There are not many guitar techniques that can match the soulful emotion of slide guitar, and whether you are drawn to the Delta blues or the slide lines in Southern rock, the scope for expression is wide. But how did slide guitar emerge and why does it contain such a range of emotion in its unique sound and style?
Slide guitar, also known as bottleneck guitar, is a technique that guitarists use to create smooth, sliding transitions between notes. A hard object such as a metal, glass or ceramic slide is pressed against the guitar strings, ‘floating’ to create soulful bends. A slide is worn on the finger, usually the ring finger or the little finger, and, when correctly taught, it glides across the strings.
The Roots of Slide Guitar
Slide guitar originated in African and African American music, and is believed to have begun with the Diddley bows and other single-string instruments from West Africa. African American musicians often used knives or bottles as early slides, and the technique became popular when blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, Son House and Charley Patton played the Mississippi Delta blues. Their guitars were held traditionally or laid flat across their laps, in the lap slide position.
When electric guitar hit the airwaves, artists like Elmore James were part of the evolution of slide guitar, and Duane Allman took the technique into Southern rock with his slide skills featuring on Statesboro Blues and Layla, with Eric Clapton.
Slide guitar features in many musical genres, with the lap steel often being used in country music, and Indian slide guitars, such as the Mohan veena, used to create a microtonal sound. The biggest pull of slide guitar may be due to its unique voice, which can moan, bend and weep like a human singing voice, and the feeling this evokes brings a whole new level to your music.
Slide Guitar Lessons for Beginners
Slide guitar is rooted in cultural tradition and I've been lucky enough to develop my practice all over the world with wonderful, experienced teachers who all approach slide in their own way. Playing slide guitar is a melodic experience rather than a mechanical one and it is more about interpretation than precision. It’s the smears between notes, the vibrato and the accidental harmonics that make it beautiful, messy and captivating.
Whether you are a guitarist looking to expand your skills or a beginner aiming to develop your musical voice, slide guitar is a great place to start. You can start your journey with a free one-to-one session with me, and become a confident slide guitarist in just 90 days. Just click here to get started.