Which Instrument to Learn: Squareneck Dobro vs. Acoustic Guitar

Date: Sun, 2 May 2004 18:26:12 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: guitar vs. dobro?

I have owned many guitars for quite a few years. Some were left to me by deceased relatives, and I have bought a few. However, I can't seem to get going. I get very frustrated, and give up for a while until I get the urge to try again. I have very short, stubby fingers, and can't seem to reach far enough. Also, my fingers just don't seem strong enough to hold down the strings. I have a lot of trouble with strumming, and picking just seems to come easier to me. Recently I was at the local music store and asked the worker there if he thought the dobro was easier, harder, or just altogether different from guitar. He said it is different but harder. I don't have any trouble with the learning part, it is just the physical part (holding down strings, and reaching). So, I thought maybe I should try a steel or dobro. What is your advise??? I don't plan to give up the guitar, as I have been making progress, but I would like to know if there is something I might have more luck with.
Please let me know.
Thank You,
Kirstie.

Greetings Kirstie,

The Dobro is quite a bit easier to learn than standard acoustic guitar...they're both next to impossible to master...the advantage the squareneck Dobro has is that it only requires that you hold a steel bar on the fretting hand...so any physical limitations you may feel you have, such as short fingers, can easily be overridden. Now the technical side to learning squareneck dobro is that it does require that you learn to play in a fingerstyle medium...even so, this can be easy to learn as long as you take it one step at a time...my suggestion would be to find a video on learning to play squareneck Dobro...view it before buying a squareneck...hopefully you find one that's a methodology video...one that instructs the fundamentals of playing squareneck...you'll then really see how easy a Dobro is to learn to play...another instrument you might consider would be a mandolin...having short stubby fingers can be advantageous on mandolin...two-note chords can be fretted with one finger...the neck is small....

Now, this isn't to say that you can't overcome your guitar handicap...there are many players throughout the history of guitar that had short stubby fingers...Roy Clark being one.

For pressing down easier, have your guitar set up properly for ease of play by a luthier...if you're playing a steel string, try silk & steel strings. These types of strings are very easy to press down...try finding a methodology video for learning guitar...one that takes you from the first step in learning to play to the next in small steps...

Hope something here helps, Mickey