In more than five decades of publishing, Guitar Player has covered a lot of slide players, as well as dedicated a smattering of issues as slide-guitar specials. For our slide theme this year, we figured, “Why keep all of those great tips in the back-issue archives?”
So here’s some knowledge from the ’90s—culled from the GP staff’s wonderful slide extravaganzas of November 1992, August 1994, and March 1999, and via interviews by Jas Obrecht, Chris Gill, Andy Ellis, and Dave Whitehill. We’ve also included a tidbit from Bonnie Raitt’s first GP cover story in May 1977 by Patricia Brody. Hopefully, these ten quick tips will inspire you whether you’re just considering learning to play slide, or have been sliding for years. Now, let’s meet the maestros…
Ry Cooder
LOSE THE PICKS
“Consider the beauty of the hands. What we’ve got here is an amazing tool. Flatpick—throw it away. Thumbpick—I’d say throw it away, because every time you hit the string, you are, in effect, stopping it, as well. Learn to feel the string with your skin. Gabby Pahinui played so caressingly you could hear his pores. I swear it. With Son House, it’s a dynamic thing. A matter of drama.”
—RY COODER
Johnny Winter
GLASS VS. METAL
“Glass definitely has a real nice sound. For a while, I was using a test tube that was cut off, but it wasn’t quite thick enough to get a good sustain. Metal, of course, sounds more metallic, and, most of the time, I like that better. The glass sound is a little bit mellower, but I like that harsh metal sound. That’s why I like National guitars—the more metal, the better.”
—JOHNNY WINTER
FEEL
“I play single strings mostly. I can’t make the