Questions about Slides

Hey, I've got two quick questions about Slides, since I tried using one earlier today, and didn't quite know how to use it properly.

1: How do you play certain notes with a slide? Do you fret the notes the way you normally would, without a slide, or do you just hold the slide on top of the strings like when you mute them with your left hand, right above the fret?

2: Are there more than one size of slides? And by size I don't mean length, but diameter. The one I have, which I got for free when I bought a full year with GT about 9 months ago feels a bit too big, so I was wondering if there are any slides built for slimmer finger?

1- You hold the slides over the fret, not the wood part. You just touch the strings a little, like when you do harmonics.

2- Yes there are plenty of sizes, diameters and lenght.

I hope this helps you

Cool. Thanks, SebastBerg. It helps a lot. Perhaps now I can actually get the right notes out of the strings :)

Like Sebast said, right above the fret is where you should position your slide.

There are three other (perhaps more) considerations:

1. String height - Some guitars have the strings adjusted so low, its almost impossible to play without hitting the frets.

2. Muting - When playing slide, its important to mute strings. This help to keep noise at a minimum. Hard to explain in one paragraph, but check out Anders' tutorial for ZZ Top's Tush. Observe what the other fingers on the left hand are doing.

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=18852&s_id=1449

3. Open Tunings - What beginning slide players often don't realize, is that its a lot easier to play on a guitar which is set to an open tuning. My faves are D and G.

Dropped D:
----------
6 5 4 3 2 1
D A D G B E

Example: Hats off to Roy Harper, Led Zeppelin

Dropped G:
----------
6 5 4 3 2 1
D G D G B D

Example: Move it on over, George Thorogood

Hope this helps,

Izzy

Originally Posted by: IzzyPhorealThere are three other (perhaps more) considerations:

A fourth consideration is if your guitar has a curved fretboard, like a strat. For slide use, it's easier if the strings are all level. Though I guess you could get used to it with the curve...could have some advantages like a violin. I've seen where you can buy a gizmo that installs by the nut to raise the action for slide playing:
http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Gate-F-3303-Extension-Stevens/dp/B0002Z3N8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378743814&sr=8-1&keywords=guitar+slide+nut



Another song that uses alternate tuning with a slide is "In My Time of Dying" by Zeppelin. Tune the guitar to an open G chord and you've got it.

Originally Posted by: KasperowHey, I've got two quick questions about Slides, since I tried using one earlier today, and didn't quite know how to use it properly.

1: How do you play certain notes with a slide? Do you fret the notes the way you normally would, without a slide, or do you just hold the slide on top of the strings like when you mute them with your left hand, right above the fret?

2: Are there more than one size of slides? And by size I don't mean length, but diameter. The one I have, which I got for free when I bought a full year with GT about 9 months ago feels a bit too big, so I was wondering if there are any slides built for slimmer finger?

Greetings Kasperow: You just slide over the fret to get the note,,,you do not push down like when you fret a note with your finger,,,,,i am thinking you are not talking about lap steal,,,,cuz then you can get a gadget to raise the action and use a tone bar,,,,then you should just get a resonator,,,,ok so finger slide action like
derek Trucks,,,you can slide on any finger you get use to,,,,some people
slide on their middle finger,,some on their pinky,,,even index,,,but most slide on their ring finger,,,,,slides come in sizes for every finger in glass or steal,,,Alum,,,,i like glass,,,you get a cleaner sound,,,,check out any guitar store of your choice,,,,just investigate with your slide go over all the notes
and see the diff sounds and most of all have fun,,,,cheers,,,Ryder.