If you’re learning slide in standard tuning, many people will simple use the same pentatonic boxes to play slide licks.

While using these box patterns will give you a few ideas, you need to re-think these patterns to have any real long term success when playing slide guitar in standard tuning.

Bad Idea

Well, I’m here to tell you that using box patterns is probably one of the worst things you can do when you start learning slide guitar. Simply put, these box patterns are not what you use to successfully learn and play slide guitar.

Think about it. When playing slide guitar, you move the slide up and down the fretboard, not across. All those fast patterns you learn when playing standard blues guitar are useless when playing slide. You must starting thinking differently!

Playing more melodically, with less notes, will take you a long way when playing slide.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO PLAY FAST TO SOUND GOOD.

Just because you hear Derek Trucks playing all these really difficult licks, doesn’t mean that you have to start out trying to play like that. Melody and space will take you very far when playing slide.

If you only take one thing away from this post, remember that slide guitar playing moves up and down the fretboard, not vertically across the fretboard like many people play standard blues guitar. If you keep this in mind, you will be more likely to become successful when learning how to play slide.

For more information on learning how to play slide guitar check out my Slide Guitar Courses.

Previously I had owned a squareneck version of this guitar, so I knew it was a good instrument. For the price, I don’t think you can find a better sounding resonator. It simply sounds amazing and comes alive to me unlike many of the other guitars in this price range.

I picked up this guitar for $550 at Musicians Friend. I challenge you to find a better deal.

In the video below I give you a short demonstration of what this guitar sounds like using open g tuning. I’m also using fingerpicks in this video but it is not required.

So what do you think of the sound of this guitar?

If you would like to learn more about playing open g tuning, please check out my 4 DVD Course.

So continuing on. About 2001, I decided to start playing slide again. I had quit playing for a couple of years to focus on playing regular guitar. I really wanted to be like SRV, Clapton, and Hendrix, so this is what I focused on. I did play some occasional slide here and there, but not much.

It all started to re-surface when I sat in with a blues rock band. They already had a great guitarist, so I thought I would play some slide to mix it up. I started playing some Warren type licks and everybody started saying, “Keep doing that. It sounds great”.

After this night I thought to myself, “Maybe it’s time to dive deeper into this slide thing.”

Rebirth

So that was it. I was determined to start learning slide completely. I immediately turned to Duane Allman again who had been nearly impossible to learn 10 years ago. And yep, it was still very hard. I was still playing slide in standard tuning at this point and was not willing to use open tunings because I only had one guitar and didn’t want to re-tune after every song when playing live. I also remember pulling out some Derek Trucks albums my drummer had told me about and trying to learn them.

It was very difficult, and I felt like quitting. Using standard tuning, I just couldn’t find the notes he was hitting. I was spending a lot of time trying to figure this out, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. And this raking noise I kept hearing Derek making was very difficult to figure out.

Then I said, “You know, lets just try this open e tuning and see what happens.” So I tuned my Strat to Open E to see what it was like and BOOM! I knew then that this was the key to unlocking Duane Allman and Derek Trucks awesome slide guitar style. The excitement I felt pushed me to start practicing hours everyday for about 3 years to learn this style. It was exciting again!

Practice Makes Perfect

From this point forward, I grabbed every Derek Trucks album and Live album of him with the Allman Brothers and his band. I also started learning every Duane Allman Slide solo he ever recorded that I could find. Keep in mind I didn’t own a computer or have access to internet at all. This was about 2001 or so. There was no YouTube and video didn’t exist yet on the internet. I mainly turned to live albums and CD’s. A few in particular that I wore out was Derek Trucks Live At the Georgia Theatre, Allman Brothers Live in Atlanta (2000) this was a bootleg, and Allmans at Fillmore East of Course.

I immediately started sitting in with bands and using open e tuning. It was very scary at first because I was trying to play all this new stuff and it was hard. I felt very frustrated because for one, I had to learn how to retune between every song to be able to play in this tuning. I only had one guitar and I had no money. There was no way another guitar was coming anytime soon.

So that’s what I did for about 3 years. Gigging and practicing open e tuning with the Strat. Around 2004 or so, I was finally able to save enough money for a Gibson SG. I had been dreaming of this guitar for years, and it looked like I was finally going to be able to get one.

Gibson SG

I was teaching guitar lessons at Musicians Warehouse in Athens Ga at the time, and they were a Gibson Dealer back then. The owner said I could get a discount on one if I ordered directly from them. So that is what I did. When that guitar arrived at the store, it was an amazing day to finally have a guitar I could just keep in Open E Tuning. Now at all my gigs I could have a second guitar for this tuning which made it so much easier.

I continued to practice and spent a lot of time transcribing Derek Trucks and Duane Allman Solos. This was very difficult and time consuming but I felt my ear becoming very quick to figure out this material.

At the time I was working at a gas station and during the slow periods I would practice my exercises, licks, muting and raking all day long. Then I would go out and play gigs using the material I was practicing about 2-3 times per week. Doing this really helped me to develop a slide guitar style over time. It also helped me to become confident in the material I was playing. Navigating around different keys in many styles of music can become very difficult in your brain. Repetition is the key. After I had been doing this for a few years it started to become second nature.

DVDs

In 2007 I decided to put what I had learned about Open E Tuning into a DVD, called Slide Guitar Method 1: Open E Tuning. I was working a part time CD packing job during this time along with playing gigs and teaching 40 student’s a week. It was a very busy time to say the least. To make this a reality, I quit my part-time job to focus on recording this DVD. I spent all my money on what is now Learning Guitar Now to start the website to promote it.

It was definitely a big gamble, because by quitting my part-time job, I lost half my income which was going to make it very difficult to pay all my bills if this DVD didn’t pan out. Fortunately, I was able to sell a few DVDs and keep this dream alive. Thank the Lord! This was the first DVD I had ever made, and I felt like this information could save people years of time that I had spent learning this stuff. I can tell you that it is very frustrating listening to Derek Trucks and Duane Allman and try to get somewhere near to what they are doing.

By making all these lessons, I have learned even more about what it takes, and the exact moves I have learned to make playing slide guitar possible. Hopefully I’ve conveyed this information in the lessons I have made. To anyone who has purchased my lessons, thank you so much for taking a chance on my lessons to help get you where you want to go with slide guitar. Without you, none of this would have been possible.

Well that’s how my slide guitar story unfolded. If you’re interested in learning what I spent years deciphering, you can check out my Open E Tuning Slide Course.

I’ve always wanted a telecaster. They have a very unique sound to them that I love. I have also always wanted a guitar to keep in Open G Tuning. It is so much easier to play in Open G Tuning when you set the guitar’s action higher and put on a set of .011′s. I also play slide in Open G and doing those two things makes it so much easier to play.

There are so many telecasters out there now that it’s kind of overwhelming. There are some really expensive ones as well. I first looked at the Hot Rod 52 by Fender and it seemed to be a great choice. The only problem was that I didn’t have $1700 to throw down on a guitar at the moment.

So I began searching on the internet and kept seeing the Squier Classic Vibe Tele’s coming up as an excellent choice for an inexpensive telecaster. I paid $349 with shipping for this guitar. This is a little easier to come by than the $1700 for the Hot Rod Tele. I’m sure the Hot Rod is an amazing guitar, and I’m not knocking it. I just don’t have that much cash to fork over for a guitar at the moment. I’m sure many people are in the same boat.

So I received the guitar, and I have to say that it is a beauty to look at. It also plays very nicely. I did have to tweak the action and truss rod to my liking, but it sounds really good! The neck is a little different than I’m used to, but it plays great once I became more accustomed to it. It also has a nice chimey sound to it. That infamous tele sound that everyone knows and loves. Maybe I need to raise the pickups on it, but when I turn the guitar volume down, it simply loses the tone in my opinion. This is something I’ll have to look into further.

I then proceeded to put a set of .011 GHS Boomers on it and tuned it to Open G. Now to me, this is where the guitar really shines. I’m not saying it doesn’t play good in standard tuning, it does. I do, however like my Gibson ES 335 neck better. Although the Gibson 335 can’t get the same tone as the tell and sometimes I would like to have that. I can, however see myself doing a gig in standard tuning with the Classic Vibe, and it being just fine for me. It is a really nice guitar, and for the price it just can’t be beat. I have also played the Classic Vibe Strats as well, and while they are pretty good, they just don’t hold up to the Classic Vibe Telecaster.

Anyway, when I tuned this guitar to Open G Tuning and started playing slide, I was immediately blown away. I had finally achieved the Crossroads tone I had been looking for. It’s big, chimey, and distorts well with my Fednder Vibrolux. I do have to turn it up loud to get the overdrive through the amp though. This is where the Weber Attenuator comes in handy. Adding an OCD to the chain produced some great results as well as the Wave Cannon. Add some vibrato, and you have the tone similar to “Feelin’ Bad Blues” from the movie Crossroads done by Ry Cooder.

Watch the video below to hear how it sounds in Open G Tuning

You can check out this guitar at Guitar Center for $349.99 with shipping.
Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s Electric Guitar Butterscotch Blonde

The next thing you want to do is to raise the action on your guitar. This will allow you to cleanly play notes with the slide without it hitting the fretboard.

Now that you’ve done these 2 things, you will need to tune your guitar to Open G Tuning. The notes will be from low to high – D G D G B D. Notice that the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings ( the D, G, and B strings) are not changed from standard tuning. This is one key thing to realize when learning Open G Tuning. Many different triad chords can be formed just like playing in standard tuning. If you are playing any rhythm guitar, this will become extremely helpful.

Now you should have your guitar all tuned up now and ready to play some slide. I’ll tell you right now that the Key of G works great in Open G Tuning, but you can actually play in any key with this tuning as well.

Watch the video below to learn how to tune to Open G, and how to play the G, C, and D chords in this tuning.

Here’s an example of something really bluesy you can play in Open G Tuning with a slide.

This course is now available. You can check out this course on Open G Tuning here.

However, I believe that you can develop your guitar playing by practicing without a guitar as well. True, there is no substitute for actual guitar playing practice, but many times I think this technique can really benefit you.

So what am I talking about doing? I’m talking about visualizing yourself playing the things you are working on in your head. You see the guitar in you hands, and you see yourself performing these licks, bends, phrases, and solos perfectly just like they should be played.

You should also hear the sound of the licks in your head as well. If you can visualize yourself flawlessly performing these ideas, it will give you more confidence, and will speed up the memorization process of learning these solos, licks, or whatever you’re practicing.

But How?

I’m not talking about just casually thinking about playing these things. I’m talking about YOU, looking down at the guitar in your hands and seeing the lick being performed with sound, either slowly, or at full speed, just the way you want it. For this to happen, you will need to be able to sing the part in your head that you are working on, and know where your fingers are supposed to go on the fretboard. This is where your physical practice should take place first.

Ex. Seeing your 3rd finger slide into the 10th fret of the b string, then your first finger playing the 8th fret, and then your 3rd finger bending and applying vibrato to the string.

You can also try to improvise around what you are learning as well. I find myself doing this all the time before a show. If there are songs I need to learn, I will first sit down and learn the songs, then throughout the week I will think about myself performing these songs, playing the solos, and trying to improvise around certain parts If I need to.

I find that by using this technique, it really improves the speed at which I can learn new songs and licks. Sometimes I like to envision myself on stage playing the stuff I am learning and watching it go really well! This may sound a little weird, but I find it really gets me excited about what I could do for that song in a live performance setting!

Anytime, Anywhere

What’s good about this technique, is that you can do it anywhere.

• Waiting in line at the grocery store.
• Sitting in your car at a red light.
• Relaxing on the couch. Caution, this will require you to put down that smarthone and forget about Facebook for a little while.
• While you are taking a walk.
• Cooking something to eat.
• During commercials

You get the picture.

I have been doing this for many years now and I really feel that it works great. Usually I am constantly walking around creating new licks in my head and trying to figure them out without even thinking about it. Sometimes it can get aggravating and you have to learn how to turn it off!

Well, that pretty much sums up what I wanted to say about this topic. I highly suggest that you give it a try.

Do you do this? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

When using an open tuning, this means that when you hit all the open strings, it will sound a chord. For example, when using Open E Tuning, the open strings will sound an E major chord. In Open G Tuning the open strings will sound a G chord.

There are many types of open tunings, and some are better to use for different styles of playing. Let’s take a look at some popular open tunings, and what style of artist they sound like.

Popular Open Tunings

1. Open E Tuning – This is my favorite tuning for slide guitar and is associated with the Elmore James, Duane Allman, and Derek Trucks style of slide guitar.  Tuning from low to high is EBEG#BE.
2. Open D Tuning – This is the exact same kind of tuning as open e, except all the strings are tuned down a whole step.  Many people use this tuning on acoustic guitar or dobro because of the decreased amount of tension it will put on the neck of the guitar.  Tuning from low to high is DADF#AD.
3. Open G Tuning – This is a great tuning for acoustic and electric.  Very similar to standard tuning in some regards.  You can use this tuning to play like Lowell George of Little Feat, Jerry Douglas, Keith Richards, Robert Johnson, and Ry Cooder.  Great for acoustic because there is less tension on the guitar neck when using this tuning. Tuning from low to high is DGDGBD. Check out my dobro lesson in open g tuning.
4. Open A Tuning – This is the exact same kind of tuning as Open G, except all the strings are tuned up a whole step.  I believe Robert Johnson used this tuning on some tunes as well as many others. I have not used this tuning very much so I can’t really comment on it’s usefulness.  This tuning could cause some damage to an acoustic guitar because you are tuning strings up, so I would recommend further investigation before attempting this tuning to make sure your guitar can handle it.  Tuning from low to high is EAEAC#E

Here is a video to show you what Open E Tuning sounds like on an electric guitar.

Here is a video to show you what Open G Tuning sounds like on a Dobro.

Hopefully that will help you to decide what tuning may be right for you.

Many people want to start playing slide guitar. It’s a great way to express a vocal type guitar sound. Nothing else sounds quite like it!

The first decision people have to make when starting to play slide guitar, is if they want to play in standard tuning or some kind of open tuning. If you want to play like Duane Allman and Derek Trucks, it is very important that you try open e tuning.

Some of the licks that Duane and Derek play are nearly impossible to play in standard tuning. You can come close, but it isn’t quite the same.

Some people think that when they learn open e tuning slide, they will be limited to only playing in the key of E unless they use a capo. This is completely false! You can play in any key in open e tuning if you learn the proper positions and scale patterns. It’s all a matter of learning to reprogram your brain to start using different patterns than standard tuning.

Here’s some video of me playing open e tuning slide in keys other than E.

Playing slide guitar in open e tuning seems like a big mystery to many people. I know because I felt the same way. Learning a new tuning, wearing a slide on your finger, and not using a pick seems like starting guitar all over again. In many ways it is. But you have to realize that once you get past a few hurdles, you will start making significant advances.

Here is what one customer just wrote me about learning slide guitar after he went through some of my lessons.

“At first the technique to mute every string with the right hand seems impossible, but surprisingly, it doesn’t take that long to master, your fingers sort of rest naturally on the strings after a short time. Anyway, your tabs match the music well, your comments on taste are helpful, your emphasis on which notes you play and why is excellent, you vary the keys, and you tap into that desire to play like Duane Allman (the king of slide). ” – Brian

I’ve tried to help people get past the many hurdles I had when I started playing. It took me a long time trying to figure out by ear what was exactly going on when those guys played slide. I consciously put the lessons in a few different keys so the student would see how you can easily play in different keys when playing in open e tuning.

Without the ability to play in different keys, playing live in a band would be a nightmare! If you want to jam the blues, you have to know all the essential keys to play in or you will be lost! Can you imagine doing a gig and the band announces that the key of the song is in G. You’re in open e tuning and think, oh no! This will not happen if you learn how to use small patterns that you can easily move between keys when playing slide in open e. Combine this with learning intervals, and you will be able to move around the entire fretboard with confidence with some practice.

I hope this clears up the mystery about whether or not you can play in keys other than E when playing in open e tuning.

If you would like to learn more about slide guitar in open e tuning, please check out my Slide Guitar 6 DVD Course.

Happy New Year!

John W. Tuggle

After talking with many different people, I had some new ideas on how to approach teaching people how to successfully develop this rather difficult skill. At the Southeastern Guitar Conference there were tons of guitar players. Johnny Hiland was there, among many other very fine players. Now I know how to play guitar, but I’m not a blues guitar wizard or anything. There were some guys there that could really shred!

Out of all those players I think I heard maybe one other guy play slide. So when I arrived and started playing slide, someone immediately came over and started talking to me. I’m telling you this because by playing slide guitar, I got noticed immediately because no one else was doing it. I’m not trying to be egotistical here, I’m just saying that by doing something that not everyone else is doing, you will get noticed much easier.

By playing slide guitar, I get asked to do many more gigs, recording sessions, and musical opportunities because I can perform this skill. If you want to get more gigs and have more musical opportunities then playing slide guitar will definitely give you an edge over the competition.

So what’s different in these DVDs?

In Slide Guitar Method 1, I added some more exercises, 10 new Duane Allman Style licks, Fretboard Maps, and more beginner material that will help you start playing slide guitar even if you don’t know anything about the slide. Open E Tuning frightens some people and I think everyone should understand that you can start playing some really cool things if you give it a shot. It’s a lot easier than playing slide guitar in standard tuning I’ll tell you that.

In Slide Guitar Method 2, I changed the lessons to teach you more of a Blue Sky style sound. Although I do go over how to play singer style R&B licks to make the slide guitar sound like a human voice. In this DVD I also go over intervals and why you must know them. It truly is the key to opening up the fretboard in open e tuning or any guitar style for that matter.

Here’s a preview of Slide Guitar Method 1.

Here’s the solo you will learn in Slide Guitar Method 2.

If you’re interested in learning Open E Tuning Slide Guitar, then I really think you will benefit from these DVDs. I’m having a special promotion to kick off the re-release of these DVDs and you can save some money if you purchase during the promotional period. For the player who is really looking to dig deep into open e tuning slide guitar, then check out my 6 DVD Course.
Thanks for checking out the blog and I hope my lessons have been helpful to your guitar playing.

John W. Tuggle

So how do you get started?  Well, many people who start out with high hopes of learning Duane Allman and Derek Trucks style slide, never realize their potential and often give up.  I’ve talked to many people whot said, “It’s just too hard!”

I’ve put together this list of 7 reasons people quit playing slide guitar.  If you don’t do each one of these things, then I can pretty much guarantee that you will not stick with it, and you’ll  become just another statistic on the slide guitar hit list.

Here are the 7 reasons

1. You didn’t raise the action on your guitar – This is probably the biggest reason that people quit playing.  If you don’t raise your action, and you’re a total beginner, then you might as well forget about ever being able to play.  You will get frustrated and quit.  Watch this video to see how high I set my action.  Watch it now.
2. You didn’t put bigger strings on your guitar - If you’re playing .009s and are serious about playing slide guitar, then you must put .010s or preferably .011s if you’re a beginner.  If you’re using .009s, then you will never be able to get a grasp on slide.  You’ve  got to use bigger strings.  Read this post on what kind of strings I recommend.
3. You didn’t learn how to use your fingers –  If you’re trying to use a pick, and you want to learn how to play like Duane or Derek, then you are shooting yourself in the foot.  Using a pick will let all those unwanted strings to ring out all over the place if you don’t know what you’re doing.  And yes, it will sound very bad!  Throw down that pick and start using your fingers today!
4. You didn’t try Open E Tuning – While standard tuning slide has great potential, playing in Open E Tuning will be easier for beginners in my opinion.  When playing in Open  E Tuning, a lot of familiar patterns and riffs can be found right next to each other.  This means you won’t have to move the slide around all over the place.  In standard tuning, you will be moving around to different frets more often, which requires more skill in the beginning.  Click here to learn how to tune your guitar to Open E.
5. You didn’t find a slide that fits – Please take the time to try out a few different slides when you start out.  You’re going to need one that feels comfortable to you.  Be sure to find one where the slide stays above your middle knuckle.  I find you will have a lot more control if you use one that fits like this.  I just started doing this about 2 years ago.
6. You didn’t learn how to mute the strings – Let’s face it, without muting the strings, everything you play will sound bad.  Yes there are exceptions, but most of the time you will need to mute unwanted strings with your fingers.  
7. You didn’t learn how to hold the slide properly – It really does help if you hold the slide right.  If you don’t know what you’re supposed to do, then you will angle the slide, and not play on top of the frets.  You also don’t need to press the slide down hard on the strings.  Your entire arm should be relaxed.  If it’s not, then your doing it wrong. Click here to watch a video on how to properly hold the slide.

If you’re doing all the above, then you’re off to a great start!  It will just take some practice,  and then learning what scales and licks sound good in open e tuning.  If you would like to improve your slide guitar skills I have developed a Slide Guitar Course in Open E Tuning that will dramatically improve your skills, IF YOU PRACTICE!  Click here to learn more.