Want to try playing slide guitar but not sure where to start? You’re in the right place. Slide guitar looks complicated, but the basics are surprisingly approachable – and you can make real music faster than you might think.
Let me walk you through what you need to know to start playing slide guitar today.
What Makes Slide Guitar Different
Instead of pressing strings down onto frets, you use a metal or glass tube (the slide) to change pitch. The slide glides along the strings, letting you create smooth transitions between notes that you simply can’t get with regular fretting.
That sliding sound – the way notes bend and melt into each other – is what gives slide guitar its distinctive voice. It’s why blues, country, and rock players have used it for over a century.
The First Decision: Open Tuning
Most slide guitar is played in an open tuning. When you retune your guitar so the open strings form a chord, your slide can play full chords anywhere on the neck just by barring straight across.
The three most common open tunings for playing slide guitar:
Open G (D-G-D-G-B-D) – Used by Keith Richards, Robert Johnson. Great for songs in G, C, or D.
Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) – Popular for blues and folk. Works well for songs in D, A, or E.
Open E (E-B-E-G#-B-E) – Same intervals as Open D, just higher. Duane Allman territory.
Pick one and stick with it until the positions become automatic. They all use the same fret relationships – once you learn one, the others come naturally.
Getting Your Guitar Ready
Playing slide guitar works best with a few setup adjustments. You’ll want slightly higher action (string height) so the slide doesn’t push strings into the frets, and heavier gauge strings for better tone and sustain.
Check out the full slide guitar tuning and setup guide for specifics on action, strings, and choosing the right slide for your hand.
Your First Three Positions
In any open tuning, you need to know three positions: the I, IV, and V chords. These form the backbone of blues, rock, and countless other styles.
The pattern is the same regardless of which open tuning you choose:
I chord: Open position (or 12th fret)
IV chord: 5th fret
V chord: 7th fret
With just these three positions, you can play hundreds of songs. The 12 bar blues, for example, uses nothing but these three chords in a specific sequence.
Watch: Simple Slide Riffs That Follow the Chords
Once you know where your chords live, the next step is adding melodic movement. Here’s a beautiful thing about open tunings: you don’t need to know music theory to create riffs that work.
The key insight: wherever your slide goes for the chord, there’s a scale pattern right below it. You don’t have to know the note names – just notice that the riff pattern follows the slide position. Move to your IV chord at the 5th fret, and the same riff pattern works from there.
Adding the Flat Third for a Bluesy Sound
Want to make your slide playing sound more like the blues? Add the flat third – it’s the note that gives blues its distinctive character.
In Open E tuning, your flat third sits at the 3rd fret. You can slide between this position and your open chord to create that classic blues tension. The same concept works in any open tuning – find the note three frets up from open, and you’ve got your flat third.
The One Technique That Changes Everything
Before you go any further with playing slide guitar, learn to mute properly. Without muting, slide guitar sounds like a mess of unwanted noise and sympathetic vibrations.
Rest your first finger lightly on the strings behind the slide (not pressing down – just touching). This dampens everything except the notes you’re actually playing. The difference between muted and unmuted slide is the difference between amateur and professional tone.
This technique is covered in detail in the setup guide, but it’s worth emphasizing: practice muting from day one.
Where to Go From Here
Once you’ve got the basics – your tuning, your three chord positions, and proper muting – you’re ready to dive deeper:
Open G players: Work through progressions and riffs, then tackle the 12 bar blues in Open G.
Open D players: Learn rhythm and lead combinations and the 12 bar blues in Open D.
Want more tuning options? Explore Open E or the darker sound of Open D7.
Slide guitar rewards patience. The first few sessions might feel awkward – that’s normal. But stick with it, and you’ll discover a whole new way to express yourself on guitar.
Want to Play Slide Guitar? Start Here (Free)
Most people grab a slide and get frustrated within five minutes. There's a reason for that, and it's easy to correct once you know the secret!
I've put together a short series of free video lessons that will get you playing slide the right way. You'll learn the best tuning to start with (hint: it's not standard!), how to lay down a mean rhythm with your slide, and why slide guitar can actually be easier than normal guitar once you know the trick.
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