Slide Guitar

[woodelf]

For anyone beginning to play slide/bottleneck guitar, which is the best tuning in which to start?...not standard I would imagine. Ta Muchly.

[crisgal]

open G

[woodelf]

Ta!

[Johnny Doe]

Agree with open G. There's also the DADGAD and DADF#AD tunings.

[woodelf]

Many Thanks too JD - now I'll go find myself a slide, though aint paying over the odds...praps make my own.

[Sachs]

How did the music go in the pub wood? x

[woodelf]

You got me there with that one Sachs...what music in the pub? xx

[Sachs]

the 'gig' wood!

[woodelf]

Oh that one!...smile...it's this Sunday and it aint in a pub, it's in a castle!...would you believe? Kinnersley Castle in Herefordshire and I'm only a guest cos I'm a groupie really!...well, I've got to know the main singer/songwriter and he's invited me to play on at least one song with the three other guitarists and it's my first ever gig and I've been practising like mad *that figures* and me fingers hurt like mad but I aint scared yet and aaaaargh! xx

[Sachs]

A castle? Really! brilliant!
apart from your shredded fingers, has all the practicing paid off? :0)

[woodelf]

Well, almost Sachs, I'm still having probs with changing from Esus4 to Em7 and to those who know them these are easy chords, but I can't get the pinkie to ring out that D note - and my Bm aint too clever either with a muffled barre chord - old age and arthritis are my excuses...hope I don't get kicked out the band!

[Sachs]

lol! Well I hope it goes well for you wood! Let us know wont you?

[poltergeist]

Hey woody I had a 'slide massage' the other week on an inflatable bed in the shower. It was really relaxing. I would recomend it :)
Hows things between you and Ethel?

[woodelf]

Strange juxtaposition there Polter - aint seen anything of Ethel for ages - and anyway, my neck would warp and the strings would rot.
Yeah Sachs, I'll let you know how I get on. xx

[Richard1966]

Slides are relatively inexpensive. Make sure you try both glass and metal and various types of metal as well. Personally I prefer a heavy glass slide. I have a guitar set up specifically for slide with a high action and heavy flat wound strings. I use open G as well but Im still rubbish.

[woodelf]

Okay Richard, ta for that - and I'm rubbish...I aint got to still yet!

[Mortartube]

If I play (and I use the word loosely) lap slide, I use a glass food colouring style bottle (it had almond essence in it). Works great. Won't go over the finger but you can use it like a steel bar slide.

[Sachs]

Enjoy yourself Sunday wood!

[Sachs]

Wood, how was it? x

[woodelf]

Hi Sachs. It was brilliant!...and I played on three songs...yeah!...three! Twas my first-ever gig and we were all electric/acoustic and I had the loan of a Yamaha Compass CPX 900 and what a difference it made to my playing, although I did fluff a couple of things (chord changes) I could quickly get back to where I was meant to be. I was only playin' rhythm and couldn't really hear what I was doing *out there* so to speak, but I knew I was doin' okay. We only had about an hour's rehearsal and sound check and apart from the two main guys, we'd never played before and strangely enough, I had no nerves...though I kept going to the loo just to make sure I didn't need a pee (or whatever) later on. But as soon as I started to play that guitar, I knew I was gonna be OK - have to save up me pennies now and buy a new gittar.
Hope you wanted to know all that Sachs? xx

[Richard1966]

Glad it went well. The buzz from playing live and with other people is worth the nerves.

Good on ya.