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Sliding is a legato technique that allows a guitarist to manipulate the sound of a note after it is played.
Sliding is a legato technique that allows a guitarist to manipulate the sound of a note after it is played.
Slides enable you to connect two or more notes smoothly and quickly, and make for more seamless position changes on the fretboard. They add life to notes and lend a vocal quality to your licks. Sliding is an essential technique for both rhythm and lead playing. As the name suggests, a slide is produced by picking a fretted note and then sliding your fretting finger up or down the string, maintaining contact with it, to arrive at a new note on another fret. When the destination fret is reached, this new note will sound.
In order to produce an effective slide, constant pressure is needed on the string throughout the length of the slide. A slide can be as short as a single fret or as long as the entire length of the fretboard. Slides can also be done with chords. Slides are noted by an upward or downward diagonal line connecting notes in notation or numbers in tablature. They can have the letters "sl." written above them as well.
Successful slides are a matter of touch. When you first pick the string, fret the note as you normally do. As soon as you start your slide, ease up slightly on your fretting finger so it glides swiftly and effortlessly over the frets to the next note. Too much pressure, and your finger won't slide; too little, and you won't create the sound of the slide. Once you reach your desired note, reapply pressure with your fingertip, otherwise the target note won't sound. Below