Slide Guitar?

[italianstallion]

Anyone have tips on using a slide?

[cormack]

focus on tremelo picking

[Steve F]

I have been trying to use a slide for zz top's "TUSH" solo, I can't figure out how to switch from fingers to slide fast enough to play the song.....so I only use my fingers when I play it in front of people.
Any tips would be appreciated.

[Naifuzan]

Originally Posted by Steve F

I have been trying to use a slide for zz top's "TUSH" solo, I can't figure out how to switch from fingers to slide fast enough to play the song.....so I only use my fingers when I play it in front of people.
Any tips would be appreciated.

I havent played slide on that particular song, but usually when you want to do that you have the slide on your pinky and dont use that one when playing with your fingers.

[El_jalepeno]

Originally Posted by Steve F

I have been trying to use a slide for zz top's "TUSH" solo, I can't figure out how to switch from fingers to slide fast enough to play the song.....so I only use my fingers when I play it in front of people.
Any tips would be appreciated.

I haven't played slide in a while, but what I used to do was put the slide on my middle finger so I could still use my index, ring and pinky fingers to play.

[italianstallion]

Originally Posted by El_jalepeno

I haven't played slide in a while, but what I used to do was put the slide on my middle finger so I could still use my index, ring and pinky fingers to play.

I've seen a lot of people play slide that way, and if not on the middle finger, I have seen them use their pinky.

[cormack]

I like to use a small glass one on my pinky... sometimes I'll use a big glass one on my pointer and the a glass one my pinky in combination... kinda weird.... anyway i had another tip: work on keeping the slide straight with the fret bars... and play on top of the fret bar to get a tone in tune with the fret space below it.

[bellestad]

this will allow you to free up your fingers.


http://www.jetslide.com/

[bluesgeek]

There is no 'right' finger to use with slide, I often use it on my ring finger or middle finger depending what I want to do with it. You need a guitar with a medium to high action also heavy guage strings help. Usually the ideal spot is above the fret - this isn't always the case though! Pick a slide that fits your chosen finger, if you are just learning go with something lightweight - don't pick the biggest brass slide you can find, you'll spend half your time trying to keep it on the strings - especially if you're trying to use your pinky.

Damping is usually used too (some guys don't but they have a great style anyway and can get away with it), palm muting on unwanted strings. Also rest the finger that is behind your slide finger lightly on the strings - this will help stabilize your slide and help with muting - i.e. if you're using your pinky, it would be your ring finger.

Learn to slide into notes either from above or below, that way you have better chance of hitting the right note

Also develop a decent vibrato action. Don't forget that slide is much easier if you're using an open tuning!

Check out Rory Gallagher's slide style, he is a master

[Pawel]

I've experimented playing with slide a bit and the only time I actually enjoyed it was when I tuned my cousins steel string guitar to open E (EBEG#BE) and played on that. The action was really high and it gave out this really mean blues sound, I loved it. I then tried it on my electric and couldn't help but get buzzing sounds on each string, maybe my action's too low. I don't know.

I'd rather just learn the chords and scales before trying stuff like that

[bloodroot]

So many slides to chose from - metal/bottle/glass/plastic/etc

I use copper tubing as it provides a very strange resonance with the strings. Basically you have to learn to control the tremolo sounds as the previous poster already mentioned. This does take practice but easy to learn. keep in mind that you do not need to apply too much pressure on the string surface. Just a light touch bending your pinky finger slightly on a arch and the tip side of the slide touching the string. Use the key of D for some interesting sounds

Xavier

[outrider2k]

One of the great slide players "Dwayne Allman" played with his finger tips on all the strings. Muting all the strings but the one he was sliding on. And changing up strings and fingers as he played. This is tough to master but with practice your slide playing can sound incredibly professional. Dwayne used a Corecedin bottle, which arent produced anymore. Most of them you find now are reproductions made of Pyrex(Pyrex sucks for tone.) However you can find Real bottlenecks or make your own. bottleneck glass slides have a really smooth and soft tone with lots of sustain. Brass and Bronze have a good sound too, lots of sustain, however they can sound a bit twangy. Twangy in a good way though, depends on your own ear.

...........Slide On!.....Outrider

[7sickstrings]

Tip #1, High action. I mean so high you can barely fret a note.
Tip #2, obscenely heavy strings. .12's at least.
(If at all possible, a guitar set up specifically for slide is best)
Tip #3, Take your guitar pick firmly in your right hand, and throw it as far as you can. Your slide playing will improve dramatically from fingerpicking, as it allows you to easily mute strings you're not playing.
Tip #4, If that was your only guitar pick, go get it, you might need it for your other guitar, and I don't want you blaming me for not having it.
Tip #5, Try tuning your guitar to an open chord. I'm partial to Open E or Em, Open A or Am, and occasionally a little D.
Tip #6, put your slide on any finger OTHER than your index finger. This allows you to mute the strings behind the slide to eliminate noise. As with tip #3, a clean technique will be an instant improvement.
Tip #7, Choose your weapon wisely young jedi. A steel slide will produce a brighter tone than glass, glass produces a warm tone, but is a bit brighter than ceramic, and finally a ceramic slide will produce a very warm tone. Just don't use a ceramic slide on a Les Paul. Sounds like poop.
Tip #8, Experiment, play with your guitar on your lap, use a lap steel bar instead of a slide on your finger, hell, try playing slide with a Floyd Rose bridge.
Tip #9, Practice hitting your "target" notes. One of the biggest reasons beginning players sound awful is because they spend so much time trying to land on a note.
Tip #10, When in doubt, slide into a note from a lower pitchThe human ear is much more likely to recognise a dissidant note that is too high in pitch.
Tip #11, Vibrato, vibrato, vibrato! I prefer a shallow, but very slow vibrato when I play slide, as opposed to an extremely wide vibrato when fretting.
Tip #12, Have a look at Warren Haynes video, Electric Blues and Slide Guitar, if you PM me with your email, I even have a lesson on the slide playing of the late, great Duane Allman.
Tip #13,Expose yourself. Not like that, put that away. Expose yourself to different slide players. Duane Allman, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Bonnie Raitt, and David Gilmour to name a few.
Tip #14,Once you've managed to incorporate all these tips into your slide playing, forget everything I just told you and develop your own voice. THAT is the key to playing slide. Its the individual nuances that make great slide players.

[BlackStrat]

Thats a lot of stuff to do and remember. While a guitar specifically set up for slide is great, but... Who does that? Unless your a big time band, and have some tech doing everything for you.

I still play a American Stratocaster, low action, and use a Bic cigarette lighter to play slide. Been doing it for 25 years, and think it sounds pretty damn good. Did some recording with the lighter too. Comes out bright, with a slight edge.

[7sickstrings]

Originally Posted by BlackStrat

Thats a lot of stuff to do and remember. While a guitar specifically set up for slide is great, but... Who does that? Unless your a big time band, and have some tech doing everything for you.

I still play a American Stratocaster, low action, and use a Bic cigarette lighter to play slide. Been doing it for 25 years, and think it sounds pretty damn good. Did some recording with the lighter too. Comes out bright, with a slight edge.

I'd say probably 99% of guitar players who use drastically different techniques (open and altered tunings, different string tensions, whammy bar stuff) have multiple setups on different guitars. It's not just slide players in big bands. However, those big name slide players almost universally have a guitar set up specifically for slide.

You're correct though, in that you CAN play slide on a guitar with low action and light strings. You can also use almost ANY hard object as a slide (my first slide was a pair of toenail clippers), and while it may sound fine to you, you're not going to get a full, articulate tone without the right gear. Sure, you can use a screwdriver to hammer a nail, but a hammer is going to work a lot better.