Last week in the blog, we took a look at the major pentatonic scale in D, and then applied it to playing a slow soulful version of the Sink ‘Em Low tune. Check out last Friday’s blog if you missed it!
We're going to take those foundations and build a full arrangement of Sink 'Em Low.
Here's a video of me playing the full arrangement of Sink 'Em Low - https://share.descript.com/view/4hWHJ5p7d7n
The alternating thumb
The arrangement is a simple but effective idea: use an alternating thumb pattern to give a bass line that suggests a chord progression accompanying the tune.
The key is dropping into the rhythm. You want it to feel like the melody is flying free over the top of a really solid bass line. It's all about where the little offbeats drop, in-between your thumb strokes. It involves a fair amount of syncopation so have patience and keep trying. I find it easier to feel this kind of thing rather than think it through rationally or count it out; it's subtle so keep using your ears and your fingers will, eventually, follow!
Getting 'the feel'
It's all about getting 'the feel'. You're not going to play this straight. You want to find the soulfulness in the melody, which means sometimes you'll hint at the minor third (F natural rather than # - when playing the melody on the top string this is between the second and fourth frets). Only hint at it - but spend some time enjoying the moments in-between the notes.
Take it slow
This doesn't need to be a fast rhythmic piece. It's more of a slow groove, as you don't want to distract from the soulful melody. So take your time, don't rush it, and enjoy!
Need any help?
If you're having any issues with this piece, I'm here to help! Just drop me a line if you'd like the full printable tab for Sink 'Em Low, or you need any more guidance.
Sink 'Em Low is one of the pieces covered on my Slide Success Pro membership - I go really in depth and provide you all the resources you need to nail it. If you're interested in taking your slide playing to the next level, have a browse of the courses I offer: https://members.slidesuccess.co.uk/p/home
Happy slide playing!