The Theory of Bluegrass: In Defense of the Capo
by Matt Snook
Figure 1: Two common dobro licks – stuck in G, unless you choose to use a capo. The second line is a Mike
Auldridge signature roll over the IV chord.
Figure 2: The first phrase of a great Merle Haggard tune, here in the key of D, though my main singer likes it
in E. The first line shows the simple melody. While many great closed position breaks are available, the rest
of the tab is just one of an infinite number of open position moves possible only with a capo. Use it.
OBA Bluegrass Express - Spring 2012
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