Any Slide Player's Here?

[Dennis G]

So I've been wanting to delve into the world of slide guitar for a while now. Have a couple of DVD's, some printed out stuff, et al, and finally took this guy in today to be set up specifically for slide (heavier strings, higher action, bone nut, etc.). Any and all tips and recommendations are welcome. One thing I've discovered so far is that this is a lot harder than it looks! One thing I've decided on is to go with standard tuning for starters, mostly because the scale patterns are familiar so I should only have to learn physical skills for starters, not mental ones. I'm also "pretty sure" that I'm using my pinky for the slide.

 

 

Edit: Apologies. Thought I was posting this in the Lounge. If the Mod's could move it???

[Gordy01]

I've tried slide a few times and you're right. It is difficult.

 

I think a lot of slide players use D or G tuning but again, I'm not good at it, so I'm hoping someone really good posts. I would be interested in this too.

[crust]

I think it's OK to leave the post here

as for slide...Um...um

 

I enjoy playing in open tunings. Open G, D or just in E...whatever key is appropriate I suppose. I have a steel body Regal Duolian RC-2 I keep tuned in open G to jam with. I did have a wood body round neck resonator, something I no longer have...probably my next guitar.

[Dennis G]

Do I detect three actual "Coricidin" bottles in that photo?

[crust]

Replicas , Dunlop slides..a few others like Clayton slides ...they have worked well for me.

http://www.steveclayton.com/slides.php

[Pin]

Just a mild question here:

 

How do you guys cope with alternate tunings. I find it hard enough to play in standard (slide or no slide).

[milod]

RE: Alt tunings...

 

If you're picking up fretting for various chords, it can be a chore, but for slide, we're mostly talking about moving all or parts of an open string chord "up" the fingerboard. For example, if you're playing an open G chord, sliding to the 5th fret gives you a "C" and to a 7th fret you get a "D."

 

That's functionally the simplest way. I'd say that someone with just a little bit of music background could start playing folk guitar in a single day that way.

 

Getting really fancy? That's a different story.

 

m

[iommysg]

 

roy rogers enough said

[Lord Summerisle]

Just a mild question here:

 

How do you guys cope with alternate tunings. I find it hard enough to play in standard (slide or no slide).

 

I find it easiest to play slide in open E.

 

Word of caution, though, it does put a bit of strain on the guitar. Don't try it with your vintage Martin or whatever....

[crust]

Just a mild question here:

 

How do you guys cope with alternate tunings. I find it hard enough to play in standard (slide or no slide).

 

I read somewhere (maybe here at the Epiphone EG forum, or the old HCEG forum) SRV only downtuned one string (I believe B down to A...maybe) when doing slide work. I'll try to re-find the place I read it.

[crust]

Do I detect three actual "Coricidin" bottles in that photo?

Google "Dunlop Blues Bottle", nice replica slides.

[Dennis G]

Google "Dunlop Blues Bottle", nice replica slides.

Thanks!

[capmaster]

Any open tuning is nice for slide playing, but I usually play slide on standard tuned guitars. My normal string action is sufficient for that. I put the slide, a Dunlop 215 glass slide in my case, exclusively on my little finger. Yes, my fingers are that wide...

 

In my opinion, the hardest task is proper muting of the actually not played strings. It comes much easier to me when using flatwounds, and for long years I used slides on my single that time flatwound strung guitar only.

[Dennis G]

 

roy rogers enough said

He just makes it look sooooooooooo easy, doesn't he?

[Dennis G]

 

In my opinion, the hardest task is proper muting of the actually not played strings.

That's what I'm finding. It's an art in itself, isn't it?

[Jammin' Joe]

I can't say that I pay slide, I dabble in it. I have one guitar (Hamer XT) that I have tuned to an open E with the action jacked up on that I use. I use the Dunlop Coricidin replica slide, but I also have a lighter glass one and a homemade metal slide that I occasionally use.

I put the slide on my ring finger and one thing I noticed is that if I put my pinky behind the neck it's easier to get the slide to rest level on the strings. I saw a few pictures of Duane Allman with his little finger behind the neck and thought I'd try it. Seems to work for me. I try to lightly rest my middle and index fingers behind the slide on the strings to mute them.

I think it's like anything else with guitar playing, the more you do it the easier it becomes and the better you get at it.

While there are so many great slide players two I'd recommend to watch and learn from are Rory Gallagher and Duane Allman.

[milod]

Back when I was playing a lotta slide in the mid-late '60s, it was kinda a known deal that a lot of "us" made sure our girlfriends would get their lipstick in cases that would fit our left hand's little finger.

 

Funny thing is that a normally-setup guitar in G tuning basically would play with variations of banjo G tuning chords, so one had opportunities to fret normally and/or slide all or partial strings while fingerpicking. There also were some interesting determinations of how to play what, albeit largely folkie/ folk bluesy. Play G tuning in A, for example, worked quite well with material like "If I were a carpenter..."

 

I don't think there are any metal lipstick cases in today's world and I long ago lost the one I'd used for a cupla decades. Ain't really played any slide since.

 

m

[Bliggick]

I've been playing slide for 40 years and I can only tell you what works for me. I play slide with my ring finger and I've been using a glass Jim Dunlop model 212 for the past 20 years. I find it's light, fits my finger perfectly and stops at the second knuckle yet it is easy to slip on and off in the middle of a song. I used to use a lightweight chrome one but lost it a long time ago and haven't found a suitable replacement. You can make a loose slide fit better by dripping melted candle wax inside but be careful not to burn your finger when shaping it. I'm too old and lazy to carry guitars to a gig just for alternate tunings so I usually just play in standard tuning. Sometimes I play in "lazy open G" by only tuning down the high E string to D. I find that I can play most of the signature open G licks plus play normal rhythm stuff on the lower strings. Also because I'm only changing the tuning on one string I can do it quickly on stage and not stop the momentum and clear the dancefloor. Good luck!

[Dennis G]

Picking up some real good tips and hints here guys, thanks to all. As with a lot of other things, I'm thinking now it just comes down to practice, practice, practice!

[milod]

If there's never really been, perhaps except for classical, a true curriculum to "learn how to play guitar," I think slide is even more a matter of individual concepts and style...

 

So... Pick away!

 

m

[bkrejcik]

Like everyone has said, it's a lot trickier than it looks. It's extremely touch-sensitive, so play, play, play. As for me on electric I use a fair amount of gain, a V-Picks slide on my ring finger, and bare fingertips. I try to think of Ry Cooder, then just step out and feel for it. Normally I'm playing slide on a Lindert with a Manlius neck bucker and a Gibson P94 with a Deaf-Eddie 5-way switch, through a Roland Cube 30 on the Brit Combo setting with a VisualSound Route 66 with all the OD I can get away with. But then I get really low-gain, and that's good too. No rules are fixed. Watch Dave Hole sometime; that's some pretty crazy stuff. I use open D all the time.

[capmaster]

That's what I'm finding. It's an art in itself, isn't it?

Yes, indeed. I use both my hands for muting, and due to the moves of the sliding hand, the noises of roundwound strings may be annoying at higher gain settings. Unfortunately, I find that muting of the lower strings comes easier to both hands. Since the sliding hand with a slide on the pinkie can mute strings without slide contact only, the job sharing between my hands is determined this way.

 

I think it is best to set the pickups as desired - I use the piezos of my hybrid guitars fairly often - and to start with lower gain settings when using magnetic pickups.

[Dennis G]

Update. Picked up the PRS from the luthier on Wednesday, and have spent some time "noodling" so to speak. I'm still wrestling with what finger to use the slide on. Looking at a lot of vid's on YT, et al, it's becoming apparent that the ring finger is the most common. I've been trying to use my pinky with a "full" slide and I'm finding that it's causing a real "un-natural" wrist angle, among other difficulties. I'm thinking of going to a ring finger "above the knuckle" slide. I've got one that kind of fits the bill and fooling around with it I'm finding the wrist angle more acceptable. I'll be off the the local music store after the holiday. This isn't something I want to "mail order".

 

Also working on dampening strings not played, etc. and other basic techniques. Have I mentioned that this is a lot harder than it looks?