played slide in public for the first time

[Wally]

Funny how things work out - about 6 months ago I was considering selling my Regal Resonator guitar as I had played nothing but electric for about 3 or 4 years, and I had never used it for anything other than fingerpicking anyway (gave up on slide for the most part after a couple of months). I haven't played regularly in church for over two years (since retiring from the Navy and moving), but I have set in with our church band a few times over the past year (electric rhythm) - they already have too many guitar players, however. A few months ago the director mentioned (knowing I had a resonator) that there were a few songs he thought a resonator would sound good on...

So that was the impetus for me to try my hand at slide again. For the past several months in my playing at home I have hardly touched my electrics, focusing on slide on the resonator as well as playing acoustic guitar and mandolin (I am just a rhythm guy on Mando for the most part as well).

I am not a lead player... so my approach has been to develop a style that colors and adds to music but stays in the background for the most part. I have spent a lot of time practicing the songs that we play in our services and playing along with recordings of them when possible. We don't really do mainstream P & W - we play standard hymns from the hymnal and a lot of reworked hymns from the Indelible Grace project. Along the way I have learned some of the basic blues licks but can't really apply them to what we do... so my very rudimentary slide playing in open G consists basically of sliding into the chords and playing some appreggio type stuff, throwing in some basic licks and playing the "hooks" when possible. It is basic but seems to work. My guitar has a spider bridge, so it has more of a Dobro sound, but it is a roundneck and I am playing with a flatpick. I can use the finger picks but feel I have more control with the flat pick.

So I was supposed to play electric guitar yesterday (one of the guitarists was out), but I took the resonator along as well and ended up playing it on 3 of the 5 songs... all songs I never played before yesterday. It worked out ok - people, especially my wife and kids, are generally too nice to tell you that you suck rofl but I did get several compliments from the congregation and the band. This was my first time playing slide in public or in a group setting.

Anyone else playing acoustic slide in church? If so, what approach are you taking?

[MadHatter]

I've played electric slide in church before.... we had one song we were doing, that just begged for a ABB slide sound... at first I felt a little uncomfortable... that maybe it was too over the top... but in the end it just worked... and I had many comments about how that just fit perfect...

no matter what you play, acoustic or electric... I think it comes down to projecting confidence... if you play with confidence, what you are playing will fit in that much more.

[mattd]

a few years ago i played electric slide to cover a part on the Jars of Clay song "bethlehem town", not too big of a part but i did play slide. my new church here in nashville is really open to musical diversity so i may get a chance to do that more often here.

[hotraman]

I have before, but not lately.
I have a old school strat that has high action.
I tuned it to "E" major and it sounded nice, with a little bit of distortion.
I play with a dobro player on a regular basis.
Slide guitar adds something to music.

[Brian]

I'm no expert, but I can fake it. I regularly played slide on 2 songs; (I think it's Ten Shekel Shirt's version of) Michael Gungor's Meet With Me, and Joel Houston's All. Our Worship is in transition after we lost our WL so I don't know if we'll be doing them anymore. I use my HSH Zion in standard tuning for both songs.

For Meet With Me I rest during the 8-bar verses, then finger chords during the chorus with backed off neck and (mostly) bridge JB humbuckers and OD. During the slide solo, 1st 8 bars is cranked neck, last 4 bars I mix in cranked bridge.

All is the neck JB split and the middle JB Jr for a decent clean Stratocaster quack. Slide intro on each verse and arpeggios into legato gliss chord fills after each vocal stanza, trying to get a delta sound and feel. I finger the chords in the chorus with 2 slide octave glissandos in the last 4 bars

I wouldn't say the Zion's action is high by my standards, I just use a light touch. I play with the slide on my pinky so I can chord and may even play fills with my 1st 3 fingers.

[hotraman]

Ok... next questions to ask?

Glass or metal slide?
Which finger?

I saw Joe Walsh playing a metal slide on this middle finger?

I use glass and my ring finger.

Anyone else?

[MadHatter]

thick brass on my pinkie

[Wally]

Ok... next questions to ask?

Glass or metal slide?
Which finger?

I saw Joe Walsh playing a metal slide on this middle finger?

I use glass and my ring finger.

Anyone else?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/armsfam/Wally/guitar%20stuff/slidecollection.jpg

I always use my ring finger... I know the advantage of putting the slide on your pinky but I just can't make it work. As for the slide, depends on the day... the pic shows my collection L-R: Craftsman 11/16 socket, Big Heart ceramic "resonator" slide, Big Heart bottleneck slide, Big Heart aluminum heart shaped slide. I generally favor the ceramic for a smooth sound, but the heart shaped aluminum (I don't think they make them anymore) is great for a grittier sound.

[Brian]

[cool pic of slide collection] ...depends on the day... the pic shows my collection L-R: Craftsman 11/16 socket, Big Heart ceramic "resonator" slide, Big Heart bottleneck slide, Big Heart aluminum heart shaped slide. I generally favor the ceramic for a smooth sound, but the heart shaped aluminum (I don't think they make them anymore) is great for a grittier sound.I use a "reissue" Coricidin bottle (http://www.rbnc.net/) Old Believer turned me on to ('spensive sucker but I like it a lot). As I mentioned, I play with the slide on my pinkie with standard tuning so I can finger chords too, but I'm just a weirdo faking it. My late brother who was an awesome Delta Blues player used his ring finger, as do/have many of the greats.

[Wally]

I have been playing slide on my electrics a lot at home lately... even bumped my Strat strings up to .10's so the action would be a little better for slide. "Slide noise" has been more of a problem for me with electric but I am about to get the hang of it I guess. Played "electric slide" in church for the first time yesterday (same simple style as described in my op). Worked out pretty good - probably blended with the violin a little too much. A lot of fun and a break from the resonator.

[mattd]

I use a "reissue" Coricidin bottle (http://www.rbnc.net/) Old Believer turned me on to ('spensive sucker but I like it a lot). As I mentioned, I play with the slide on my pinkie with standard tuning so I can finger chords too, but I'm just a weirdo faking it. My late brother who was an awesome Delta Blues player used his ring finger, as do/have many of the greats.


that's the kind of slide i like to use as well. i bought a duane allman replica off ebay a few years ago and i think it sounds great, especially on acoustic.

[Micter]

I played slide once. My friend took his slide back and said "sorry 'bout that" Needless to say slide just ain't my thing.

[bek]

V-Pick Vinnie is now making an acrylic slide. Featherweight, can't break when you drop it, sounds great electric or acoustic. I've been a heavy-as-possible, glass slide guy up til now, but this is real nice. I use my ring finger and usually play melodies of old hymns, although Ben Harper's stuff (especially "Church House Steps") are very cool.

[Wally]

I always go back to the Big Heart Porcelain slide in the pic I posted (I "misidentified" it as ceramic in that post). It is heavy, but I prefer its tone to all of the others I have. I bought one of those thin glass Dunlop slides thinking it would be easier to use on my electrics w/ light strings.... not so. How is the V-Pick tone wise - does it sound like a heavy glass or porcelain slide? A lighter slide, if I could get any tone out of it, would be great for electric.

[Steelstrum]

Ceramic Moonshine slide on my pinkie. Acoustic guitar. Glass sounds too thin for my taste on acoustic--better on electric, which is the reason for ceramic. I like to play in standard tuning, need to fret chords, which is the reason for the pinkie.

They don't make Moonshine slides in small for my itty bitty pinkie, so I took the rubber retainer off my guitar stand, whittled one of the rings into an "o ring" that I shoved up into the slide so my pinkie would fit. Course you could go to the hardware store and actually buy an "o ring." That would be easier.

Resonator guitar would be very cool to have.

[Wally]

I'm gonna try one of those ceramic moonshine slides one of these days, and there is another porcelain slide from Big Heart that I want to try - the Queen Bee.