Do you want to know how to sound like a pro when playing blues slide guitar? Or maybe you’re only interested in playing the blues. Regardless, there are certain things to keep in mind when learning how to play the blues on slide guitar.

I think there are at least 3 things that will dramatically improve your skills when playing the slide guitar in blues.

Here are my top 3 tips on playing the blues on slide guitar.

1. Feel it. This may be obvious, but are you really doing it? I’m talking about when you sit down and every note you play is drenched in emotion. This is how you sound good when playing blues slide guitar. The slide guitar is a vocal like instrument, so make it weep. You can conjure so many types of moods with the slide guitar, but you have to mean it when you play it. Don’t think about scales, don’t think about keys, and don’t worry if it sounds perfect. Make it emotional and that will make up for the technique.
2. Don’t be too flashy. To be honest, slide guitar sounds best when you play less notes. No one wants to hear a jumbled mess of notes that are out of tune. Listen to Derek Trucks, he plays a lot of simple notes. He does throw in some technical stuff, but he does it with taste, and executes it flawlessly. There is nothing worse than listen to somebody trying to play above their skill level. Slow it down, and make every note count.
3. Use Repetition. To build up the intensity level when playing blues, repeating a lick or phrase over and over again will create a sense of tension to build up to a next part in a solo. Use repeated licks to create this drama. It sounds great and everyone from Derek Trucks to Bonnie Raitt, and Lowell George use this technique to create excitement when playing slide guitar.  Check out my video on playing reapeating licks on Gibson.com.  I show you how repeating licks actually sound.

Well those are my 3 tips to help you start playing the blues slide guitar like a pro. If you are interested in more information on playing slide guitar I have DVDs available that will show you how to become a pro slide player. It does take some practice, but if you do learn this style of guitar playing, you will become an in demand player in the blues scene. There’s just nothing quite like the slide guitar in blues!

For more information on other types of guitar lessons please visit LearningGuitarNow.com 

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