OK, we gotta give our fellow guitar players fair warning on this one. The learning material contained in this course is highly addictive, is almost too easy to learn, and will definitely get you in hot water with your significant other because: a) you'll spend even more time in the shed away from loved ones; b) you'll eventually raid the family cookie jar to invest in that cool resonator you've always wanted; and c) you'll want to spend an unreasonable number of nights out at the club or jamming with the buds. So, please proceed with caution and don't say we never told ya.

Video Introduction

Click below for a sample video from the course

Whatever their style or level of play, we've never met a guitar player who wouldn't want to learn how to play the dobro aka resonator. It's downright impossible not to be drawn to the instrument especially if you dig blues, country or twang. Check out Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, Josh Graves, and our very own Jimmy Heffernan for living proof why this instrument is so compelling.

Ultimately though, the vast majority of us do resist the dobro urge because we can't justify the investment of time to learn the instrument (it appears to be a big learning curve) any more than we can spare the bucks to buy the instrument (a decent resonator can set you back a few hundred bucks).

Well, in deference to your loved ones, we're sorry to report that neither of those excuses is valid any more. Today you can buy a "nut converter" and a "slide bar" for less than $35, and then convert any old steel string to a killer dobro without any permanent damage. Too good to be true? Watch this video!

Don't Have a Dobro? No Problem!

How to turn your guitar into a resonator

About the Guitar Lesson Plan

Interactive Video Guitar Instruction

The learning curve excuse is also out the window thanks to Jimmy Heffernan's new TrueFire course, The Dobro Handbook - A Guitarist's Guide for Playing Dobro. If you already play guitar, this course will get you up and running quickly. In fact, if you're not playing your first killer dobro lick in less than 15 minutes, then we'll not only refund your course purchase, we'll also buy the nut converter and dobro slide that you invested in. That's as risk free as it can get. And that's how much confidence we have in Jimmy's course.

How is this possible? The course is NOT a beginner's course, rather it's a course that has been specifically designed for guitar players and so Jimmy takes what you already know and simply puts it to work on the dobro. All of the key concepts will be very familiar to you leaving only a few dobro techniques to get a solid grip on.

Jimmy steps you through the entire course with multi-angle video and very accessible examples. You'll learn the open G tuning (90% of all dobro music is played in this tuning), you'll learn how to hold and work the bar in your left hand (unfamiliar at first but this comes very quickly), you'll learn how to position and fingerpick with your right hand (very familiar and comfortable for guitarists), and then you'll learn how to visualize the fretboard and play in all of the common keys (C, G, D, E, F and A).

Along the way, Jimmy stokes up your vocabulary of versatile dobro licks, in all of the keys, most of which can be easily transposed to another key just be moving the position on the fretboard (just like we do with guitar). Jimmy also shows you the top tricks of the trade; working the pockets, thumb syncopation, blocking, pull-offs, drones, pedal steel emulation, open notes, ringing tones, triple-stops, slant chords, using relative major for minor lines, vibrato, power chords and lots of other tools you can stash in your dobro bag.

Yes, it will take you some time to master the dobro and give Mike, Jerry, Rob, Josh and Jimmy a run for their money BUT it will take you no time at all to get well on your way to being a great dobro player with the Dobro Handbook.

About Your Instructor

Jimmy Heffernan

There's no one is better qualified than Jimmy Heffernan to guide your journey. Jimmy is a highly respected Nashville session player, sideman, producer and bone fide master of the resonator guitar. Jimmy also happens to be one of the most respected music instructors who "loves to teach, and has a real gift for it." Jimmy has played with Mike Auldridge, Hal Rugg, Larry Sparks, Red Allen, Bill Grant, Dehlia Bell, Doug Kershaw, Joe Diffie and Brad Paisley. So yeah, it's safe to say that Jimmy's been there and done that.