Question about slide technique

[LJGriggs]

For years I have been "playing" (I use the term playing very loosely) slide in standard tuning. This was because I have typically only had one decent guitar at any given time and didn't want to be constantly changing the tuning. Now I have two LP's and am wondering if I should "re-learn" to play in "open-E" (like Skydog)? I've already raised the action a little on my Studio LP for slide, but haven't made the jump to open-E yet. If any of you happen to play slide in open-E, once I get my head around the differences in scale patterns, is it easier/better to play slide with open tuning?

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by LJGriggs

For years I have been "playing" (I use the term playing very loosely) slide in standard tuning. This was because I have typically only had one decent guitar at any given time and didn't want to be constantly changing the tuning. Now I have two LP's and am wondering if I should "re-learn" to play in "open-E" (like Skydog)? I've already raised the action a little on my Studio LP for slide, but haven't made the jump to open-E yet. If any of you happen to play slide in open-E, once I get my head around the differences in scale patterns, is it easier/better to play slide with open tuning?

I am actually someone who learned to play slide in Open tunings E/D and A/G, but then went back to work hard at playing in standard. Warren Haynes and Greg Martin are two great players who never play slide in anything but standard. Check out the youtube vid of Greg. Don't think he loses anything not being in standard:

YouTube - Greg Martin digs into his 1958 Les Paul

I do like open tunings for some things though. G is a great one to mess with as it is very similar to standard.

Mark

[LJGriggs]

So, is there really nothing to be gained by switching to open-tuning?
I was aware that Warren Haynes plays slide in standard tune, and I can't argue with his abilities, but I have always felt that I wasn't "authentic" in my playing because I wasn't open tuned.
Maybe I should just refine what I'm doing.

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by LJGriggs

So, is there really nothing to be gained by switching to open-tuning?
I was aware that Warren Haynes plays slide in standard tune, and I can't argue with his abilities, but I have always felt that I wasn't "authentic" in my playing because I wasn't open tuned.
Maybe I should just refine what I'm doing.

I have played slide in cover bands and always used the standard tuning to keep from retuning. But as I studied open tunings I found "Honky tonk woman" "Start me up" "bad to the bone" ad many others were in G modal. They have a certain sound slide or not.
When I want a cool delta blues sound on acoustic I will drop into G
1D 2B 3G 4D 5G 6D also some Zep stuff is done in this, in my time of dieing is I believe...that has cool slide.
ZZ top slide can be done in standard...

Many slide players have different tunings they favor, A, E, some capo, some don't
I try a lot of stuff and use what I like...

[terps]

you can duplicate open tunings in standard but there are many things and sounds you can only get in open tunings

[AllmanClaptonSRV]

for some man, standard tunings just easier, for me. open E is just plain easier. i can slide into things and out of things much easier than i would be in standard. just a matter of what works best you know.

[terps]

im with you open e on the les paul open g on the national

[jonesy]

What tuning do you guys use for open E?

[paulygates]

I have been playing slide since Christmas and I found open G to be easy enough. As someone mentioned the D, G and B stay the same so it is easy to play some stuff the same as standard tuning. I haven't tried any other open tunings. Standard tuning just ain't the same for slide but if you stick to the D, G and B you can get away with it. Experimentation is the key. I need to experiment myself.

[LJGriggs]

First, thanks for the responses!!!

I've had my Studio LP tuned to "open E" with the action raised a little for about 2-weeks now. I can see some benefit from having the underlying E chord, but I'm still having some difficulty in figuring out my scales and "block patterns". I can "see" them in my mind for standard tuning (does that make sense?), but moving to open-E is like trying to learn to speak another language. I just can't seem to "think" in open-E. (I find I'm slipping back to playing licks from standard tuning patterns and that has a tendency to sound like crap in open-E...)
Does anyone know where I could get some scale diagrams for open-E tuning? That might help me "translate".

[WhippingPost]

Here's one that someone posted a while back (can't remember who, sorry)

Chord House Guitar Room

You can retune to show chords and scales in any tuning.

[LJGriggs]

Originally Posted by WhippingPost

Here's one that someone posted a while back (can't remember who, sorry)

Chord House Guitar Room

You can retune to show chords and scales in any tuning.

That's exactly what I needed!!! Now I can visualize the relationship between the scales in standard tuning and open tuning.

Thanks a million!

[mojocaster.com]

1D 2B 3G 4D 5G 6D

I believe that's the tuning I use as well... I love playing slide - and no, I can't really play it either, but it's still fun!

Here's an old forgotten vid from the ole library of congress

YouTube - Mojocaster.com - Them Gretsch Gas blues

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by mojocaster.com

I believe that's the tuning I use as well... I love playing slide - and no, I can't really play it either, but it's still fun!

Here's an old forgotten vid from the ole library of congress

YouTube - Mojocaster.com - Them Gretsch Gas blues

You know...I play slide a lot in all tunings and have gone through phases where at least 50% of everything I do was slide. I always felt really comfortable and just found it gave me a voice of sorts. One thing I have noticed is that technique, visualizing scales, etc. etc. did not help. It's not that I don't think about the fretboard at all and what notes I'm playing--I do...sometimes. I key in on things like where my roots are and thus where my flated 7th is, etc. Having played slide in open E and G for so long has, I think, helped me a ton translating things back to standard. I know what things I can translate directly because of adjacent notes and what I can't--or at least what I have to do slightly different. I worked a lot on string damping (behind the slide and with my right palm), vibrato, phrasing, etc. and all this lead me into fretting behind the slide like Sonny Landreth. He does it in open tunings--I do it in standard because it allows me to play some things in standard that usually only work in open tunings. So...not sure if this was any help...just my two cents on the subject. Bottom line...work on slide technique...and get comfortable with the tool...don't focus so much on what notes go where. That'll come, or...you will move beyond it.

Mark

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by LJGriggs

So, is there really nothing to be gained by switching to open-tuning?
I was aware that Warren Haynes plays slide in standard tune, and I can't argue with his abilities, but I have always felt that I wasn't "authentic" in my playing because I wasn't open tuned.
Maybe I should just refine what I'm doing.

I guess that was my point in an earlier post. The other way to "cheat" is to fret behind the slide when things don't work out exactly--either when you are playing standard or open. As mentioed, that's what Sonny Landreth does mostly in open tunings. I am doing it more and more in standard--partly because I learned to play slide in open and went back to standard. I'm still working on it and am definately not in the Landreth catagory, but it is pretty cool once you get things dialed in.

Mark

[mojocaster.com]

Originally Posted by toneguy86

Bottom line...work on slide technique...and get comfortable with the tool...don't focus so much on what notes go where. That'll come, or...you will move beyond it.

Mark

Thanks Mark, though I must say that I don't focus *at all* on what notes go where, so I am not too sure of why you quoted my response before providing yours. Be that it may, there's some good advice in your answer and I sure appreciate it

[toneguy86]

Originally Posted by mojocaster.com

Thanks Mark, though I must say that I don't focus *at all* on what notes go where, so I am not too sure of why you quoted my response before providing yours. Be that it may, there's some good advice in your answer and I sure appreciate it

One thing you may want to work on then is just sliding into specific notes along the neck and using your hands to dampen notes you don't want to sound. Once you get that down, find adjacent tones that you can add in once you arrive in a position. For instance, find your A position based triad for E in the 9th fret. Those 3 notes are (low to high) your 5th (B), your root (E) and your major 3rd (G sharp). Practice sliding up to the B (9th fret on the D string) and then adding in the E (9th fret on the G string) when you arrive there. Then do that same slide and when you arrive at the E at the 9th fret, practice dampening the strings a bit behind the slide and dropping the E down to the 7th fret. This is a D (your "blues note" or flated 7th). Try to find other places on the fretboard where you can do similar things. Then try adding a little vibrato as you slide into notes.

Another trick is to slide up from G at the 8th fret (on the B string) to G sharp at the 9th fret and then adding in the E on the G string. This is a common lick and fits into a lot of things. I also work on adding in a run with this lick that starts on the high E at the 12th fret (high E string) to the B on the B string at the 12 fret and then doing the slide into my root I describe above. It all starts to make sense in time.

Mark

[mojocaster.com]

Great stuff! Thanks

[5F6-A]

This is me playing "you've got to move" in c# open tuning.
YouTube - You've got to move

[jomo]

I started out using open E and I still have one of my acoustics tuned to E. Most of the stuff I saw on You Tube was that way. I broke down and bought a Warren Haynes DVD and my jaw dropped open when he said, "ok, this entire DVD will be in standard tuning". G((*%^v D&&%^, I'm all great, now I retune and relearn everything. He has a point though, I know a lot of music is meant to be played in open tunings but if you play YOUR music in standard, then eventually you will be better off as far as versatility. Good luck

[marshallcrazy]

There's a poster on here who goes by "Hillbilly", hasn't posted in a long time, but he's a GREAT and I mean great slide player. Killer "normal" guitar player as well. Check out his band's website www.southernelectric.net I'll see if I can't get him to post on this thread as he plays in all sorts of different tunings and can better explain the where's, why's and how's of what he does.

[b-squared]

Originally Posted by marshallcrazy

There's a poster on here who goes by "Hillbilly", hasn't posted in a long time, but he's a GREAT and I mean great slide player. Killer "normal" guitar player as well. Check out his band's website www.southernelectric.net I'll see if I can't get him to post on this thread as he plays in all sorts of different tunings and can better explain the where's, why's and how's of what he does.

+1...that dude can flat out KILL on the slide. I saw him live on a webcast--outstanding. Killer rig!

The dude is a wiz on anything electronics-wise on the guitar, as well. He's answered many a question for me!

BB

[xsouldriverx]

check out billy howerdel of a perfect circle
he uses slide in dropped 1 and 1/2 step standard tuning.

[GibsonMan]

I don't play slide at all so I can't tell you anything. It doesn't make sense to me. I get fustrated and throw my slide at the wall.