Basic Slide Practice

[Mike]

This is the discussion topic for the lesson Basic Slide Practice. Please leave your comments or any questions you might have about the lesson here!

[Tony Wilder]

I just want to say that I still struggle with the timing on this. I have a tendency to play this slide into the B string as a triplet – where I can hear all three notes separately. Timing-wise, it works OK. But, it sounds much like swing rhythm. Your exercise (and the tablature) makes it clear that we should strive to make the fourth fret tone right about the same time as the B string is played. The same is true for most other slides and hammer-ons unless they are written explicitly as triplets. Please correct me if I am missing this. And thanks for the help!

[Mike]

Yes, you want to practice playing your slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs with either 8th notes, triplets or 16th notes..

If you’re hearing a swing feel though, that would more likely have to do with your right (picking) hand than your left. How you’re picking the notes would give it a swing feel or not.

But if you want to do 8th note slides, practice giving the first note just a little more value and don’t slide too quick. That will probably help you get 8th note versions rather than triplets/16th notes.

– Mike

[Dan Holbrook]

Hello. I’m Dan and new to the banjo. Thank you so much for your tip on not sledding to quickly. I’m getting much better (not saying much because of where I started) and your tip really helped. Thanks again.

[Mike]

Nice! Glad it was helpful.

– Mike

[jtmilazzo]

Mike
The tab shows the 2nd string being played at the end of the slide, but it sounds like you are playing the 2nd string right after the 3rd and then continuing the slide
Am I correct or are my ears playing tricks?

[Mike]

Both the slide and your picking hand should be playing an 8th note rhythm. So don’t worry about if you wait till you end the slide to play the open 2nd string. Focus on the rhythm of each hand. You need both hands to operate independently which is tricky.

Yes, you’ll definitely want to play the open string after the slide. That is how you keep the “roll” of your right hand going. If you didn’t play the open string with the slide, your right hand picking rhythm would break.

With bluegrass style slides like these, you want to keep the rhythm going with your right hand. The slide is basically extra credit.

– Mike

[Theresa Mathis]

This was excellent. The breakdown of the slide and the practice time to go with it.

[Author]

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