Once you’ve got your guitar in Open G tuning and you know where your I-IV-V positions are, it’s time to start building actual progressions. This is where slide guitar gets fun – you can create full arrangements that sound like a complete band.

The Basic I-IV-V Progression in Open G

Let’s start with the most common progression in popular music:

G (I): Open position
C (IV): 5th fret
D (V): 7th fret

A simple I-IV-V might go: G → C → G → D → C → G

This progression shows up in thousands of songs. Master it in Open G and you’ve got a huge repertoire at your fingertips.

Watch: Building Progressions in Open G

Understanding the Bass Notes

Here’s something important about Open G: your root note is on the 5th string, not the 6th.

The 6th string (low D) gives you the 5th of the chord – what Colin calls an “inverted root” or “inverted fifth.” This creates a country-flavored sound that works great for certain styles.

Colin tends to shy away from that low D string in many situations because “it’s not the root” – the root lives on the 5th string. Understanding this helps you make better choices about which strings to emphasize when you’re building your bass parts.

The Strum Pattern

A basic rhythm pattern that works beautifully in Open G:

Bass note (hit the 5th string) → down-up strum on the higher strings

Or think of it as: down, down, up, down, down, up

This gives you that alternating bass feel that’s so characteristic of acoustic blues and country. The bass note anchors the chord while the strums fill it out.

The Nashville Number System

When musicians talk about progressions, they often use numbers instead of chord names. This is called the Nashville number system, and it makes communication much faster.

Instead of saying “we’re going from G to C to D,” you just say “1-4-5.” The beauty is that these numbers work in any key. Your 1-4-5 in Open G is G-C-D. In Open D, it would be D-G-A. Same progression, different key.

Adding Movement Between Chords

Once you’ve got the basic progression down, start adding movement:

Slide into each chord from a fret below or above. Don’t just jump to the position – approach it.

Add grace notes: quick slides that land on the target note.

Use the open strings as drones while you move the slide around.

Advanced Technique: Fretting Behind the Slide

If you want to get really fancy, check out what players like Sonny Landreth do: they use all their fingers behind the slide to fret notes while the slide handles the melody. This lets you play complex chord voicings and single-note runs simultaneously.

It’s advanced stuff, but worth knowing about as a goal to work toward.

Putting It All Together

The key to great Open G slide playing is combining these elements:

Solid bass notes on the 5th string (your root)
Rhythm strums to fill out the chord
Slide fills on the higher strings
Smooth transitions between chord positions

When all these pieces come together, you sound like a full band – not just someone playing slide licks over a backing track.