Query Playing with the tip of a glass rolled edge slide

[cammy]

Playing slide a month or so now, and have discovered when playing a single string  with slide angled 30 to 50 degrees from the fretboard using the rolled edge tip of the  glass slide the tone deepens and the volume and sustain increase, especially on the  3 bass strings. 

Have tried slightly flattening the slide off, for more contact on the flat part of the slide and the note is not as good.

I do prefer the sound, but the slightest miss-movement of my right hand/arm , the slide can come off the string !

Is this a known technique ? Or am I somehow making up for my poorer "more flat"  safer, slide  technique??

Also would I be better using a balltip slide ?

I am taking online lessons. My tutor uses a brass flat end slide and is not aware of this style. 

Thanking you all in advance.

Cheers Cammy

[Michael Messer]

Jun 21, 2024 13:55:09 GMT cammy said:

Playing slide a month or so now, and have discovered when playing a single string  with slide angled 30 to 50 degrees from the fretboard using the rolled edge tip of the  glass slide the tone deepens and the volume and sustain increase, especially on the  3 bass strings. 

Have tried slightly flattening the slide off, for more contact on the flat part of the slide and the note is not as good.

I do prefer the sound, but the slightest miss-movement of my right hand/arm , the slide can come off the string !

Is this a known technique ? Or am I somehow making up for my poorer "more flat"  safer, slide  technique??

Also would I be better using a balltip slide ?

I am taking online lessons. My tutor uses a brass flat end slide and is not aware of this style. 

Thanking you all in advance.

Cheers Cammy

Hello Cammy

I know what you are doing and I would never say "don't", but you really would be better off not doing that. There is no reason at all why you can't get a good tone with the slide flat across the strings. It is all about applying the right amount of pressure and maybe vibrato if it is required. Ball-tip or dome-end slides are not for me, but some people do use them successfully.

My advice to a beginner is to stick with the basic tools and not to get caught up in trying to use new fangled picks, slides, or any other reinventions of the wheel. Having said that, it is good to try the various materials and weights of slides and see what feels right for your hand. That doesn't mean go and buy one of everything, just occasionally as you go along, try something different.

When considering different types of "tools of the trade", always have a look at what the top players are using and mostly you will find they all use the basic things.

The most important thing is to play and play and play.....and then play some more. No amount of tools or teachers can beat putting the time in and persevering and pushing yourself through the barriers.

I hope that is helpful.

Shine On
Michael

[cammy]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the fast reply.

I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but suspected you would  !!    

I will endeavour to persevere using the flatter technique and put the hours required in  

I'm really pleased with the MM Blues.  Getting to know her much better now.

Cheers
Cammy

[tigercubt20]

MIchael is correct, except in my case, i use a brass, stainless steel, tungsten carbide slide, a simple tube. i habitually hammer on and also slide on all the strings, at different angles just like the lap players do. but as a bottleneck player on my. blues 28, blues 12, and lightning, ok i know how blessed i am to own these magnificent MM guitars. its just practice, the only time i miss a string is grabbing a fingered chord. what works for one may not work for another. its a crazy world, and getting crazier by the hour. JIM.
i dont use the tip of the slide, it contacts the string about an eight of an inch from the end, getting the angle so it misses the other strings is the thing, for the first string the slide is angled in the opposite direction and contacts the string more along its lenght. pull of also works, but requires more finess, to avoid the twangly after sound.

a lot of this type of thing, bunging in harmonics for example, are really just effects.

there is no substitute for building a complete repetoire of solo performance pieces, including the singing. you dont want to end up like the electric guys, who seem to have a vast collection of bits of this and bits of that that only work in a band context. JIM.