Acoustic Guitar Workshop

Acoustic Slide

D TUNING WORK OUT

Out of all the tunings, D is our favourite. It has a darkness that conjures up the low down moan of Blind Willie Johnson, Ry Cooder's Paris Texas or Vigilante Man and yet can be heard in the brighter Ragtime slide playing of Tampa Red and Blind Willie Mctell. It's interesting to note that Robert Johnson used D tuning for only three of his twenty nine songs!

Let's tune right down: High to low D A D F# A D

D tuning offers a wider melodic alternative than open G tuning, because the melody string - D is nicely situated on the top. You can still play chords or bass notes below the slide but have more opportunity to improvise on the top string. D tuning doesn't care if you change chord or not. Listen to Bllind Willie Johnson's - "Dark Was The Night" or "God Moves On The Water" and see what I mean.

Try these sounds:


PLAY AUDIO

PLAY AUDIO


Chord playing is still just as effective in D tuning. Try these main block positions:


Try these open chords when playing with the slide in D


3 Killer instrumentals based on the styles of Blind Willie Johnson, Tampa Red and Ry Cooder respectively

COLD GROUND
This is loosely based on Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground or Paris Texas. Check out the audio file to help you with the feel and timing, but overall you should be free and laid back - do your own thing. When you get used to the slide positions, open up with the vibrato and string dampening and try to get a sound close to the original by Blind Willie Johnson.


PLAY AUDIO

BRISTOL BLUES

A jolly Ragtime slide tune, close to the Tampa Red style in Denver Blues. His original goes around and around with improvisation, so you should try the same. I have done this on the audio file.
Remember to finger pick and slide only on the notes indicated.
Also, check out the Ragtime slide work that Ry Cooder uses on The Thirteen Question Method ( Get Rhythm album ) you can hear how he uses the same tricks.

On the original Denver Blues, the tuning is open E. ( see open tunings ) This uses the same riffs for open D but is pitched a whole tone higher. It gives a higher, tighter sound. Personally I prefer D.


PLAY AUDIO

OUTLAWMAN

I wanted to get close to Ry's, Vigilante Man. Once again, work closely with the feel and check out the original. Take note - thick glass slides for these slow acoustic tracks.


PLAY AUDIO

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