How to play slide guitar

You’re in for a treat today. If you’ve ever fancied trying out slide guitar but weren’t sure where to start – we’ve got you.

For the price of a pack of strings, you can pick up a cheap slide and give it a try. Pretty sure that once you get bit by the slide bug, you’ll never go back.

In this article you’ll learn about everything you need to get started:

• Best setup for slide guitar
• Which type of slide to buy
• Beginner slide techniques

If you need a little inspiration before we begin, check out this monster solo from slide virtuoso Ariel Posen.

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Imagine how cool it’d be to learn slide guitar from that dude! 😱

Well, you don’t need to imagine. He’s put together an unbelievable Slide Guitar Master Class for us. Check it out for free with our 14-day trial.

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What is slide guitar?

It’s more than just a thing you wear on your finger. A slide is a way to make your guitar sound more fluid and vocal.

Whenever there’s an opportunity to add another tool to your tonal belt – you should grab it with both hands. The slide is not just a blues sound, there really are a lot of possible ways to express yourself with this style of play.

Can you play slide on a regular guitar?

Technically you can play slide on any guitar, but there are definitely some that work better than others.

Classical nylon-string guitars are not really suited to slide, but anything with steel strings (electric or acoustic) will work. Of course, there are some qualities to look for if you want to really get the best sound.

The most important factor is not actually the guitar you have, but how it’s set up.

Guitar setup for slide

Unless you plan on buying a slide-specific guitar like a resonator (pictured below) then you’ll probably want to make some changes to your setup.

Source

It’s not essential to make these changes to your guitar to play slide, but it will certainly make it easier, and sound cleaner.

Here are a few simple modifications you can do to make your guitar more slide…able?

• Higher action: To avoid playing a fret, it’s better to have the strings further away from the fretboard. You may even need to get a taller nut to achieve the desired height.
• Thicker strings: This works two-fold. Thicker strings mean more tension, which again reduces the likelihood of hitting an unwanted fret. Heavier strings will also have slightly more sustain.
• Pickup choice and height: Many slide guitar players favor P90s, but humbuckers are also very popular. Remember that if your string action is higher, the pickups will also need to be raised.
• Compressor pedal: Some slide players also use a compressor pedal to add some sustain and make the dynamics slightly more consistent.

What type of slide should I buy?

There are many different choices of slides. Much like choosing a guitar pick, there’s no right or wrong answer – it just comes down to the tone you want, and personal preference.

Materials

Here’s a quick rundown of the different slide materials and their qualities:

• Brass slides – Brighter tone
• Glass slides - Smoother more rounded tone
• Chrome/Steel slides – great for electric guitar

Size and thickness

Thickness, much like the choice of material, is mainly about tone preference and playability.

• A thinner slide usually sounds more trebly and has considerably less sustain.
• A thicker slide is usually preferable in terms of tone, but the extra weight can be a hindrance.
• If you can, get down to a guitar shop and try some out – it's really important to find a slide that fits your finger.

Which finger do I use for slide guitar?

This is really up to you – experiment to see which is most comfortable. For most people, it’s a choice between ring or pinky finger.

The ring finger has more control because it’s stronger. You also have the benefit of being able to use your pinky to mute above the slide.

The pinky finger gives you the opportunity to fret notes ‘behind the slide’ using index, middle, and ring fingers – you can almost play as you normally would (minus the pinky finger).

What’s the best tuning for slide?

There are many different tunings that work well with a slide.

• Some people favor an open tuning as it allows you to play an entire chord with the slide across all six strings.
• Others prefer to stay in standard tuning so they can switch between styles on the fly.

If you want to learn more, check out our article on alternate tunings.