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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Electric → Slide Playing
I went down to to the music shop and bought myself a slide knowing absolutley nothing about them. It's a lot harder than it looks. One problem is that I seem to have to push down very hard to get a clean sound from all the strings, this means that my fingers get sore quickly and reduces my playing time. Any tips on slide playing would be great.
Alex
well, anyone?
Artist to listen to:
THe Allman brothers band early stuff with Duane Allman before he died. The warren haye & derek trucks stuff also.
Lynyrd Skynrd also older stuff when Allan Collins,Stevie Gaines were alive and earlier albums. Gary Rossington played most of the slide parts.
Playing is typcially different tuning. Alot of older style country also.
Check out Robert Randolph and the Family Band. He plays a lap steel and really, really smokes!.
Bootleger.
Bootlegger guitars.
<font color="blue">Slide playing is a whole new world...I don't know why you are pressing down so hard. Most of us will tune the guitar in an open tuning such as "A" or "G" and then position your slide right over the top of the frets and play...the strings shouldn't actually be pushed down to the frets. I like to place the slide on my little finger so that I can use the others to form chords or play fretted notes... Most people do better if the guitar has a higher than normal action.</font>It just takes practice and suddenly you're playing all sorts of cool stuff!
So you dont have too press down on the frets at all? Maybe only gently?
<font color="firebrick">yes...you aren't actually fretting...that's what gives the slide so much expression...you can shift or wiggle so slightly and alter your tone. It's easier if the guitar has a higher action to avoid fretting...some will have a guitar set up for slide only, others will have a guitar with a medium to high action so that they can chord or fret along with the slide playing...it's hard for me to describe... Also try different materials for a slide...lots of commercial products available. Some have used the neck from a wine bottle...others have used Sears deep sockets from a tool kit...Duane Allman used a glass Corcicin medicine bottle for much of his work...</font> <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_cool.gif" border=0 alt="Cool"> Dunlop makes a series of glass type slide that I use and I also have one made from brass...
If you're looking for video of playing style and a simple, but great sounding song to learn, the following is a link to George Harrison playing a live version of the song 'Cheer Down' from the lethal weapon soundtrack.
Perhaps not your cup of tea musically, but it's where I started on the slide, and I found it fairly simple.
Of course, that was before I realised it only went uphill from here. 
Good Luck.
Check out the Derek Trucks Band also! Derek Trucks has been doing slide guitar since he was 9 years old! This guy is incredible!
Artist to listen to:
THe Allman brothers band early stuff with Duane Allman before he died. The warren haye & derek trucks stuff also.
Lynyrd Skynrd also older stuff when Allan Collins,Stevie Gaines were alive and earlier albums. Gary Rossington played most of the slide parts.
Playing is typcially different tuning. Alot of older style country also.
Check out Robert Randolph and the Family Band. He plays a lap steel and really, really smokes!.
Bootleger.
Bootlegger guitars.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Electric → Slide Playing
