Real World Dobro - You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive

Now we have a song with a full modern arrangement. This song is considered advanced because of the arrangement, not because there is anything difficult about the changes or tempo. Most of the songs we've done so far have a verse and chorus, and maybe an intro and outro, and you alternate between the 2 parts during the song. With this song there are several verses in a row with different spacers in between them, so there's more to keep track of! With a full arrangement, it's important to know the verse and chorus really well, so you can focus on the "map" of the arrangement. Instead of thinking "The next chord is Bb", you're thinking "This is the third verse, there's an interlude coming up".

The dobro should provide some type of lead on the vamps and the interlude, and you get a solo over a verse. The D minor scale is a good place to start for those. This song bounces between the keys of D minor and F major (which are relatives).

Experiment with different rhythm parts (pads, chops) to see how you can change the feel of a certain part. Leave a little space once in awhile. Most of all, this lesson is about following the "map" so you can hit the vamps and interludes with confidence. Have fun!

Big thanks to Zak Bunce for singing this one!

You can watch the video for ideas, but the best practice will be with the audio play-along track.