To create the flowing, rich and deep guitar sound that was first made famous by music styles like the blues, you're going to need a guitar slide. Slides come in various sizes and even shapes and can be made from a range of different materials - each with their own distinct sound.
A Guitar Essential: The Slide
A slide is a simple hollow cylinder worn on one finger of your fret hand. Lay it across the strings and quickly move it back and forth to shape a vibrato-style effect or pluck a string and move the slide up or down the fretboard for a classic flowing slide effect. Since slides were originally made from the neck of a bottle, they're also known as bottle necks, and as well as the electric guitar, you can play a classic resonator guitar or a steel-string acoustic guitar with a slide. There are also slides that are specially designed for playing the lap steel guitar.
Learning to Play Slide Guitar
If you're learning to play slide guitar techniques, then the first thing to remember is that your slide is basically serving the same function as the frets of your guitar. So, just like when you fret a string, the contact point of your slide determines the length of the string and as a result, it changes the pitch. To make sure the note is precisely intonated, you need to hold the slide just above the fret, so not on either side as you would when fretting a string. The setup of your guitar also has a part to play. Because slides are generally heavy, it's a good idea to install a set of higher-gauged strings and to raise the action a little bit. This setup will give your slide playing more control and result in better sound.
Slide Materials: Glass or Brass?
Slides come in various sizes and made of different materials, all of which have a different tone to them. If you're picking up your first slide, then a glass side might be a good option. Glass slides are relatively cheap and have a naturally warm tone. Another popular option is a brass slide. Brass is a little heavier than glass, but has a deeper and even warmer sound than glass, and also has outstanding natural resonance. If you're playing an electric guitar, then you might prefer a steel slide. Steel has a very different, much sharper and brighter tone than glass or brass. If you need any help picking out your guitar slide, see our Guitar Slide Buyer's Guide.
