Slide Guitar Primer
Always wanted to play slide guitar but weren't sure where to start? You start here! In this 13-lesson slide guitar video course, you'll learn all you need to know to sound like a seasoned slide player fast. Spanning from lessons designed for first-time slide-wearers to more advanced ideas like mimicking open E Derek Truck or Duane Allman licks in standard tuning, this series contains a bounty of information, tips, tricks, and plenty of awesome-sounding licks and riffs that will serve you well for years to come! These slide guitar videos are designed for the intermediate player looking to get into slide for the first time or simply improve and expand their current slide skills.
Videos
• Intro to Slide Guitar (10:41) - In this first lesson, Andy Aledort shows you the basics of using slide, including guitar setup (action, string gauges, etc.), choosing which finger with which to wear the slide, tonal considerations, and proper technique for correct intonation.
• Rock Slide Guitar (04:38) - Next, you'll learn how to apply your new skills, as GIT instructor Lenny Widegren demonstrates some standard-tuning licks that work perfectly well in a rock context.
• Standard Tuning Slide Patrol (14:35) - Here, virtuoso funny man Greg Koch gives you several tips on how to mimic other tunings (and players that use them) while remaining in standard tuning. This is invaluable information if you don't have the option or luxury of bringing an extra guitar to a gig and have to cover all the bases in standard tuning.
• Slide Guitar: Standard Tuning (24:41) - In this lesson - the first of several more from Andy Aledort, you'll learn another batch of great-sounding slide licks that don't require a single tuning peg be turned.
• Slide Guitar: Open A Tuning (22:02) - Andy shows you plenty of scale and chord forms in standard A tuning next, along with several classic examples.
• Slide Guitar: Open E Tuning (19:49) - Learn all about playing slide in the preferred tuning of Derek Trucks, Duane Allman, and many others, complete with scale forms, chords, and licks.
• Slide Guitar: Open G Tuning (12:07) - A favorite tuning of many Delta blues players like Robert Johnson and more contemporary slide greats like Bonnie Raitt and Ry Cooder, open G tuning is the same, interval-wise, as open A, only a whole step lower. Andy breaks down the tuning here and shows how slide players commonly use it.
• Blues Slide Motifs (05:30) - In this lesson with MIT instructor Stuart Ziff teaches the art of slide motifs in E tuning, showing you how to create a melodic hook and repeat and/or vary it across a 12-bar blues.
• Slide Guitar (04:55) - Acclaimed blues rock virtuoso Joe Bonamassa shares his thoughts on slide guitar in this lesson, discussing techniques like muting, vibrato, picking/plucking, and using open tunings.
• Slide Guitar Soloing (11:40) - Joe continues to share more thoughts on slide guitar in general, including mixing fretted notes with the slide, and offers up a slew of great-sounding licks.
• Brave New Blues: Derek Trucks (13:36) - To round out the course, Greg Koch gives his own take on three masters. In this first lesson, he addresses the amazing Derek Trucks, demonstrating how to mimic some of his style in standard tuning and also a hidden tip for achieving perfect intonation on faster phrases along one string.
• Brave New Blues: Duane Allman (13:21) - Next up, Greg focuses on Duane Allman, showing you five licks that mimic his open E style in standard tuning.
• Brave New Blues: Earl Hooker (09:38) - Finally, Greg turns his attention to Chicago blues legend Earl Hooker. Here, you'll see how to incorporate the wah pedal and employ his trademark vibrato.