Resurrecting a thread that died in another forum.
I play slide and have some info to impart.
BROTHER DOC! Good to see you here!
Glass slides, baby! Heh heh heh. :-D
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Resurrecting a thread that died in another forum.
I play slide and have some info to impart.
BROTHER DOC! Good to see you here!
Glass slides, baby! Heh heh heh. :-D
Quote:
Originally posted by pbradt
Resurrecting a thread that died in another forum.
I play slide and have some info to impart.
BROTHER DOC! Good to see you here!
Glass slides, baby! Heh heh heh. :-D
Please impart your wisdom - Start with the basics for those of us having trouble with the thing.:%
I'm playing (trying to) acoustic with a glass slide.
Thanks
What tuning are you using?Quote:
Originally posted by lyles
Please impart your wisdom - Start with the basics for those of us having trouble with the thing.:%
I'm playing (trying to) acoustic with a glass slide.
Thanks
You will find open tunings (G, A, E or D) will make lovely sounds for you. Ain't that right, Doc?
I think, other than knowing the fretboard and general music things and simply beoing accurate with the slide, string muting is paramount.
I finger pick when I play slide, and the fingers that aren't picking, mute strings I don't want making noise when I slide. In addition, you simply MUST use a finger ABOVE the slide for muting as well, this technique eliminates most of the "Cat fight" sound that unmuted strings can make.
I also recommend a heavy glass slide, the heavier the better. Heaviest I ever found is a Dunlop 213, which I use.
A good basic instructional video is available ind it is worth the investment if you're serious about slide, "The Art Of Slide Guitar" with Lee Roy parnell, one of America's best sliders and the guy who taught me.
When I started to learn about open tunings, it was like getting blinders taken off my eyes.
Ain't that right, Doc? :D
When I bought my strat, a friend gave me a glass slide. He said there was a law. Is that true?
Nope, it's all personal preference.Quote:
Originally posted by Sven
When I bought my strat, a friend gave me a glass slide. He said there was a law. Is that true?
But there OUGHTA be a law. :D
I'm hoping Doc540 will check in with his view, which is humorously different from mine (Hi Doc!)
*Unc, dusting off the ol' glass Dunlop "Heavy", and dropping into open D*
OK, I'm in.
(But I gotta admit, a heavy brass slide is working for me on acoustic these days)
Glass all the way on electric, though.
So cool to resurrect this thread from it's ashen grave, Pete.
Kudos to you, sir.
Err.... I'm the only one is using a zippo on my strat? :D I think hendrix did it too on all along the watchtower... :rolleyes:
well you`d better keep an extinguisher handy.
Brother Pat, it had to be done. When Doc was banished at the other place, the clinic kinda died. But since we have a new place, I decided it was time to bring our knowledge of this unique and wonderful way of playing to others not yet blessed.Quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pat
*Unc, dusting off the ol' glass Dunlop "Heavy", and dropping into open D*
OK, I'm in.
(But I gotta admit, a heavy brass slide is working for me on acoustic these days)
Glass all the way on electric, though.
So cool to resurrect this thread from it's ashen grave, Pete.
Kudos to you, sir.
I'm hoping your brother and mine, the Doc hisself, will drop by to continue teasing me over our...ahem...differences. :cool:
Pat, if you go over to the tone zone, I posted a clip of mine from a song I recently demoed for the band I'm building (didn't write it but I arranged it) and you can hear some of my playing, both fretted and slide. In fact, I played everything (wrote the drums in software, can't play drums here) but I played all the guitars and the bass. It's in the "Sound Check" place.
Joe-Bob says check it out!
:wail1
That pickin' makes me want to break out the Strat and join ya'....big time. I enjoyed that a lot. This is the Strat you keep set up just for that, correct? A few passages really bring out the Lee Roy factor.
I still use whatever's at hand when the urge comes over me. I guess that comes from not having the extra axe around when I learned how to do it. In retrospect, it sure helped me to develop a light touch playing my normal, low action guitar (a Les Paul at the time). One of these days I'll figure out how to get some licks from my old Korg D8 onto the computer and share them. I've not fooled with it long enough to figure it out yet....but I will.
The other guitar player in our band does a little slide stuff, but it's not very "involved". He's good, but there's not much fire there, if you know what I mean. Hard to explain...
I guess chops are one thing, but the "sale isn't complete".
One of my earliest influences on slide was the guitar guy from Wet Willie, Ricky Hirsch. Maybe he seemed more "accessible" than Duane, and certainly Lowell George....but his style just seemed more "southern" to me. Those train whistle moans and other things he'd throw in a tune were cool as hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pat
:wail1
That pickin' makes me want to break out the Strat and join ya'....big time. I enjoyed that a lot. This is the Strat you keep set up just for that, correct? A few passages really bring out the Lee Roy factor.
Yep, that's the one. Yeah, that leon McCullough lick is one I learned from Lee Roy.
Once I got my lessons from Lee Roy, I knew I needed a dedicated guitar. I've got a system down that creates VERY quick guitar changes on stage, so it's not a big deal. I finally got a tuner pedal so I can tune up without having to unplug and use a tuner not inthe signal chain.Quote:
I still use whatever's at hand when the urge comes over me. I guess that comes from not having the extra axe around when I learned how to do it. In retrospect, it sure helped me to develop a light touch playing my normal, low action guitar (a Les Paul at the time). One of these days I'll figure out how to get some licks from my old Korg D8 onto the computer and share them. I've not fooled with it long enough to figure it out yet....but I will.
The other guitar player in our band does a little slide stuff, but it's not very "involved". He's good, but there's not much fire there, if you know what I mean. Hard to explain...
I guess chops are one thing, but the "sale isn't complete".
I've heard that stuff and it's incredible.Quote:
One of my earliest influences on slide was the guitar guy from Wet Willie, Ricky Hirsch. Maybe he seemed more "accessible" than Duane, and certainly Lowell George....but his style just seemed more "southern" to me. Those train whistle moans and other things he'd throw in a tune were cool as hell.
We're going onthe Delbert Cruise again and Sonny Landreth is one of the acts booked.
I hope he comes up to the late-night jam, I would love to trade slide licks with him, even though he's on a planet I will never reach. I hear a certain Mr. Parnell may be on the boat, too.
Maybe...and maybe not.Quote:
I would love to trade slide licks with him, even though he's on a planet I will never reach.
I always jump at the chance to hook up with someone really good, whenever I can.
I've learned more in the process of getting my ass kicked than I ever could have any other way.
:60burst
Hope it works out....
I've even got a genuine Chrome slide that I bought in the 70s, is it still good to use, or will it irreparably damage my Karma and drain my Mojo?
:ola
Nice to see ya' dude.
Re: chrome slide
It sure didn't hurt Johnny Winter. Moejo by the truckload in that man, even in ill health.
Total personal preference. if it works for you, go for it. :DQuote:
Originally posted by Sven
I've even got a genuine Chrome slide that I bought in the 70s, is it still good to use, or will it irreparably damage my Karma and drain my Mojo?
I'm here. I was in on the first Slide Clinic, not too much on the second one and now I'm here for the 3rd.
I play a lot of standard tuning slide and switch back and forth quite a bit, in fact I have set up all of my guitars to be exactly "Too high for regular playing, too low for slide".
I'm at work now, but I'll find (or out together) a good layout for looking at slide guitar in standard tuning!
Favorite slide song;
"Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground"
Blind Willie Johnson
Doc540 was booted?
I believe Brother Doc was booted fomr the other lace but he'd have to confirm and so far he's avoiding me (hi Doc!) :DQuote:
Originally posted by thebluesbarn
I'm here. I was in on the first Slide Clinic, not too much on the second one and now I'm here for the 3rd.
I play a lot of standard tuning slide and switch back and forth quite a bit, in fact I have set up all of my guitars to be exactly "Too high for regular playing, too low for slide".
I'm at work now, but I'll find (or out together) a good layout for looking at slide guitar in standard tuning!
Favorite slide song;
"Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground"
Blind Willie Johnson
Doc540 was booted?
I'm about exactly the opposite.
I have a dedicated guitar, totally set up for slide. heavy strings, high action, special nut and so forth.
Open G tuning for the most part.
I had the great, drunken pleasure of catching Little Feat live last night at My Old Kentucky Home Amphitheater, and was able to see and hear Paul Barrere's great slide work up close and personal. He used a chrome pinky slide (as did Fred Tackett on several tunes) but I'm not sure if it was the tried and true Craftsman socket like his mentor Lowell George was so fond of.
Whatever the case, Paul and Fred can fuckin' JAM....
:wail1
For standard tuning, you'll use this three note pattern as major chord, here is an E chord:
B,E,Ab E
E|---------------------------
B|--------------9--------9--
G|----------9------------9--
D|-------9---------------9--
A|---------------------------
E|---------------------------
Now slide up to the same three notes and add vibrato:
E~
E|-------------------------
B|--------------s/-9~----
G|-------------s/--9~----
D|------------s/---9~----
A|-------------------------
E|-------------------------
Here is one "pattern" I use:
E|---------------------------
B|--------------------8-9---
G|-------------7-9----------
D|-------7-9----------------
A|---------------------------
E|---------------------------
Here is a riff from that pattern:
s s
E|------------------------------------
B|----------8/9----------------------
G|---------------9-------7-/-9~~--
D|--------------------9--------------
A|------------------------------------
E|------------------------------------
cont:
s s
E|------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------
G|----------9/7-------7-/-9~~----
D|-----------------9-----------------
A|------------------------------------
E|------------------------------------
So from here you can at least play some barre chords with the slide. Form your own boxes or positions around these chord tones. Most important, listen. Use notes from the major scale, more chord tones, etc.
What stinks about standard tuning is it's limitations to chord forms. You can apply almost everything that you know about guitar already to playing slide. The trick is when to slide, and when/if to add vibrato, it's essentially still all about phrasing and dynamics.
What finger do you prefer to wear your slide?
I use my pinky. I find it easier to fret chords and lift the slide off of the fretboard when I don't need it. Also, I am learning some Sonny Landreth tricks about fretting notes in front of the slide (cool effect).
I also tell beginners to think of their left hand as a kind of 'paddle' to help mute unwanted strings, harmonics, etc. as well as right handed palm muting. An ear for intonation is essential. :2c
I'm a ring finger guy. I've tried using my pinky and I'm a failure at it. It IS easier to chord with the slide on the pinky by Lee Roy Parnell does pretty well with it on his ring finger.Quote:
Originally posted by cooltone
What finger do you prefer to wear your slide?
I use my pinky. I find it easier to fret chords and lift the slide off of the fretboard when I don't need it. Also, I am learning some Sonny Landreth tricks about fretting notes in front of the slide (cool effect).
I also tell beginners to think of their left hand as a kind of 'paddle' to help mute unwanted strings, harmonics, etc. as well as right handed palm muting. An ear for intonation is essential. :2c
I'm still learning in that regard.
Gives me more control (not that a Coricidin bottle is heavy.) You'll find that playing chords in open tunings isn't all that hard to do with just the index, middle, and pinky fingers. Like anything, you just gotta work at it. Glass slide, some old Danelectro's and a Dynacomp do me just fine. Check out the "Jimbo's A Comin'" stuff at the link below:
Jimbo's A Comin'
Bump
For many years I played slide on a cheap Dobro copy made sometime in the '30's.
I played a bar slide, lap steel style, in open E.
After owning it for twenty years, like a dumbass I let somebody steal it while I was going through a divorce.
I've often thought if I ever caught who stole it I'd break their hands.
http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/...0491823266.jpg
http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/...0491823266.jpg (cut and paste when the photo link craps out)
Oh man, color me drooling.
I'll help cut his hands off.
Pretty damn low to steal an old guitar like that, wasn't it?
Let me tell you about it.
I found it in a little music store in Encinitas, Ca. called "Singing Strings". The old man who owned it, "Ed", looked like Albert Einstein, bushy white hair, mumbled when he talked. But he had some VERY rare intstruments in his place, none of which I could afford on a hippy musician's income.
Then he dragged out this old Dobro copy. It was cheap as hell and well worn from playing. Someone had played the finish (paint) off the back of the neck. Ed told me he'd never seen another one like it and didn't know what the hell it was.
He said it definitely was from the late '20's or '30's and probaby cost $5-$10 new. Hell, it looked to my like Blind Melon Chitlen had been playing it at the crossroads for two lifetimes.
I bought it for $75. A LOT of money to me at the time.
It had a totally unique tone, unlike any National or Dobro I'd ever heard. I soon learned why.
I got this wild hair to add an electric pickup to it. (Blame it on David Lindley). My friends at Blue Ridge Music in Encinitas had an old pickup and two clear, yellowed-plastic knobs and controls from some old guitar and they installed 'em on my whateverthehellitwas. (The name at the top ended "..anta". Never figured out what it was.)
While they were installing the pickup, they took the metal top off and lo and behold there was no resonator under it! That's right, just unpainted, thin wood! That explained the strange sound. It was so cheap it didn't even have a resonator, truly a "copy" if there ever was one.
I banged around on it for years playing a sloppy style of Elmore James.
Then, twenty years later, like a dumbass I let it get stolen while all my shit was in cardboard boxes and scattered all over the trailer.
Shit.
Doc, that is an amazing story. Losing a funky old axe like that is almost as bad as losing a #1.Quote:
Originally posted by doc540
Pretty damn low to steal an old guitar like that, wasn't it?
Let me tell you about it.
While they were installing the pickup, they took the metal top off and lo and behold there was no resonator under it! That's right, just unpainted, thin wood! That explained the strange sound. It was so cheap it didn't even have a resonator, truly a "copy" if there ever was one.
I banged around on it for years playing a sloppy style of Elmore James.
Then, twenty years later, like a dumbass I let it get stolen while all my shit was in cardboard boxes and scattered all over the trailer.
Shit.
David Lindley is a HUGE influence for many. In his own way, he's as much from another planet as Sonny Landreth. I gotta say, that when J and I go on the Cruise again (Delbert), he's gonna be there and while last year, I wasn't intimidated by anyone, ol' Sonny is one of those guys that make me want to siddown and not suffer in the comparison.
Now I WILL say that's not going to STOP me, I'll play anyway, because nothing Sonny can do can invalidate what I do, but it's gonna be...interesting to see how I hold up.
Doc, did you ever try that evil debbil open G tuning?
"Doc, did you ever try that evil debbil open G tuning?"
Naw, every time I reached for the tuning keys I heard a voice from my 'ol grandma warning me about doin' the devil's work. Since I was just an apprentice in open E, I thought I might avoid at least the brimstone by not stepping down the big leagues of open G.
btw: While watching the PBS special on blues last night, I caught a brief glimpse of Muddy Waters holding a guitar that looked like the one I had stolen.
Think about it.
It could have actually been Muddy's! And then when I got a divorce, an evil woman stole it from me down at the crossroads.
I think I'll start tellin' that tale from now on.
bump
Amateurs ...
(heh heh heh)
Here ya go!
Standard tuning, 5/8 Sears Craftsman stainless steel socket (don't buy the metric sizes. they hurt)
I never chart .... I just play ... pentatonics mostly.
Howdy y'all
Standard tuning? :%Quote:
Originally posted by SlideDoctor
Amateurs ...
(heh heh heh)
Here ya go!
Standard tuning, 5/8 Sears Craftsman stainless steel socket (don't buy the metric sizes. they hurt)
I never chart .... I just play ... pentatonics mostly.
Howdy y'all
I never chart either but open G and heavy glass be mah thang. :-P
Nice to see you here, my friend.
anta? :hmm
Hey, maybe it was made from old Fanta cans! :dude
Ry Cooder freak here. Love his slow, buttery stuff the best.
"Lipstick Sunset" "Dark End of the Street"
I also dig George Harrison's slide playing. A nice, tuneful, not so blues based approach.
Chris Rea's kind of a sleeper slide guy too. His solo on "Julia" is just sick.
Haven't been doing much sliding lately, but I'm a pinky man. Standard tuning more often than not.
I have a couple of Moonshine porcelain deals, a Mudslide which I think is bakelite. I made 2 from wine bottle necks. They all have their certain charm, but the porcelains are my favorite, but they are easy to scratch.
Recently fooled around with a funky old Teisco lap steel. I want it and it got me re-interested in slide again.
Funny I should see this post.
I came in to work today with my Les Paul Jr and a bag of slides (I practice during my 1 hour lunch break).
I've got a cut off wine bottle neck, a Coricidan bottle repro, a 5/8" deep socket and a chrome plated steel slide with a felt pad in it.
I am going to spend my lunch picking a favorite and comparing tones.
OK, this is pretty frustrating to do. Even more so then fingerstyle but I'm still with it.
I've been working through the licks that bluesbarn laid out in his post as a starting point. I am in standard tuning and trying both glass and chrome to see which one feels right.
I am having a lot of trouble with buzzing noises even when using the fingers behind the slide as a mute.
I am also having trouble getting the slide to work with the neck contour. Should the slide cover the entire width of the fretboard or should I have to move it with the contour of the neck too ?
I guess reading this the question is about how much pressure is applied to the slide?
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Oh and I am curious if others use fingerstyle or flatpicks for slide.
Picking hand muting is just as important for a clean sound. When I play slide, I play with my fingers.Quote:
Originally posted by lyles
I am having a lot of trouble with buzzing noises even when using the fingers behind the slide as a mute.
Raise the strings, and flatten out the radius of the string height. If you're using .010's, switch to .011's.Quote:
I am also having trouble getting the slide to work with the neck contour. Should the slide cover the entire width of the fretboard or should I have to move it with the contour of the neck too ?
You shouldn't have to lean on it, just enough to make notes sound out cleanly.Quote:
I guess reading this the question is about how much pressure is applied to the slide?
fezz,
Thanks, Shoulda known that hat wasn't just for looks.
I am not shitting you, I actually hauled my old Dobro copy to San Diego State University and showed it to Rye Cooder one time.
He didn't know what the hell it was either.
As a token of my appreciation of his music I gave him an old 78rpm record which had been in my family since the 30's.
It was titled "Atomic Power" and written years ago by the Louvin Brothers.
Then later I showed it to David Lindley after he played a gig somewhere in San Diego. Asshole thought I wanted to sell it and started out trying to treat me like shit.
I set him straight real quick by turning around to leave and saying, "Hey, kiss my ass. I didn't bring it here to sell it."
Then his tune changed and he acted interested in it. He hadn't ever seen one either and had no clue as to what it was.
Doctor!!!
put de lime in de coconut...drink it all down
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Great thread!
Very good info/advise being shared here.
Me, I started with a National Polychrome tricone.
Used a big ol' brass slide.
Had to sell her...
:(
Long story.
Then played around with an old short scale silvertone/U-1.
Bought in Reno Nevada in a pawn shop.
Glass slide, all in open G.
Sold that one too.
:(
Now I'm down to a 55 Les Paul Jr. and a 68 tele.
For slide work the tele is best for me, however it is also the best for everything else.
:(
So I'm slowly learning to set up and play the old Jr.
That ol’ P-90 sho does wail.
Play with my pinky finger, ring just don't work for me.
What I do, I do well, but I need to stretch out some. Learn a bit more.
I am quite envious that you guys have ready access to such amazing slide players.
If I met Sonny Landreth or David Lindley I’d be a babblin’ geek.
:D
Please continue to post links of your playing and recommend any specific tracks to listen to.
Amp wise, I’ve got a 5 watt Tophat that is flat out amazing for slide.
Again, great thread
Best regards,
Brian
There's a song on Lee Roy Parnell's "Tell the Truth" called "Crossin' Over" that's pretty much a primer for electric slide guitar. Open A tuning.
Ok. I have one of those Cordican bottle slides I got for Christmas even though I've never played slide before. What's the easiest tuning to start? I notice that when I play slide, I have trouble muting. Any hints?
Yup. No matter what finder you put the slide on, the finger above the slide must rest lightly on the strings. Gets rid of the "cat fight" sound some sliders get.Quote:
Originally posted by grito
Ok. I have one of those Cordican bottle slides I got for Christmas even though I've never played slide before. What's the easiest tuning to start? I notice that when I play slide, I have trouble muting. Any hints?
You're better off finger-picking slide because the non-picking fingers (and this will vary depending on which string (s) you're picking) can be used to mute strings you don't want vibrating.
I mostly use open G tuning, and occasionally open E. I've also been known to tune my baritone to open A (e tuning, capo off at 3 and have an interesting C tuning.
One instructional aid I cannot recommend highly enough is a Hotlicks video "The Art of Slide Guitar" with Lee Roy Parnell. Lee Roy's a friend of mine, a monster of epic proportion and this is probably the video you want as it's designed for the beginner or intermediate player. It's a few years old so you get to see band performances by the original Hot Links, some of whom are also my friends. Very special musicians and great guys.
Lee Roy Parnell
Pete speaks the truth. Playing slide is all about muting properly with both hands. Fingers only is the way to go, but if you must use a pick, work on muting with the other 3 fingers and the heel of your hand. I put the slide on my ring finger, and sometimes use my pinky in front of the slide to mute the higher strings.Quote:
Originally posted by pbradt
No matter what finder you put the slide on, the finger above the slide must rest lightly on the strings. Gets rid of the "cat fight" sound some sliders get.
You're better off finger-picking slide because the non-picking fingers (and this will vary depending on which string (s) you're picking) can be used to mute strings you don't want vibrating.
I also must say, that having a dedicated guitar for slide (or two) is the easiest way to go, esp if you gig. Being able to slide the Tele back in the rack and pick up the Strat, switch the A/B box and go is a HUGE advantage. No re-tuning (or worse, playing in standard tuning, got that Doc n Tonemaster?) don't have to worry about low action or light strings farting out on the frets, just slide ready.
It's made a world of difference for me.
As soon as I get the chance I post some links to the annoying sounds of a Sears Craftsman socket scraped across .011 gage strings. You'll thank me later .... or contact an auratory specialist.
I am slowly becoming a "slide only" player. In my band I do play 2nd rythmn and lead and my arthritis is slowly making my lead playing too sloppy. The guys in the band like the slide work too, so it works out....
What's the ideal nut setup for a guitar dedicated to slide playing? I have a tele that would fit the bill, and a spare bone blank. I'd guess the slots should be cut the same depth and more shallow than normal?
jd-
I don't know the answer to your question, but my guess is that you are right! My guitars are all set up "too low for slide playing, too high for standard playing"
I just got back from Hawaii and met a FDP'r Mark from Hawaii. So we jammed. I forget I play slide cause it seems so repetitious that I raely pick it up.
Anywho, Mark had a blues Jr ,jekyll and hyde and a coconut phase type of machine. Quite the setup for great tone.
He had a crumy pinky sized slide that was light and crome. I hate that type. I love my big brass slide!
Anyway, Mark gave me a flattering review of my wicked slide,in regular tuning.
SO, I wanted to give newbies and Oldbies a great tip.
I got great vibrato over 30 years ago on slide. Of all slide players it was George Harrision that helped me.
If you listen and practice the lick from Back off Boogalo by Ringo, you will get very precise at our sound. It plays in unision with the lyrics,Back off Boogalo ie Chorus and it EASY and fun to play
It is weird,but at this stage of the game, I do not even have to mute. With just the slide on the string I get no over tones
Pete,
What do you think of Sonny's playing? I've never been able to get the hang of slide playing but would like to.....Is alternate tuning a must? Is there a way to play good slide in standard tuning? How about string height? I like pretty low action on my guitars. Do I need to set one up specifically for slide?
Sonny's a monster. He's on a planet of his own.Quote:
Originally posted by shoudek
Pete,
What do you think of Sonny's playing?
Sonny is a guy to admire but man, I wouldn't spens a lot of time trying to be like him. Maybe I'm lazy or stupid, but Sonny seems unattainable goalQuote:
I've never been able to get the hang of slide playing but would like to
I believe so, for me it is. Others play differently.Quote:
Is alternate tuning a must?
I'm sure there is but I never found it. I didn't get very far until I discovered open tunings. I use mostly G tuning.Quote:
Is there a way to play good slide in standard tuning?
based on what you've said here, yes. I sure as hell can't play good slide on low action. I have a strat set up with higher action, wider string spacing at the nut, heavy (.013-.054) strings and slightly raised action at the bridge. The trem is blocked.Quote:
How about string height? I like pretty low action on my guitars. Do I need to set one up specifically for slide?
Whether you have a dedicated guitar depends on your budget, your desires and your taste. I would not gig without a dedicated guitar for slide.
I also recommend an instructional vid by Lee Roy Parnell (through Hotlicks) called "The Art of Slide Guitar." It's where I got started (I've been lucky enough to have had a few lessons and onstage encounters with the Man himself, who's now a friend) and it's a GREAT place to start.
Let me know if there's anything else I can answer, I hope this will help get you started.
I've often used those exact words to describe Sonny's playing!! I agree with pbradt for sure.
Sonny has perfected a technique of playing notes in front of the slide (I believe he uses his pinky in order to have the other three fingers free for this purpose).
Another key element to his style is where he's from. He is one of those unique players who has been able to capture the essence of his heritage (Louisiana) in his playing.
Standard tuning slide is more difficult and limiting when compared to open tuning stuff, but it is possible. When Warren Haynes was doing the Duane stuff in The ABB, he transposed Duane's open tuning stuff to standard tuning on many songs.
I have often done a 'hybrid' open tuning in order to get around having to keep an extra guitar handy. I simply tuned my high E string down to a 'D' giving the top 4 strings an open tuning effect.
I keep telling myself to have a dedicated guitar for slide, but I can't seem to decide which one!! I'll use that as an excuse to buy a new one!!:D
Once you get used to it, standard tuning can be more flexible than an open major chord, such as E or A. If you tune to E or A, you can only slide to major chords. In standard tuning, you can slide to major or minor chords. I used to play in A or E, but I now prefer standard tuning.
But what you cannot get, that I can't live without, is a double-stop seventh. That is integral to my playing, so open G it is for me.Quote:
Originally posted by Jim Collins
Once you get used to it, standard tuning can be more flexible than an open major chord, such as E or A. If you tune to E or A, you can only slide to major chords. In standard tuning, you can slide to major or minor chords. I used to play in A or E, but I now prefer standard tuning.
pbradt, I've been working on slide with open G and I find that the string height is a problem. LOU gave me some suggestions on guitar set up but I'd like to hear your opinion too. I have an old Yamaha acoustic that I am using to start out with for now and I'd like to set it up for dedicated slide playing.Quote:
Originally posted by pbradt
But what you cannot get, that I can't live without, is a double-stop seventh. That is integral to my playing, so open G it is for me.
Can you offer suggestions on guitar set up for slide?
Thanks
lyles.
P.S. can you explain the term, double stop seventh?:hmm
Better that I offer you a clip, which I'll have recorded tomorrow.Quote:
Originally posted by lyles
pbradt, I've been working on slide with open G and I find that the string height is a problem. LOU gave me some suggestions on guitar set up but I'd like to hear your opinion too. I have an old Yamaha acoustic that I am using to start out with for now and I'd like to set it up for dedicated slide playing.
Can you offer suggestions on guitar set up for slide?
Thanks
lyles.
P.S. can you explain the term, double stop seventh?:hmm
pbradt, Sorry I let the time slip by since this post but I've been job hunting. Did you manage to get a clip recorded?Quote:
Originally posted by pbradt
Better that I offer you a clip, which I'll have recorded tomorrow.
My other concern is guitar set up. Can you offer up suggestions on string hieght and sizes for an acoustic?
Thanks.
I think my guages on the Strat, .013-.054 would be fine for a G guitar, electric or acoustic. Remember you'll need a truss rod adjustment with strings that heavy, esp on a Fender.Quote:
Originally posted by lyles
pbradt, Sorry I let the time slip by since this post but I've been job hunting. Did you manage to get a clip recorded?
My other concern is guitar set up. Can you offer up suggestions on string hieght and sizes for an acoustic?
Thanks.
I have found most acoustics to be fine the way they are for slide, they tend not to be set up as low-action as electrics. I don't own an acoustic guitar so this may not be much help. Clip coming as soon as i get a mix I can tolerate.
I'm using .012 - .048 now so I think that they're close enough to your sizes that I will stay with them until I run out of the sets that I have. What's your opinion on using an unwound G string? I am having a lot of trouble finding that in acoustic strings but have been advised that it would have a better sound? I know that you don't play acoustic but I am curious to hear your opinion on this.Quote:
Originally posted by pbradt
I think my guages on the Strat, .013-.054 would be fine for a G guitar, electric or acoustic. Remember you'll need a truss rod adjustment with strings that heavy, esp on a Fender.
I have found most acoustics to be fine the way they are for slide, they tend not to be set up as low-action as electrics. I don't own an acoustic guitar so this may not be much help. Clip coming as soon as i get a mix I can tolerate.
So from what I found out so far I will raise my current string hieght and I should 'flatten' out a bridge so that there is no curve to the string set up. I am getting some buzz on the 1st and 6th strings because of the 'curve' and hitting the frets because I have my acoustic action set low.
Anyhow, thanks to you and LOU so far for your guidance on this.
I don't use an unwound G, I like it wound, myself. Keep in mind that when you're playing slide, you only need to put the slide on the strings you're playing, not all the way across the fretboard. I had mine radiused to 12" (the nut and bridge, not the fretboard) which helped.Quote:
Originally posted by lyles
What's your opinion on using an unwound G string? I am having a lot of trouble finding that in acoustic strings but have been advised that it would have a better sound? I know that you don't play acoustic but I am curious to hear your opinion on this.
So from what I found out so far I will raise my current string hieght and I should 'flatten' out a bridge so that there is no curve to the string set up. I am getting some buzz on the 1st and 6th strings because of the 'curve' and hitting the frets because I have my acoustic action set low.
Also keep in mind, strimg muting is paramount in doing this.