5 things you're doing WRONG with a slide

[@charleswood2182]

Beyond helpful. Wow.

[@TheFeelButton]

I thought I was terrible at slide but turns out I was just really really bad at it. Good stuff Justin!

[@JustinOstrander]

Haha!!

[@mudnducs]

😅…..don’t feel like the Lone Ranger

[@edwardgordon4309]

Slide misery loves company 🤣

[@gerardange]

I was just saying the same thing about me! Lol!!! ☹️

[@theleviathan89]

These are such great tips. I’ve been playing guitar for 47 years and tried numerous times to play slide. You got me to try again and using your guidance I was able to actually play something good enough to put it on a song and it totally elevated the track. Thank you very much Justin! I really appreciate it.

[@Grant_Ferstat]

Cool stuff Justin. I'd been playing guitar for about 35 years I think, when I made it a new years resolution to become at least a passable slide player. The things that you point out here are all things that I eventually got to know via trial and error and a lot of listening and self critique, but I would have got to know them so much more quickly had I seen this video! I really appreciate you distilling all your wisdom and experience as you do on this channel.

[@bazilbrushrocks]

Slide is a battle I keep putting off. It feels like going back to zero again. Maybe I’ll give it another crack with these tips in mind. Thanks.

[@timtime9167]

Thanks so much. Palm muting made so much difference. I was doing it sometimes without realizing. Now i can do it with purpose. Looking ahead that's gold!

[@LudyBronsema]

great video again. you inspired me to start playing slide with former videos. You saved me a lot of time with this video :)

[@assafbar9366]

Great video & advice... The lighting and camera angle are superb!

[@danielhasty6077]

I like these tips videos, but I really love and miss watching you make and explain your overdubs.

[@loveguitars]

Justin, Awesome!🔥🎸

[@donald-parker]

Yes. ish. Re rule number 3 - playing the slide at an angle to get certain intervals between two strings that are not otherwise available (without changing tuning) is a powerful technique. On adjacent strings and on skip string voicings (where your right-hand muting is your best friend). Re muting behind the slide - yes-ish but you can get some very cool harmonics by strumming the strings behind the slide. A technique I picked up watching Sonny Landreth. I guess this is yet another example of "You've gotta know the rules before you break them".

[@JustinOstrander]

That’s a great way to put it: know the rules before you break them. I see people catch intervals in tune by angling the slide on a lap steel, but it seems like it’s not really ever in tune on guitar. Regarding muting, I default to it but leave it open when I want the noise, and yes playing behind it (particularly over a harmonic node) is fun. Cheers!

[@donald-parker]

@@JustinOstrander I think it is like anything else - practice and technique. I have no trouble at all getting the "one fret higher, two strings down, mute the middle string" shape anywhere I want to (for example, G on the first string 3rd fret and B on the 3rd string 4rth fret). The minor third interval on the 2nd and third strings shape is harder (for example, D on the 3rd fret of the second string and B on the 4rth fret of the 3rd string), but it gets easier as you move up the neck (and it is way easier with the slide on the first or second finger). And on a great day I can a major triad on strings 2, 3, 4 on frets N, N=1, N+2). And then you can try changing the slant to straight across, leaving the slide on fret N+2 so you "slide" the 1 major triad (first inversion) into a 4 major triad (2nd inversion). It can sound like crap if you pooch it, but it is doable. And where there is a will ....

[@MaBaKar]

This was very helpful. Thanks Justin.

[@vk3fbab]

I've been playing lap steel for years and i always find it hard to play bottleneck. I think because lap is so clean and sweet and i can't get it to sound like that. Maybe i need to try again. Your video reminded me of some comments from Kelly Joe Phelps in his lap video. He said that you need incredibly loose hands for the vibrato but extremely rigid hands to be able to hit the note. He also advised learning to play on the note first and then add vibrato later to get the positions into muscle and ear memories. Muting strings is what separates a good player and a great player. Once you learn to mute you hear how jumbled it sounds with the resonance of open strings eating into your sound. Pro tips for sure.

[@JustinOstrander]

Such great advice. KJP is a monster!

[@vk3fbab]

@@JustinOstrander when I found out he died man it was the worst. So sad. Then I found out I had COVID. Luckily we've still got the great music.

[@JustinOstrander]

Yeah. What a loss, man. He flew way too far under the radar. His Doxology changed my life. That whole Roll Away The Stone record, really.

[@CRP2426]

Excellent segue as the second video in the Slide Series... Even with common sense we usually find ourselves in those same Pitfalls. Can't remember if you mentioned about watching or being aware of the Fingerboard Radius. I was really struggling with a 7.5⁰ Radius, 12⁰ was considerably easier. Thank you so much for staying true to yourself.

[@tedc6694]

I like the mission statement in beginning like this. I also like the... inviting- bumpsticker-like-video-name. (Oh yeah, and the content is awesome too. Thanks for putting these out)

[@jeremysmallhorn3956]

Great advice, now to put them all into practice at the same time! Thanks Justin 👍

[@musicproductionvideos5019]

"Looking ahead" was new to me so... thanks for that! Chukka flume...

[@FinnBjerke]

Inspiring as always - great advice. I have a seperat guitar for slide with fat strings on it tuned open G - thats the way I like sliding .... Differnt folks different strokes.

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a wonderful day justin 😊

[@danepaulstewart8464]

Thank you! For all of this super important information!!

[@philf4086]

Yep, #3 is a problem for me. Oh, and #4 sometimes. And #5 creeps up occasionally. Another problem is understanding where the bottom part of the slide is at so that I can hit the right location for tuning accuracy. I would like to have a slide with a line painted inside as a "target".

[@WTF-Cubing]

Hey Justin, out of curiosity: do you ever play slide blindfolded or with eyes closed? I started doing this at night after work while watching movies, reclining on the couch thinking about how many amazing blind slide players there were in the early years of Delta Blues. It’s done wonders for feel and quick adaptability while listening and playing simultaneously.

[@peteannells4218]

Playing in the dark is great for getting accuracy on the fretboard...and saving electric. Violinists must do something like that to I guess. You can challenge yourself to play different intervals and hit those chord inversions.

[@JustinOstrander]

Not really. I do look away every once in a while. But the guys I tried to emulate the most when I was really digging in to learning slide (Derek Trucks, Blake Mills) are so fast and expressive and accurate, and I noticed that they rely somewhat on their eyes. I feel like they kind of have to in order to play the way they do, that I incorporated looking ahead into how I play.

[@matchedbook1]

Thanks Justin

[@UrbanGuitarLegend]

Definitely helpful bro! Thanks.

[@Thomas-pq4ys]

I've been playing slide for 40 years using my pinky. I played solo acoustic, and need the 3 remaining fingers to fret.... Have you seen Sonny Landreth fretting behind the slide?... mind blowing stuff. Old habits die hard, I do the same with electric. Intonation is key.....

[@JustinOstrander]

Agreed. I prefer the control and expression I can get on the ring finger, but I totally get the advantage of pinky sliding, too. I’m going to work on my pinky game.

[@j-milz]

Great tips, great lighting!

[@Vern859]

Thanks for the info.

[@0013619511]

Thanks!

[@stevekoves9807]

Great advice Justin, Thanks!!

[@peteannells4218]

Great advice and inspiration. Is slide easier on a flat board or one with a radius (given the choice.) ?

[@JustinOstrander]

Most slides are straight on the sides, so with those, a flatter radius is better. But there are a lot of slides out there that are flared, and in my experience those play more easily on a vintage radius neck.

[@andrewcuneo9588]

Hi, been really enjoying the content on your channel. I have a question about making sure you are playing in tune. Playing slide gives you the freedom to overcome issues with even temperament tuning. Is this something you think about at all? I suspect the answer is trust your ear/approach it like a singer, but is there any more to it than that?

[@JustinOstrander]

Yeah I can definitely play more in tune with a slide higher up on the neck than is possible when fretting on some of my guitars. Be hyper vigilant of your tuning; check it often. Your ear will develop faster.

[@windowsoflife]

I have a newer American Fender Tele. Love it! But the pickups aren’t as twangy as some. What pickups would you recommend for classic Tele twang?

[@JustinOstrander]

As far as newer Tele pickups go, Budz knocked me out. Email him with what you’re after.

[@EasyThere]

I forget the artists but I have seen pinky slide players with some kind of resin to modify the fit. Any idea what they used?

[@JustinOstrander]

Interesting. No idea

[@michaellupton1593]

Good advice, as always Justin. I play slide on an old acoustic with the action set a little higher which works for me. I tend to struggle on electric guitar with low action...do you alter the action for slide on your guitars ? I love your approach to guitar playing, everything you play has musicality and vibe.

[@JustinOstrander]

I don’t. I talk about this a lot. I wanted to be able to play slide on every guitar. It took me longer to get the hang of it, but playing with light string and low action gives me more options.

[@michaellupton1593]

Impressive. I’m new around here, just catching up on your content, I will pay more attention! ..and give slide another go on my low action guitars. Little request: love your playing, right on my wavelength can you pull together a playlist of your recordings for us to listen too ? Maybe compile a Spotify playlist of records you are proud of playing on .. When you get your merch going I’ll buy your t shirts . Cheers Michael

[@JustinOstrander]

Check my About page on here. It links to two different discography pages. I’ll get some shirts going for y’all soon!

[@TonyThomas10000]

Do you ever play lap steel?

[@TonyThomas10000]

Pro Tip: make sure you ask for subs and likes within the first 30 seconds of the video. It helps with engagement.

[@nohillforahighstepper]

I am so bad at slide that I just don't do it anymore...😢

[@JustinOstrander]

It really is like starting over on a different instrument. Hopefully these tips help people get through that really tough initial period.

[@WineRedDeluxe]

I get sweaty slide finger, so I'll put a little tennis racquet grip tape on the inside of the slide.

[@JustinOstrander]

Interesting! I might try this

[@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender]

Kinda lookin like late 90s james hetfield

[@dragonpundit.6443]

The best advice is just don't play slide. It's tiresome. A cliche.

[@JustinOstrander]

No way man! I know a couple other people who just don’t like it. Wonder where that comes from. Does it just sound grating to you? Genuinely curious.

[@dragonpundit.6443]

@@JustinOstrander it's the pitch thing and also a cliche thing. If you are Mr. Trucks or Sonny Landreth and a few others...okay but mostly slide sounds the same off pitch center slop.

[@vk3fbab]

I think there is some validity in calling out the tired and cliched nature of some of the slide playing you see. For me it's that dgb (a chord shape) that always gets played up and down the neck. Yes it's an easy thing to learn when you start out but you kind of need to be able to do more than that. You gotta start somewhere. If someone plays slide and they can't hit the notes it is like a bad singer in my book. It's got to be tasteful and offer something. It's got to be in tune and compliment the song. You only learn by making mistakes.

[@tonyloco42]

Great advice from Mr Ostrander as usual. Like the previous commenter it took me ages to get to grips with these issues. Im still not the greatest slide player because I dont do it often enough, and I dont have a light enough touch to do it well on a standard guitar setup. Easier on a guitar which is setup with heavier strings and a higher action for sure. Nevertheless, everytime i need to play slide parts, it comes back to me quicker having learned some of these principles over many years.One important aspect is definitely using right hand fingerstyle rather than a pick, so that you can achieve the muting which he mentions. Justin offers such practical advice and he's doing it for a living, so its invaluable for all levels of guitar players. Great channel Justin.

[@tonyloco42]

Sorry - the words 'years' and 'One' turned blue and became a link. Not sure why, so ignore that :)