which finger for slide?

[jono1uk]

i naturally have been using my pinky for my slide but i have just ordered one of these 


www.shubb.com/axys/index.htm

and they suggest ring finger so its easier for the thumb to reach to spin it 
have tried my normal slide on my ring finger in preparation..its taking some getting use to as my ring finger plays a big part
in damping behind the strings. 
so ..how may of you use ring finger and anyone got /tried one of these slides?


Jon

[Michael Messer]

Hi Jon,

Don't get sucked into what appear to be 'the rules' that are made up by teachers. Tuition has become a big industry and certain things have become accepted as the rules.

I naturally have worn a slide on my third (ring) finger for the past 38 years.

I think it is good to try out all kinds of slides and picks to get the feel of what suits you, but I always advise people to steer clear of gimmicky products that claim to re-invent the wheel. A slide is a tube that goes on your finger, it can be made of various materials in various weights, but I do not like products like the Shubb Axis. I love Shubb capos, I have used them for probably 35 years, but why they have put their name to the Axis is anybody's guess. Is it a good product and I am just an old timer that hates new-fangled inventions? ....I think the proof of that is that I cannot name one great slide player that uses the Axis. I can name many great slide players that use...glass, steel, brass, copper...etc tubes on their fingers.

Just trying to be helpful, not critical.

Shine On
Michael

[Quarterquay]

Hi there Jon
Well I started off using my ring finger for slide and very soon moved it to my little finger because I felt the need for three fretting fingers rather than two.Always felt there was something missing with the slide on my ring finger. To me that flipping Shubb slide looks awkward. I can see it being easy to flip back and forth with your thumb when you don't have a guitar neck in the way but the short demo on the Shubb site looks awkward to me; I tried to find a youtube clip of someone using one but only turned up one review and that was a poor demo. To use it you have to bring your thumb down off and back around the neck of the guitar, flip the slide and then bring your thumb back up and around the neck again and position it appropriately for either fretting or sliding.Maybe it only takes a second but it just seems like something else to practice rather than concentrating on good regular slide technique. It looks at best useful for alternating slide then fretting in phrases rather than sliding and fretting mixed in and out in a run of notes if that makes sense and for someone who only does a little bit of slide as part of their over all standard playing in a piece.

Lots of people play with the slide on their ring finger (Michael for one , I think, though maybe he alternates. Don't know) though so you shouldn't have trouble damping with your middle and forefinger with plenty of practice.
Sorry, that sounds all very damning of the flipping slide. I've never used one and maybe it's a great bit of kit. However,I only took up slide about three or four years ago and still think of myself as very much a learner and I've found no substitute for carefully observed practice, practice, practice; ...and an assortment of different traditional slides ......and this forum.


*Edit - What Michael said ^

[Michael Messer]

I am able to play with the slide on my pinky finger, but it is not for me.

I have no problem using the slide on my ring finger and fretting with the other three. I have done it for years and it gives me a lot of reach

It is what you get used to and what works for you.

Quaterquay is right - keep practicing and don't get bogged down in too many products.

Shine On
Michael

[jono1uk]

cool guys .the slide may end up on ebay if i dont get on with it..

[Deleted]

I play with the slide on the pinky -- maybe it's because my pinky's pretty short, I can't imagine being able to fret with it if I were wearing the slide on the ring finger.

But I've seen videos with people wearing the slide on the middle finger and even on the index -- pretty rare, but still, there aren't any rules here... it's the Blues!

I agree with the gimmick thing. I tried out a similar flippable slide...they may be useful for more advanced players, but for someone starting out (and I'm still a beginner at slide too) it's just one more thing to worry about. Don't worry about selling it though - just put it in your slide collection. Seems like everyone ends up with a couple dozen slides.

I'm can only guess how many slides Michael might have!

[moorlandmike]

I seem to go for the best of both worlds. In our band (The Bluesmakers) I play with a metal slide on 3rd finger using a 1975 Fender Telecaster Custom in open G tuning. For acoustic blues shows I use a glass slide on pinky using until last week a Fylde Falstaff jumbo acoustic. Why 'until last week' you may ask! Well I've finally found what I've been looking for - you may have guessed already. Its an MM Blues resonator of course. I found it on ebay only 10 miles from where I live in the Staffordshire Moorlands Delta. Haven't put it down for days!

[Michael Messer]

Mickeyz,

The last time I checked was in May 2012 when this photo was taken. I have a few more since then. They grow like daffodils around here!



Attachment Deleted

Hello MoorlandMike, welcome to the forum and I am pleased you are happy with your new guitar.

Shine On
Michael

[Pickers Ditch]

Blimey Michael, you've got sufficient stock to have a slide on each finger, thumb and toe whilst holding the Oahu lap bar in your teeth.
You could then try playing, simultaneously, four resonators with your limbs and a lap steel with your mouth .
I think we would pay money to see you attempt it, too.

[Michael Messer]

I often do that, but not in public.

A few more have turned up in the three years since that photo was taken!

Shine On

[Ian McWee]

Love that slide photo!

Regarding the Shubb Axis, a forum member who hasn't been active here for quite a while had one ~ he found it behaved awkwardly in use because when the plastic 'swivel' bearing was new, it was too stiff to turn around easily....and if it was slightly worn, the brass section would fly around the finger like a dervish!!

It currently resides on the display shelf in our office

Slide On!

Ian.