Trying to choose a slide (slide newbie)

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

ACTION:
My first dobro had a round neck and I bought one of these from Mr Ivor Mairants him very self!

I'm impressed! I used to visit that shop now and then back in the 60s/70s....

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

He called it a "Hawaiian nut riser" and that is exactly what it is.

Sounds like a great name for a very strong cocktail... or possibly an illegal move in wrestling.

Customer in guitar shop: "Have you got a Hawaiian nut riser?"
Assistant: "No, that's just how these tight pants make me walk."

[Mycroft]

Ah, I see that Roy beat me to the comment about the nut riser. If you do get into playing slide, you will probably want to have a try at lap steel. The nut riser is a good way to dip the toes. But beware: it is a whole 'nuther can 'o worms. Between finding a steel ( as the "slides" are called) that you like to what sort of guitar, well...

Yes, strings. Again, don't overthink things at this point. I will usually use either a standard light or medium set. Something that Howard Emerson taught me, though, it to toss the 1st string and put on something heavier. A .015 or .016. It supports the weight of the slide better and gives a better tone. I have a drawer full of cast-off .012 & .013s if anyone needs one...

A word of warning on "resonator" sets of guitar strings. Many sets of "resonator" strings are for Dobro squarenecks, played lap style and with the 6th string tuned up to G (High-bass open G, GBDGBD, as opposed to low-bass open-g, DGDGBD. that you are using.) The Newtones mentioned above are for Spanish-style, but just keep it in mind.

When I was learning, I raised the nut of my guitar a little by putting shims cut from business cards under it. Made fretting harder but I didn't bottom the slide out as often. As I learned control I took out the shims.

TW

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by agfsteve

One thing that I have discovered is that, in a I-IV-V progression in open G, the only way to play slide over the IV is with the slide barring the first five strings, i.e., the slide plays the bass note (C on the fifth string at the fifth fret). But because the slide is holding down the bass, you're stuck with only being able to play the other notes under the slide at the fifth fret. So either you have to not use the slide at all on the IV chord, or you have to use only the available notes at the fifth fret. Or just forget about the bass for the IV chord and do a little riff or something.

Learn to think of the strings as the degrees of the scale. Open G is 515135, or DGDGBD. So long as you get a 1, a 3 and a 5, you have a chord. At the IV chord the string relationships remain the same, 515135, but the notes change: GCGCEG. A C major chord. If you play all six strings, it is still a C chord, but with a 5th (D) in the bass. (Which is why Keith Richards likes Open G with 5 strings, to get rid of the 5th in the bass) You can play the 6th string, not play it and have the root on the 5th string as the bass, or play any other combination that gives you a 1, 3 & 5.

Savvy inversions?