| Don't you just love the distinctive sound of a slide | | | | Once you have found a slide just have some fun |
| guitar, whether it's on a country tune or the down | | | | running it up and down the strings. More than likely |
| and dirty blues? There has been a renewed interest | | | | you can make some awful noise, the task is how |
| in slide and bottleneck guitar playing in the last few | | | | you can quiet down all of that excessive noise and |
| years, and the new country music has adopted the | | | | get some soulful sound coming from your guitar. |
| sound big-time. | | | | Lets start with an open tuning; my preference is |
| I was intimidated when I first put a slide on my little | | | | open G tuning. |
| finger, it was awkward, and the sound I made was | | | | Drop your fat or lower E string down to a D pitch. |
| horrible. I did not have anybody to show me how to | | | | You can use the 4th string or D to tune to. Then |
| dampen the strings, what scales sounded good in | | | | tune the A string down G and you can use the 3rd |
| standard tuning, and not a clue as to all of the | | | | or G to tune to as well. The last string you have to |
| "open-tunings" that are available to both finger style | | | | detune is the bottom E or 1st string. Tune it to D as |
| and slide playing. | | | | well, then when you strum you guitar it plays a G |
| Actually playing with a slide can be very easy, and | | | | major chord, and sounds really sweet. |
| beginners can get some really cool sounds with a bit | | | | Your guitar sound now be tuned D-G-D-G-B-D as |
| of practice. I would recommend tuning to an open D | | | | opposed to regular tuning of E-A-D-G-B-E. |
| or open G at first. The open tuning approach gives | | | | Open G tuning. It's a favorite among slide guitarists, |
| nice major chord sounds up and down the neck, and | | | | because it gives you a wide open major chord on |
| allows for some easy fingering and ability to play | | | | any fret, and it allows an easy alternating bass |
| songs right away. That's the reason for playing right? | | | | because the root (the main note of the chord, G if |
| Exercises and scales have their place but most | | | | it's a G chord, for example) is on the fifth string while |
| people I know that stared to play guitar, want to | | | | the fifth (D if it's a G chord, for example) is on the |
| learn some songs. | | | | sixth and the fourth. Both slide and non-slide players |
| First start with a slide or "bottle neck" as many refer | | | | also appreciate the fact that open G also enables you |
| to when describing the tube that you wear on your | | | | to play a standard blues line with relative ease! |
| finger. The choices are many, the material is endless, | | | | One of the most crucial aspects to getting good |
| and the type of tone they produce is just as varied. | | | | clean sound is the use of damping behind the slide. |
| You will be the ultimate judge of the tone and sound | | | | Master this technique and you will be amazed how |
| you create. | | | | good the sound of you slide on steel strings will be. |
| The two basic materials are either glass or metal, | | | | I suggest that you lay your fretting fingers flat on |
| with ceramic coming in a distant third. Can't really say | | | | the neck just behind the slide, and use slight pressure |
| I have a favorite type of slide. I have just about one | | | | on the strings with the slide. Not too heavy, as you |
| of every kind you can think of, I prefer glass on | | | | do not want to hit the fret but not so light that you |
| electric guitar and steel or brass on acoustic guitar. | | | | get no sound ether. Just experiment a little and you |
| One tip that is guaranteed to help give you better | | | | will find the right pressure to use. |
| TONE is go for very dense material. Get a thick or | | | | You also want to play just over the fret and not |
| heavy glass slide, as this will increase sustain and | | | | behind as this will give you the best intonation. This |
| fatten up your sound. My preference is hand blown | | | | also takes some practice but with some careful |
| leaded glass, but very hard to find in the US, as it is | | | | listening you will know when you are on pitch. Mater |
| illegal to use leaded glass for manufacturing. I got | | | | this technique and you will be beyond most occasional |
| mine from a vendor in the UK. | | | | players. |
| The preferred finger is the pinkie on your fretting | | | | I have a website devoted to slide guitar and links to |
| hand, but lots of players use their ring or even the | | | | many resource and reviews of video lessons on slide |
| middle finger. The advantage of using your little finger | | | | playing. I think the sound of slide guitar is the most |
| is that it gives you the most fretting possibilities, but | | | | human-like of any instrument and allows the guitarist |
| some claim you give up some control. The main thing | | | | to express an amazing range of emotion and feeling |
| is just try on a bunch of slides and go for what feels | | | | on the guitar. |
| good to you! | | | | |