The Key of G — Dobro

G major harmonises to G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#°; G minor to Gm – A° – A# – Cm – Dm – D# – F. A caller does not say any of that. They say the key and then hold up fingers, and the whole circle is expected to translate.

G is one of the four keys a bluegrass jam habitually calls, and this chair gets there by its open strings, which are that chord already. That is the difference between reading a chord chart and sitting in.

Learn 1–4–5 in G until your hand goes there without asking, then 1–6m–4–5 and the 2–5 that walks into a tag, and most of the repertoire is already playable in this key.