime Blues. 3:40. Slide guitar. About growing up in Sulphur Springs." So, case closed, it is Blake on the guitar. Thank you!

[frankmcr]

Sounds to me like bottleneck guitar with dobro fills.

Trivia - Tut Taylor was one of the very few to usually (always?) play dobro with a flatpick.