Wow ... GREAT lesson ... i started playing slide in my 48th year of playing and started doing this in a round about way naturally. This tutorial confirms my suspicion that standard tuning and having all the shapes (54years worth) available is well worth the effort to develope this technique for a superior musical sound. Another tip is to flatten your B string to get a perfect triad on 2,3,4. Great playing as always Allen... cheers
Rick Spyder Another trick and advantage of the 3rd finger slide is that if your action is a little higher, you can hold a slide note and fret a note with any other finger above the bar or below the bar. Another door of endless possibilies.
I like the 7 note melodic phrasing with that growling slide over a jam band style rhythm. I have only heard Trucks do this sound before this. Is definitely a guitar style you won't hear at any average blues jam and has a lot of potential to create some new goose bumps on those listening. It hasn't been beat in the ground because virtually no one is playing like this yet. Do you have any pointers on the electronics behind the growl? Pickups? Real gibson or epiphone? For instance, you wont get that great sound on a strat. I have picked up SG's in music stores and pluged into fender amps but no resemblance in tone. There is some missing component (other than the player) and not mentioned much online.
Great Lesson, Back in the 70's I could tell if a Guy was using a Glass vs. a Chrome plate type slide, and sometimes tell if they were using a Brass one too. Duane Allman was on Electrics the coricedin bottle, I still got ONE original. Usually the Foghat Guy usually used a Chrome type. You can hear them if you listen closely. The most unique Slide player, was George Harrison, I have not heard anyone Since him with HIS STYLE, he Owned it, hear him on Badfinger records, John Lennon solo albums, George's own Solo stuff, and he might have done at least one with traveling Wilbury's and Ringos Solo Albums. GEORGE was GREAT.
I’d love to hear the story on that guitar! Looks like a ‘61-‘63 SG Junior that’s been routed out for two pickups, four knobs, a switch and a tune-o-matic. I actually have one of those and thought about doing the same thing but it seemed like too much work.
It isn’t a Jr. He’s playing a Les Paul from ‘63 or before. LP took his name off it mid ‘63 and it has since been called the SG. I have a 63 LP Jr with SG body. The Les Paul logo probably adds 1500 to its value!
Fantastic lesson. It is a bitch to keep jumping from open tuning back to std tuning for songs. I use std tuning too, but some of the open tunings are fun to play around with too. Just never do except on my own for my own amusement. Thanks for the really informative and well demonstrated lessons.
I just have one question is it necessary to start with a Small size Guitar slide ??? I Recently Bought a medium size Brass guitar slide its slightly loose to my Finger so I find it little difficult to play with slide .. Should I go for a smaller one ?
Explaining slide playing always ends up being a benign description of the need to use basic techniques, L/R hand muting, intonnate, etc, etc. However,this guy does a fantastic job of really capturing the essence of how to go beyond just playing pentatonics using good technique...understanding chord structure, the intervals, triads, various chord tones, etc AND using good sound techniques is what really makes a great player stand out (IMO) and of course deep internalization of your pentatonics in every key. Great, great job in my opinion. I've been playing slide for quite a while and I took something away from it!
Totally agree -- so many beginner slide lessons and so few advanced lessons. It is nice to hear something a little more challenging played with good tone, intonation vibrato and proper muting etc.
The best thing he said (intonation has to be spot on) no one says it because whatever guitar their using works Try playing bad motor scooter (intro) on my guitar, I can barley play it.. You wouldn't be able to play not even close. This guy couldnt either on my guitar I can tell just by watching him.
