Welcome to Tuneful Tips for Playing Slide Guitar! This blog is dedicated to all aspects of slide guitar, from the history of it to material needed for specific songs.
I have been playing the guitar since I was sixteen and have always been fascinated by the slide guitar after hearing it on a Johnny Winter album. I recently decided to pursue this interest more seriously, and this blog is just one of my many projects. In addition to tips for playing slide guitar, I will be posting videos and music that I have found or created that help illustrate my points as well as posting some of my own work.
All comments are welcome! If you find any information that you think is incorrect or if you would like me to add something, please let me know. This is an interactive site and your comments will help make it better.
Slide guitar is a technique where you press a slide against the string to change the pitch. It’s most often used on electric guitar, but can be played just as well on an acoustic guitar. If you’re playing slide because you have to (because there are no frets), that’s called “bottleneck” slide.
Slide guitar techniques can be used in many different styles of music, and once you have the correct equipment and understand a few techniques, it’s easy to get started.
You’ll need:
A slide: usually made of glass or metal (or ceramic, brass or steel)
A bottleneck: a short piece of thick walled metal or glass tube with ends ground smooth
A tool for changing strings: e.g., wire cutters and/or pliers
In slide guitar, the strings are fretted (stopped) with a piece of metal or glass called a “slide”. The slide is usually worn on the little finger of your picking hand. This removes the need for using your fingers to fret the strings, meaning that you can now play chords and melodies at the same time.
It’s possible to make a slide from almost anything. If you don’t have one already then it’s worth trying out some different materials to see what sounds best to you. Keep in mind that it may take some time for you to develop a technique that works best for whatever material you end up with, so try not to be too hasty in getting yourself a new one if your first attempt doesn’t sound too good.
Slide guitar is an art that takes a while to master, but it is well worth the effort! You can find slide guitars in every genre and style of music, from folk and blues to rock, jazz, country and even classical. The technique of playing slide guitar is often associated with blues music but in fact it was a popular form of guitar playing in many cultures, particularly those where the guitar was not the main instrument.
Slide Guitar can be played on many different types of guitars. An acoustic or electric guitar can be used without any modifications as long as you use a slide of some sort. This could be a piece of glass, steel or aluminium. To find out more about the different materials used for slides then check out our Slide Materials page. A “slide” is basically a tube shaped object that you place over your finger so that when you place it against the strings it produces the desired effect.
The best way to play slide guitar is to use one of two techniques: either play the strings open or play them with your fingers in a “barre chord” shape (fingers held down on all strings of one fret).
It’s best to start off playing slide guitar on an acoustic guitar because they are usually quite cheap and easy to buy
Slide guitar is a technique in which a guitar player wears a slide on the ring finger of their picking hand. The slide is usually made out of glass, ceramic, or metal. The most common type of slide is made out of glass. When the player slides the slide over the strings, pressure is applied and it produces a sound similar to fretting the strings with your fingers.
Slide guitar can be played on both electric and acoustic guitars. Many players prefer to use acoustic guitars when playing, but there are many who prefer to play electric as well. There are several different techniques that can be used to play slide guitar, some more difficult than others.
Slide guitar is not only a great way to learn how to play the instrument but also it allows you to create unique sounds that cannot be created with any other form of playing style. Whether you’re just getting started or have been playing for years, learning how to play slide guitar will open up new doors and possibilities for your playing style.
Slide guitar is a technique where the player fretting hand stays in the same position but slides up and down the neck, usually along the frets. This technique allows for a great deal of expression in the playing and is used by many different styles of music. The technique can be found on guitars with a metallic piece called a slide or on guitars without one by using another part of the body, such as a finger.
The use of slide guitar originated in Hawaii and was used to play what was considered Hawaiian music at the time, which was called Hawaiiana. This later became known as hula music and is still played today with or without the use of a slide guitar. It was also referred to as lap steel, since it was played while resting on one’s lap.
In 1929, a blues musician by the name of Sylvester Weaver released two songs that would feature slide guitar, “Guitar Blues,” which would later be recorded by Leadbelly and “Guitar Rag,” which would later be recorded by Merle Travis. This release is considered to be one of the first recordings of this style in the country blues genre.
Slide guitar would later be introduced into rock music during its early days in the 1960s and 1970s and
The slide guitar is a guitar played by sliding a hard object (originally a knife blade or metal tube, later a glass tube) across the strings. The hard object is sometimes called the “slide”. This can be done either with an open string or with a fretted note.
Slide guitar is most often played:
* With the guitar in the regular position (guitar resting on leg, left hand fretting, right hand plucking), as opposed to lap steel guitar, where the player is seated and the instrument rests on their lap;
* Using a conventional plectrum (pick) to “pick” the strings, or by using one’s fingers;
* Using one finger to fret multiple strings at once;
* Using a slide on one of the fingers of the left hand. This last technique is called “slide guitar” because it most commonly utilizes a slide.
The term “slide” refers to both the motion of sliding and to something that is slid over another object. Sliding over strings with something other than one’s fingers was first recorded by Hawaiian guitarist Joseph Kekuku around 1900. Hawaiian slack-key players adopted this technique for playing in standard tuning. While Hawaiian music was not well known outside Hawaii until