Phillip Henry

This week I want to go a bit deeper on one specific piece of kit — the slide itself.

Because if you've ever wondered why your slide sounds thin, buzzy or just a bit flat compared to the players you love listening to, there's a good chance the answer is in your hand rather than your technique.

I recently had a guest session with a very special guest - Iain McWee, the man behind Diamond Bottlenecks. 

Iain has been making glass slides since the 1970s and his slides are used by the likes of Mark Knopfler, Sonny Landreth and Michael Messer. 

He also made the bottleneck that every attendee went home with from the UK Slide Guitar Festival last year — which has since become my personal go-to slide.

Here are the most useful things that came out of that conversation.

Weight and density are everything - especially on acoustic and resonator. This is the big one. A standard Pyrex slide weighs around 33 grams. A proper bottleneck or lead crystal slide is 65-70 grams - double the weight. That extra mass is what gives you sustain, warmth and that thick, full tone.

On electric guitar it matters less, the slide is only a small part of your overall tone once you factor in pickups, pedals and amp. But on acoustic or resonator guitar, the slide is a massive chunk of what you're actually hearing. On those instruments, a lightweight Pyrex slide will always sound thin and hollow no matter how good your technique is.

A university researcher once did a sound wave test across all slide materials. Apart from really heavy brass, Iain's lead crystal slides came second. Everything else was in the dust.

Surface polish matters more than most people realise. Iain demonstrated this live in the session with a satin finish titanium slide versus one of his highly polished glass slides. The difference was immediate - the satin finish created a fizzing, grating noise across the strings that you just can't EQ out. A highly polished surface gives you clean, smooth contact with no extra noise.

Worth checking your slide under a light if you've been wondering where that extra fizz is coming from.

Pyrex is fine for electric - but there's better glass out there.

The standard Dunlop and Fender Pyrex slides you find in most shops are machine-made, often shipped in from China, and very lightweight. They work perfectly well for electric slide because you're running through pickups, pedals and amplification. For acoustic and resonator work, the weight just isn't there to give you the tone. If that's mostly what you play, it's worth investing in something heavier.

Two slides worth having in your toolkit:

When someone in the session asked for a recommendation, Iain pointed straight to two from his own range. These are the ones I'd point you to as well.

How to get the right fit:

Fit is more important than most people think. Too tight and you risk tendonitis — Iain had a genuinely alarming story about a professional guitarist who jammed his slides on so tightly he couldn't play for weeks. Too loose and the slide rattles and loses control.

To get an accurate measurement, grab a plastic ring sizer set from eBay for under £4. Take that number to Iain's site and he can make a slide to your exact size — something almost no other manufacturer offers. Most shops only do small, medium and large, which is useless if you fall between sizes.

One more thing worth knowing:

Lead crystal slides — Iain's most sought-after product — are becoming increasingly rare. The last UK supplier of leaded glass is closing down, and by law they can't be sold in America at all (long story involving bourbon and pregnant women in the 1950s — genuinely fascinating if you ever get Iain talking about it). If you've been thinking about getting an Ultimate, sooner is better than later.

You can explore the full range and watch Iain's workshop tour — which shows every stage of how these are made from a raw tube — at diamondbottlenecks.com.

Happy sliding!

If you've enjoyed this kind of thing and want more — guest sessions like this one with Iain, weekly masterclasses, a community of fellow slide players, and personal help from me to get your playing properly on track — that's exactly what the Summer Slide Launchpad is. Six weeks, ten places, and the lowest price it will ever be. Click here to find out more.

I'm excited to announce something new this summer: a 30 day programme called the Summer Slide Launchpad. 

In the last few blogs, I've been going back to fundamentals - the gear questions, the riffs, the simple ways in. And what I kept coming back to was this: the people who make the fastest progress aren't the ones who watch the most YouTube videos. 

They're the ones who get proper, structured help and have someone alongside them to keep things on track.

That's exactly what the Summer Slide Launchpad is.

It's a complete 6-week programme - on-demand lessons laid out in a clear plan, a one-to-one session with me at the start to build a practice plan around your playing, WhatsApp support throughout, group sessions, and the Slide Success community alongside you the whole way.

Six weeks. Personal help from me. Everything you need to finally get this thing moving.

I'm keeping it to just 10 people so everyone gets the attention they need - and this is the lowest price it will ever be.

A few of you already replied after the last couple of newsletters to say you were interested. If that was you, this is the moment.

For everyone else: full details are here.

Happy sliding!

Have you ever felt frustrated when practicing your guitar and wondered if you're actually improving at all? 

If so, you're not alone.

Every musician, from complete beginners to professional performers, experiences periods where progress feels painfully slow. One day you're excited because you've learned a new skill or mastered a tricky rhythm. The next, it feels like you've hit a wall and aren't improving at all.

The truth is that like most other forms of learning, learning an instrument isn't a straight line. It's a journey filled with peaks, plateaus, breakthroughs, and occasional moments when you seriously consider using your instrument as expensive decor.

But slow progress doesn't mean you're failing.

Let's explore why progress sometimes feels slow and, more importantly, how to stay motivated when you're tempted to give up.

It's important to remember that you're learning more than you think you are. When you first start learning an instrument, every improvement feels huge. Your first chord, the first riff, the first time it really feels smooth… it's obvious that you're making progress.  

But as your skills grow, improvements become smaller and more subtle. Instead of learning a whole new song in a day, you might spend a week refining your timing or improving finger placement.

The gains are still happening, they're just harder to spot.

One of the fastest ways to destroy motivation is comparison.

Thanks to social media, we're constantly exposed to incredible musicians performing flawlessly. We see polished videos, perfect performances, and seemingly effortless talent. We don't see the years of practice, the mistakes, the failures or the frustrations. 

When you compare your current ability to someone else's highlight reel, you'll almost always come away feeling discouraged. The only person you need to compare yourself to is you - look at where you are compared with where you were last month. Have you learned a new song or refined your technique?

Keep your journey focused on yourself, and celebrate your achievements, even if they feel small! Reward yourself for each little bit of progress, and keep moving forward. 

It isn't realistic to aim for perfection, but consistency will get you where you want to be. If you feel stuck in a rut, take a break and remind yourself why you wanted to learn in the first place - listen to some of your favourite songs and get back to having fun with your guitar.  

Check out my Get Going With Slide PDF to get started, or find my courses here. If you're struggling, get in touch and we'll talk. 

Happy sliding!

Today, we're more aware than ever of the importance of maintaining our mental health - but did you know that music can help? Playing a musical instrument has consistently been shown to support mental health and wellbeing, so that's another excellent reason to get started learning slide guitar. 

One of the biggest advantages of playing music is that it reduces stress. When we focus on practicing an instrument, our attention shifts away from daily worries and pressures. This state of concentration can be similar to mindfulness, helping to calm the mind and promote relaxation. Have you ever felt that fantastic sense of peace and satisfaction after playing?

Playing music can also improve mood and emotional well-being. Learning a new song or mastering a challenging technique creates a sense of accomplishment that boosts self-confidence. These small successes build over time, encouraging a positive mindset and increasing motivation. Music also provides a healthy outlet for expressing emotions, allowing people to communicate feelings that may be difficult to put into words - and this is especially true for slide guitar, which often feels like an expression of pure emotion.

Another important benefit is the positive impact on cognitive function. Playing an instrument requires coordination between the hands, eyes, and brain, helping to strengthen memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. The mental challenge of learning notes, rhythms, and techniques keeps the brain active and engaged, which can contribute to improved mental sharpness over time.

Music can also help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. Joining a band, orchestra, or music group provides opportunities to connect with others who share similar interests. These social interactions can foster a sense of belonging and community, both of which are essential for good mental health. Even practicing with a teacher or attending music events can create meaningful social connections. Quick plug for the UK Slide Guitar Festival, coming up in November, get your tickets now…!

For many people, playing music becomes a valuable form of self-care. It offers a break from screens, work, and everyday responsibilities while providing a creative and rewarding experience. Unlike many hobbies, music combines emotional expression, mental stimulation, and personal achievement in a way that few activities can.

Learning slide guitar can reduce stress, improve mood, strengthen cognitive abilities, and encourage social connection. There's a host of great reasons to pick up your Get Going With Slide Guide or check out my courses today. 

Happy sliding!

This week, I want to talk about riffs as one of the most fun ways into slide playing.

I also teach blues harmonica, and one of the first things I get students doing is simply getting the harmonica in their gob and having a chug.

Get your mouth round the bottom 3 or 4 holes, breathe in - in - out - out, and you've got a simple train rhythm.

It feels good straight away. You're making sound, making music, and getting inspired. The finer points can come later.

And recently I've been thinking: why shouldn't slide work the same way?

Get the slide on. Get into open tuning. And instead of getting chugging, get riffing.

Get used to the feel of the slide. Get to know the tuning. Make some swampy grooves. The rest we can sort out later.

That's exactly why I made Backporch Blues Riffs - a mini-course with 7 cool riffs to get you going on slide. It's just $11, and you can find it here.

For this train rhythm idea, open D works beautifully.

Keep it simple. A straight feel works well, and using the bottom 3 strings of open D gives you that same nice, solid block of sound - a bit like using the bottom holes on the harmonica.

Start with a simple off-and-on rhythm.

Bring the slide on, go up to the 5th fret, down to the 3rd, then off again. That's already a great riff.

Then try a slight variation: go up to the 3rd fret for the two hits, then off again. Loop those ideas round and you've got a really cool groove.

After that, add the train whistle.

On harmonica, that comes from drawing in and bending a few holes together. On slide, you can get a lovely version of it up at the 12th fret on the top 3 strings.

Try sliding from 11 to 12 and see if you can catch that bending, rushing train sound.

Then put it all together: groove, whistle, back to groove. Simple, fun, and full of character.

I've also found a way to make this rhythm even more interesting, but I'll save that for another day. There's a little hint of it in the faster example with a bit more rhythmic complexity.

Enjoy playing around with this over the weekend.

And if you'd like a few more riffs to get under your fingers, Backporch Blues Riffs is available for $11 here.

I'll also be launching Summer Slide Launchpad shortly. There are only 10 places on this 6-week fast-track programme, so if you'd like to hear about it first, just get in touch and let me know.

Happy sliding!

At a recent gig, the pickup on my dobro started misbehaving, so it was time to get it into the workshop for a service. I needed to put in a new jack socket and, while I was there, I also wanted to give the cone a good clean and check everything was in order underneath the cover plate. 

So, when you're servicing a resonator, the first thing to do is get the strings off, get the tailpiece off and then lift off the cover plate and it's all going on underneath there. 

So with the Dobro, you've got a spider bridge, which is attached to the cone by a tension screw, so we loosen the tension screw off and that separates the spider bridge from the cone and then you can take the cone out and give it a good clean. I usually use glass cleaner, but couldn't find it today so I used isopropyl alcohol instead, and I gave it a good old polish. 

The cone in this Dobro is a Paul Beard Legend Cone, so it's a very nice cone - I upgraded it a few years ago - but it has benefitted from a good clean because they pick up grease and fluff and all sorts from gigging and it helps to brighten the tone. 

If you want to check how your cone is sounding, you can balance it on your finger, give it a flick with your finger and listen for a nice bell-like, pinging tone. 

 If you want to check how your cone is sounding, you can balance it on your finger, give it a flick with your finger and listen for a nice bell-like, pinging tone. 

New jack socket needed, so just a case of re-soldering that on. Jack sockets do go funny over time because the contacts on the inside get pushed out of position and you can feel when you push the jack in and the contact doesn't feel very tight anymore that it's getting towards time to change it. 

If you put off changing it, you will find that you don't get a good connection and you get hums and ground earth hum issues and so on - which was what was happening with this one. 

So it's just a case of de-soldering, soldering a new jack socket on, putting it all back together and tightening everything up, then adding new strings and polishing it up so it's feeling almost like a new guitar!

Happy sliding!

Check out my courses on my website - Backporch Blues is still available for just $11! And pick up your FREE Get Going with Slide Guide here to get started. 

Now, the mission of the Slide Success course has always been to help as many people as possible get into this beautiful way of playing the guitar. I want to show you that this is something anyone can do, including you!

Getting started with slide can be a bit of a bumpy ride and navigating all the information out there and knowing where to start is a big part of the challenge.

 So rather than add more noise to the situation, we are going to go back to fundamentals of the technique and I want to show you that slide is not an overly complicated thing to learn if you approach it in the right way.

One of the first things that can get in the way of you making a start is all the gear jargon.  So let's start by answering this question I get asked all the time:  what do I need to play slide ?

The answer is very simple.  All you need is a guitar, a slide and a passion to learn something new! 

Got those?

Ok lets go.

Something I always say to people is: “make a start now with what you have and you can tweak as you go".…

The next bit of gear that you are waiting for from the postman is not the thing that is going to make the big difference and suddenly sort this out for you.

 Getting stuck in now and working on the technique is what will move the needle!

As part of my Slide Success course, I made a PDF document called Get Set Slide to help people cut through all the gear jargon surrounding slide and I’d like to give it you guys as a free gift today. Just click here to find it.

 This covers guitar set ups, string gauges , types of guitar and so on and should help you if you still have questions that are holding you back from making a start.

Ultimately, if you have the technique, you can play slide on anything with anything.

To finish up, here's a little story:

 When I was studying in India I was out socialising one evening and a jam broke out - I had no guitar or slides with me, big mistake! I managed to borrow a child size nylon string guitar , picked up a teaspoon and joined in on a great session with musicians from all over the world.

In the end it doesn’t come down to what guitar or slide you have, it comes down to technique.

And that is where we will be heading next week as we look at how to approach getting started with the technique - or if you are already playing slide, how to improve on the core foundations.

 I hope you find this PDF useful!

Please get in touch if you have any questions, I am always happy to help.

Happy sliding! 

I will be running a short promotion on a new Summer Slide: Launchpad programme shortly so look out for more information on that.  

This is a 6 week rocket boost designed to get your slide dreams off the ground for a fraction of the price of the Slide Success full course and there will only be 10 places - if you want to get ahead of the game and book a spot then drop me a line on whatsapp at +44 7854 833 081.

The intro to the Elmore James classic, The Sky Is Crying, is a really good one to look at in terms of phrasing as it is all based around the same lick that gets phrased slightly differently as the chords change.

Here is the tab:  

This cool intro takes place over the last 4 bars of the progression and features three very similar licks each with its own bit of phrasing magic.

For the Slide Success group I played the Elmore James recording then dissected each phrase.  

Youtube isn’t too happy with me playing the original recording in my video so I'm just going to pull out a few little samples for you today.

I would urge you to listen to the original and try to imitate the great man himself using these little lesson samples as a way in.  Here it is on Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/track/0qRz3AYteD6VX65GkBqcel?si=47ef33183407435a

So here we have the first phrase:

This has more going on from a phrasing point of view than first meets the eye with some subtle string muting.  Check out the lesson here:  https://youtu.be/MxRlr1ZvoeE

Now onto the next Phrase:

This one is a great example of some staccato phrasing that I talked about on the blog a couple of weeks ago.

Basically shortening the notes to create rhythmic interest and funk.  Check out the lesson here to see this in action:  https://youtu.be/3zmlgzKzFPc

Now the third phrase:

This one again has a bit of staccato phrasing in it albeit a bit more subtle and some really cool timing things.

Check out the lesson here:  https://youtu.be/OocVc_uX6w8

Now finally here is the last phrase:

This simple but effective little phrase neatly takes you to the 5 chord to mark the end of the intro.

Check out the lesson here which also has a playthrough of the whole intro:

https://youtu.be/2Pk_QFCbB1k

So have some fun with this and enjoy adding some Elmore James magic to your playing. 

If there are particular techniques you'd like to brush up on, you can check out my slide courses here, or pick up your FREE Get Going with Slide Guide to get started, even if you've never picked up a guitar before.

Happy sliding!

When most guitarists start learning slide, they focus on the obvious things: intonation, vibrato, muting and tone. While these skills are essential, there’s another element that separates good slide players from great ones - space.

Space is what happens between the notes. It’s the silence that allows a phrase to breathe, the pause that lets your emotion shine through. In slide guitar, space isn't empty, it's part of the music.

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is feeling the need to fill every moment with sound. We often assume that more notes equal better playing. In reality, some of the most memorable slide performances are built on simplicity. A single sustained note, allowed to ring and decay naturally, can be more powerful than an entire flurry of licks.

When you listen to players like Derek Trucks or Bonnie Raitt, you'll notice that their phrasing often emulates a singer rather than a guitarist. They don't rush from one note to the next. Instead, they leave room for the music to breathe. Those brief moments of silence create anticipation and make the notes that follow feel more meaningful.

Space also helps develop your sense of timing. When you stop focusing on playing continuously, you begin listening more carefully to the groove, the backing instruments and the overall feel of the song. This awareness allows your slide playing to become more musical and expressive.

A great exercise is to limit yourself intentionally. Put on a backing track and challenge yourself to play only three or four notes per phrase. After each phrase, leave a short pause before responding with another. Think of it as a conversation rather than a speech. Ask a question with your guitar, then wait before answering it.

You'll soon see that silence creates tension and interest. The listener begins to anticipate what comes next. Suddenly, every note carries more weight.

The beauty of slide guitar lies in its ability to mimic the human voice. Just as singers pause to breathe, slide guitarists should embrace moments of silence. These pauses aren't weaknesses, they're opportunities for expression.

The next time you pick up your slide, don't focus on how many notes you can play but think about how much feeling you can create with just a few. Sometimes the most powerful note in a solo is the one you choose not to play.

Happy sliding!

Check out my courses on my website - Backporch Blues is still available for just $11! And pick up your FREE Get Going with Slide Guide here to get started. 

This week we are going to discuss phrasing and learn from the master of the 12th fret box Elmore James.

Let's look at the “all important 12th fret box” that Elmore is so well known for using.

With this scale box I like to ignore the bottom 2 strings and start from the root note D on the 4th string, (and also include the note underneath that)

This gives us a handy slide box which is where Elmore gets the licks for this intro from.  

You will also be using the 12th fret on the 3rd string and “blurring”  between that note and the 11th fret note to get an important “blue” note.  

Here is a video showing this: https://youtu.be/I6wRdKdVaro

Next week, we'll take a look at Elmore James' classic track, The Sky is Crying, which is all based around the same lick with slightly different phrasing as the chords change. Enjoy playing with this in the meantime…

Happy sliding!

Pick up your FREE Get Going with Slide Guide here or find out more about my courses on my website.