Ok, maybe just for an old fart that's been playing regular six string all his life. I keep wanting to press down too hard with the slide. I'm thinking of changing to thicker strings. Learning to mute appears to be key, so I don't have all that unwanted noise and buzzing. It's totally like learning a new instrument for me, and that isn't as easy as it used to be! Tips and gratuities gladly accepted!
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Thanks so much everyone, I will take all of your advice to heart. I restrung my CBG with slightly heavier strings, and bought a ceramic slide. It seems to be better for me than the bottle. It really helps to keep the guitar tipped out, so I can only see the side markers, to get the slide straight and level on the fretboard. I'm starting to see potential, so now it's practice, practice, practice!
Well, all the real good tips have already been given so now it's a question of spending time having at it. Looking at it like learning a new instrument is helpful so you can have some patience with yourself and not expect instant gratificacation. I play with slide on my pinky usually and use my index to lightly dampen strings behind the slide. This helps to lessen unwanted sounds. Good luck!
2 more. Keep that slide flat and parallel to the finger board. Best to use the little finger or at least practice with that finger some. Because at some point you are likely to do some finger noting or chording.
Others say the same, but here are my keys. Sit up straight with good posture for you and the git. Use a strap to hold the git in place. Slide firmly but not too heavily and drag you index finger behind the slide. Slide up and into the note or chord. A bit of slide movement is good. Mark the 3rd, 5th and 7th frets. Those and open are your key spots. 5 minutes a day of playing.
slide rattle can depend on alot of things .. different people hold a slide at different angles and with different fingers .
even different slides .. if your angle is not flat across ,, you may get rattle on either end string ,, if by nature you cant break the habit of your finger / wrist angle .. try a tapered slide , like a bottle neck .. try it both ways too. taperd back and foward .
some folks also use their trail fingers to mute the strings behind the slide abit .. because you are bound to get some rattle no matter what . ( or palm mute .)
also there is the "approach" to the string , i say "approach" because ; think of the slide as an airplane landing on the string at an angle, and approach the string as such ..this will reduce rattle .
a head on drop is more likely to produce rattle ,
the same with lift off . but dont be afraid of the string approach even on a drop.
bottom line , the more you play , the more you will find out what works best for you .
it will get better .
sit up straight also , that helps . ;-) dont tilt the guitar to see the fret markers , use the side markers .
then again .. some folks let it rattle away and call it "character" ;-)
that works too.
and if all else fails .. you can kill the problem totally with this .
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/swamp-witch-guitars-re...
Take Seasick Steve's advice, "With only one string you can’t go wrong" and build yourself a diddley bow. It's easy to get a handle on it when you only have to worry about one string.
The key to learning slide for me has been using open tunings, either G or D, and working on some basic Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor licks. If you try to jump right into something complicated like standard tuning slide and/or Sonny Landreth or Derek Trucks style stuff, you'll get frustrated quickly.
Getting a slide you're comfortable with is important as well. I've got about 30 slides, not counting ones I make for resell. You can use moleskin to pad the opening to get a better fit.
I've found that using a thumb and finger pick works better for me than a regular pick but everyone is different.
And, yes, muting is important but you can get away with some string noise and such if you play easy and raucous music first before trying the cleaner stuff.
Thanks Frank! Good advice. I just ordered a ceramic slide because the Coricidin bottle didn't feel right. Good point about the rowdier music. Distortion should help on my electric too!
As an old fart six string player who couldn't play slide , I will offer up "my" tips. #1: Sneak up on your six string and attack it with the slide . I did this by ignoring it for two years and playing slide on my 3 string CBG. Then I tuned my six string to a open chord, only to investigate what string combinations I might want to use for my next 3 string, and ......Surprise...... I could play slide on a six ! #2: Don't do #1 , it takes to long. Maybe try playing only three or four of the treble strings on the six to start. #3: I do like thicker strings with slide, for more string tension. Without changing strings try tuning up to a different open tuning , for more tension. Slightly higher action on the guitar will help too. #4: Muting is key. So much so that, I have grown to think of muting as isolating the strings I'm playing . I do finger pick ,which helps "me". #5: The slide. Your slide should have a radius like the strings on your six. Different players prefer different materials for a slide. When I began brass was the only thing that worked for me,at all. For me the fit of the slide is critical. I need it to feel like it's part of my finger. #6: Attack it, keep at it, play sloppy, make mistakes forgivingly and learn from them. Make it fun! Something will "pop" suddenly and you will discover the basics of your technique. I hope some of this helps.
Stick with it! Things'll pop soon enough!
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