BBG AND SLIDE GUITAR

piebaldpython

Blues Junior
Just started on BBG with regular guitar and pick....so far, so good.  I really like it, makes sense and a great learning tool.

That said, the 60 BPM quarter note beginning is a FABULOUS way to learn slide guitar.

The most important part of slide guitar is probably picking hand muting.  What I'm training with BBG is to pick with my index finger and mute the strings around the picked string with my thumb and middle finger. 

As I go from string-to-string, the thumb and middle finger move concurrently to mute the adjacent strings above and below.  At least, that's what I'm trying to learn to do.

Once I get the hang of that....don't rush this BTW....I'll work on sliding up to and down to the notes.

Nice job on the videos and tab Griff!!!  Best I've seen so far.
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
Just started on BBG with regular guitar and pick....so far, so good.  I really like it, makes sense and a great learning tool.

That said, the 60 BPM quarter note beginning is a FABULOUS way to learn slide guitar.

The most important part of slide guitar is probably picking hand muting.  What I'm training with BBG is to pick with my index finger and mute the strings around the picked string with my thumb and middle finger. 

As I go from string-to-string, the thumb and middle finger move concurrently to mute the adjacent strings above and below.  At least, that's what I'm trying to learn to do.

Once I get the hang of that....don't rush this BTW....I'll work on sliding up to and down to the notes.

Nice job on the videos and tab Griff!!!  Best I've seen so far.
I've never thought to try that... good idea, I'll have to have a go with it.
Griff
 
G

Growl

Guest
So how's that going ? With the slide ? I'm trying get through this with a resonator.
 

piebaldpython

Blues Junior
It's going good.......just not enough time to practice.  lol  The muting took some getting used to but in the end is very beneficial.

What I'm doing, in the most basic of terms, is what steel guitarists refer to as "pick blocking".  You mute the note you just played as you pick the next note.  Needless to say, even with using my thumb and first 2 fingers, there's a lot of variations.

The slide aspect is going easier and is more fun as you can vary your pick attack, the distance you slide up/down and the amount/speed of vibrato.

If this is something any of you wish to do......go real slow (60 BPM) and don't speed up until you can play cleanly and accurately.  Speed kills.......especially when sliding.

One you get a tune/exercise from BBG down cleanly......you can then experiment with syncopating the tune/exercise....because syncopation is the heart/soul of slide work.
 
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