Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Blues slide guitar technique – Learn how to play slide guitar in this lesson – EP434

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn the techniques behind playing slide guitar and will learn a standalone blues composition to practice everything that you learn.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

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Comments

  5. John B says

    Great lesson. I don’t think you mentioned it but sliding to the correct note requires the slide to be over the next fret. Right on top of it and not between the frets like standard playing. Just a thought.

  6. dkt says

    slide standard tuning lesson you asked for? yes please sir…just getting into slide. playing around with a few tunings especially to go with my new cigar box 3 stringed geeter (deliberate spelling LOL) in open g so have y strat in open g to go with it. will that matter?? if you have another tuning does it matter?? dum question i know that i apolgise for in advance – but standard tuning lesson…please xxx

  7. Manuel S says

    Many thanks, great lesson.
    I would definitively do a lesson for standard tuning.
    I looked into slide lessons intensively the past few months, and find there is a dearth of material about slide with standard tuning.
    It is fun to use a different an open chord tuning, but if you are just sitting around with friends and strum, you just don’t want to stop everything for a few minutes just to change the tuning.

  8. Rich F says

    Hi Brian!

    Great lesson! Just getting into slide now. dkt, saw your question about open G tuning… have a guitar deliberately tuned in open G for the purpose of slide practice! Some great songs in open G. I will post my slide version of Led Zep’s Travelling Riverside Blues soon, using this tuning.

    Yes please Brian: a slide lesson in standard tuning woukd be great! Thank you!

  14. charjo says

    Brian,
    Your ability as a teacher to, with pinpoint precision, explain the reasons behind the technique always impresses me. I have never seen the technique explained so well. Your generous sharing of the problems you encountered will save us countless hours of frustration. Knowing what you have previously taught us to navigate the fretboard, and applying it here, is another bonus. Putting it all in a musical context with Soundslice is the cherry on the cake. That’s what makes Active Melody the best.

  17. Blaine H says

    Great Lesson…. very informative for those who have very little exposure to slide.. thanks! And YES, would be very interested in a slide lesson using standard tuning… very much interested in pursuing this!!

  19. Gerald M says

    I do play slide in standard tuning. I use my pinky for slide and have three other fingers. But you opened up my ears to open E tuning! What a great sound sliding into those chords. Thanks Brian!

  26. Roger says

    A tech at National Resophonic told me any time I use open E or open A I should detune immediately after my session because the pressure from those tunings over time will crush your cone

  29. jnewman says

    Hi Brian,
    Yes, I would love a lesson on slide in standard tuning – something about open tunings just won’t let me in. Maybe it’s the fact that everything I’ve learned about the fretboard goes out the window when I change tunings. Regardless, I’ve always wanted to learn slide in standard.

  39. Tomas says

    I really have my action on my electric guitars set too low for this. No matter how much I try (and I have an acoustic resonator with higher action where I have no issues), when I slide over the frets I hear the frets buzz. Even the lightest touch makes my slide/the string touch the fret.

  43. Wayne B says

    Hi Brian thanks for this introduction into slide . I’m by no means a good guitarist but I think I’ve just found my nirvana. more lessons please..
    ps you’ve maid an old man very happy.

  49. John R says

    Hey Brian, count me among your students that are hungry for more slide lessons, and yes to standard tuning slide lesson please. Maybe do a mini course with a wide angle as well as a deep dive or two into slide guitar.

    By the way, have you ever crossed paths with Jack Rush down in Nashville?

    Thanks for hangin in there with us all these years Brian!!

    John

  55. Robert Burlin says

    Bought a slide, first one I have ever used, made from real bone with a skull image on it, Spooky and a bit Dead like, Grateful Dead that is.
    This lesson definitely motivated me to want to learn how to get that beautiful majestic sound that comes from using a slide.
    Also this is the first time ever tuning and playing in open E.
    Way cool.
    All of it!

  57. Greg S says

    This is great, Brian. I cast my vote with those who would like a delta-like slide lesson in standard tuning. I have the George Harrison lesson, which is good electric slide in standard, but I think a lesson like this one in standard tuning would be great. You can almost smell the delta in this one!

  60. Mickey D says

    Love this. More slide please! Any tuning it doesn’t matter 🤣
    I’ve been playing guitar for 35 years, and after smashing a couple of hours on this yesterday I ache in my left shoulder! Not had that in a while, so important to note for me that the players position drops a little in that left shoulder to get the slide across all strings.
    Take away for everyone, take regular breaks !!

  61. Ron M says

    I have always loved the sound of slide guitar, especially in blues. Thanks for this lesson. I appreciate the Open E tuning and the way you designed the tune to help us isolate the strings. Great stuff, Brian

    Ron

  62. Ron M says

    I revisited this lesson today and made some definite progress in muting and isolating the strings. Thanks for this lesson. I am an older player and my hands aren’t as limber as they used to be. I find slide is a nice relief from trying to make chords with the left hand. Any slide lessons you can throw in, please do . I would love to learn the open tunings and standard tuning. Thanks Brian

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