Blues Slide Instructional Material?

[steelvibe]

I've been lurking on Amazon but wanted to check here before clicking buy. I'm a beginner to slide but I've been playing fingerstyle for a couple decades now, so prefer something not too simple. Any stuff out there what would benefit me to learn slide? I prefer open tunings (like Open G or D tunings), but if you think there is a great resource in Standard I'd like to know that too.


BTW, I had bought a cheap D'addario, thin-walled glass slide years ago but found it cumbersome and the tone isn't my thing. While that has been sitting in a drawer I've just been enjoying others good in the craft but thinking that I really want to learn how to do that! However on a whim I just bought a Black Mountain Slide Ring and so far really liking it. Cole (the inventor) recommends putting in 50 hours of practice before writing it off to get used to it, but I love that my fretting hand is free to play whatever I want while dropping a slide whenever and wherever I want too. It is also very comfortable.

[generalliamsayn]

These are my 3 biggest suggestions:

1) Really LISTEN to what you're playing - especially as to whether or not you're playing in tune. Just like a fretted bass player going to fretless, most beginning slide players don't notice how out of tune they're playing for some time (and it sounds awful!). And, if you're going to be a bit 'off' (no slide playing is perfectly in tune - it's the nature of the beast) it's better to be slightly FLAT than SHARP. Flat sounds bluesy while sharp just sounds out of tune. Maybe try recording your playing then listening later.

2) Learn how to damp the strings (behind the slide) to clean up the tone. With too many new slide players, all people hear is a jangly mess of overtones because they don't yet know to do this.

3) (optional but quite helpful, IMHO) Replace the high E string with a slightly heavier gauge, especially if you're using slack tunings like D or G. On an acoustic, this might be swapping your .012 for a .014 or .015. This works like a little fence wire and greatly helps keep the slide from banging into the frets, which is something most beginners have an issue with.

Have fun!

[Kyle215]

Stefan Grossman had a bunch of good stuff, particularly the stuff Tom Feldmann did for the guitar workshop

https://www.guitarvideos.com/stefan-...ann/c/33776473

[BluesKing777]

First...watch Fred McDowell - Going Down To The River - about 25000 times and listen, then play it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TyzAAwJnIw



Lesson/DVD:

https://www.guitarvideos.com/stefan-...egory=33776489

Book:

https://www.booktopia.com.au/acousti...423445784.html


BluesKing777.

[E-OM]

John Hatcher teaches fingerstyle and slide on 3 levels... so you can step in where you are... His site is BGI... Blues guitar Institute...

I think he's a great teacher and uses a lot of tools, videos and pdfs...

https://bluesguitarinstitute.com/

Bob

[scriv58]

https://www.homespun.com/shop/produc...three-dvd-set/

[rbock]

If you like old time, rag time style, you might like Mike Dowling's Homespun DVD.

[maxed]

Like the OP, I too have just acquired a Black Mountain Slide Ring and also a 4-pack sampler of their spring-loaded Thumb Picks to tryout and learn (again).

I'm primarily a flesh-only fingerstyle player, who cannot stand any amount of fingernails growing past my fingertips.
I have some brass and glass slides from previous attempts that I could never get used to, so I'm looking forward to an interesting journey with this new slide design.

Cole of Black Mountain, the inventor of these Slides and Picks has been extremely cordial, helpful, and quick to respond. He also recommends the BGI site mentioned above.

Thank You everyone for posting resource links and additional advice on slide guitar. Time for the wood-shed!

[achdu]

Have a look at -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxsnP56TrEY&t=2406s

Both Feldman and Grossman have many DVDs for sale.

As for bottlenecks - Diamond supply some of the best. I have a Redhouse and Blue Diamond. You won't find many bottleneck guitarists recommending the slide ring.

https://www.diamondbottlenecks.com/index.html

Ian McWee, the owner, is a pleasure to deal with, and they export worldwide.

[Diamond Slides]

Many thanks for the kind words achdu 👍

I'll second the mention for Mike Dowling's 'Bottleneck Blues and Beyond' DVD's (Vol 1 & 2) ~ Mike shows how to integrate the slide into a song instead of it being the primary showstopper. Another shout should go to any Steve James tuition DVD's - more bluesy than Mike D's but similar in style and content 👍

Slide On!

Ian.

[steelvibe]

Thank you all! I'm looking into all the references.

[anplaggd66]

I started learning slide a year ago, similar story as yours. I've got a Truefire subscription, lots of slide material on it.

My favorite instructor is Tom Feldman, his site is here - https://playcountryblues.com/ Great material, all the standards, from easy to hard....

I usually just play on a regular acoustic, learning to develop a gentle touch. Got a couple of fantastic glass slides from Diamond Bottleneck, but after breaking quite a few, I now prefer the Jim Dunlop 284 Eric Sardinas Preachin' Pipe.

Slide playing is great fun, and it's journey, sometime frustrating and in the end rewarding. Enjoy.

[waterboy]

Toby Walker has some nice slide classes. He hangs out on AGF sometimes.

[mawmow]

I am not sure, but I kind of remember John Hammond Jr
has some on Happy Traum's Homespun Video co.
Anyway John is always a pleasure to watch !

[Bluenose]

1.Get a decent slide, thick walled glass would be my recommendation
2. tune your guitar to either open G- Spanish or open D- Vestapole
3. Get ready to spend spend long hours learning because it's not easy.

The best slide tab and the best instructor in the world won't do you any good until you put in the time to get the basics down.