I've been playing acoustic guitar for about 6 months now. Anyways, I wanted some variety in my playing so I bought a slide.
Now I'm not too familiar with the blues genre, so I was just wondering if anybody could recommend any slide songs for a beginner. Alternate tunings aren't really a problem, so I'm just looking for some songs that are fairly easy to play. (I did do the "If Not For You" lesson here on GuitarNoise).
Thanks.
(I've been coming to GuitarNoise for a while but only recently realized that it had these great forums!)
There are a couple of relatively easy one in our Easy Songs Database (Easy Songs Forum). Walking Blues and Little Red Rooster.
Find a tab for Smokestack Lightnin' which is also pretty easy.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
" Rollin' and Tumblin' " is an easy slide.
" Rollin' and Tumblin' " is an easy slide.
and also in our Easy Songs Database
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
I just finished going through "If Not For You" from the Easy Songs for Beginners section and it has a nice little intro to slide and instructions on how to play the song with a slide.
The reason I bought a slide back in the 70's - I saw Ry Cooder on TV doing a version of "Vigilante Man." I'd already got the Nazareth album, "Razamanaz," with a heavier electric version, but the stark simplicity of Ry's acoustic spoke to something in my musical DNA; my soul informed my brain, "WOW! I wanna do THAT!"
Tune to open G - D G D G B D - and experiment. I regularly play the song - not a note-for-note copy, but a bit of a mixture of slide and chords. Thing is, it's no good just copying anyone else - sure, it'll sound good if you get the song down pat, but you've got to try to do YOUR own interpretation.
Other good songs in the same tuning - "Get a haircut and get a real job" - George Thorogood. Mixture of chords and slide. "Rocky Mountain Way" by Joe Walsh - originally in open E, but for me, works just as well in open G.
But above all, don't be afraid to experiment!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
