Once you’ve picked out a slide (or two), get to work putting it to practical use. Fig. 1 shows an easy way to play triads, which can be used for both single-note lines and chords, by laying the slide straight across the strings, aligned with the fretwire — that is, directly above the fretwire. Other than playing over the fretwire, this is the same shape you would use to play fifth-string-root barre chords, as notated in the chord diagrams.
When first starting out, play this shape without any sliding or vibrato — merely work toward a clean, properly intonated tone (more on intonation below). You’ll also want to experiment with the amount of pressure you use to apply the slide to the strings — too little and it will buzz; too much and you’ll rattle against the frets; just right and you’ll sound like Elmore James. Once you’re comfortable with this shape, you’ll find that you can now play all 12 major chords simply by moving to different frets. Personally, I find the lower frets, such as the A notated here, the most difficult to play comfortably.
With Fig. 1 under your control, it’s time to move on to Fig. 2, which truly brings the slide to life.
These subsequent three measures are the same triads as the previous three measures, except now you slide into the triads from a variety of different approach tones. For example, measure four approaches the F# from the E, which is a whole step below. Measure five approaches the B from C, a half step above. And measure six approaches the C# from a C natural, a half step below. But it’s important to know that one could intuitively approach from any other note — even from a pitch not normally notated in Western music, a “quarter tone,” which is a pitch halfway between the usual notes of a chromatic scale. Exploiting quarter tones is one of the major stylistic elements of slide playing, as the slide facilitates them better than any other guitar technique, and it’s utterly astonishing what a difference a quarter-tone approach can produce.
In addition to these approach tones, you’ll also want to start adding vibrato to these phrases. That said, I have not notated any vibrato in this lesson. That’s because, from this point forward, you can judiciously choose which notes you care to add vibrato to. To begin, I recommend emphasizing the last note of each measure. Still, the key word here is “judicious.” Just because you can easily add vibrato with the slide — simply move the slide back and forth (in the direction of the strings) relatively quickly — doesn’t mean you should do it ad nauseam.