Part 1

How to Work with FINGERSTYLE BLUES CAMP

General Approach
This study program is very effective if you follow and stick to the following recommendations:
1-

Work through each course and each chapter within the courses sequentially: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar
I, Fingerstyle Blues Guitar II and then Acoustic Slide Guitar.

2-

Take on one chapter at a time and work through it for at least an hour a day. Don't worry about
nailing everything in the chapter perfectly, but make sure you acquire an understanding for the
material being covered in that chapter.

3-

Give your regular play list a break and keep the five audio CDs cranked and playing in your car,
walkman, PC and home stereo until you hear the tunes in your sleep. This is a key element for
bringing these techniques to life on your own fingertips.

4-

The course is formatted in WMV/Quicktime (video), MP3 (audio), PDF (tab) and Power Tab - which
allows you to "see" and "hear" tab played out at any tempo in perfect pitch.

If you've got intermediate skills and are willing to devote 60 days learning and listening to this course -you'll be well on your way to becoming a monster fingerstyle blues player. Along the way, you'll add a set's
worth of solo fingerstyle tunes to perk up your repertoire.
Software Installations
If you have a Video Player, Power Tab, Acrobat Reader and an MP3 Player already installed on your computer,
skip to the next section.
You'll need four programs installed on your computer to take maximum advantage of this interactive
course. They're all free and readily available as downloads from the Internet.
1-

Install Power Tab Editor (Windows only) so that you can readily access the Power Tab examples.
Look in the Power Tab folder on this CD, review the "Read Me" file and then click on the install file.
The Power Tab Editor program is very powerful but all you really need to learn is how to use the
playback and tempo controls to slow down the tab while keeping the pitch intact (very simple). Mac
users can use the midi files in the Mac Tabs folder on the CD with a Mac interactive Tab program
like TableEdit (www.tabledit.com) but will need to access them individually from the folder.

2-

Install an MP3 Player so that you can listen to the audio files associated with this course. We like
Real Player because the current version allows you to view the player in "Tool Bar" mode so that the
player is always visible as you shuttle between course elements.

3-

Install Acrobat Reader so that you can view and work with the interactive PDF manual. Familiarize
yourself with the navigation and view controls to flip through pages and adjust the size of the view
(also very simple).

4-

Install a video player like Windows Media Player or Real Player to view the video elements. The
Windows manual links to Windows Media files (.wmv) and the Mac manual links to Quicktime movies
(.mov).

60-Day Fingerstyle Blues Camp

Working with the Manual

You'll be working directly from this PDF manual by flipping through the pages in Acrobat Reader and clicking various icons to call up and play the interactive lesson elements. The table of contents is also linkable
so that you can navigate to different chapters.
You'll notice the following five icons placed throughout the manual. Clicking on these icons will call up an
audio or Power Tab file and the program that plays it.
Plays Musical Example

Plays Voiceover

Calls Up PowerTab

Tuning

Plays MP3 File

Returns to Table of Contents

Plays Video

Useful Tips
1-

Keep the manual always open in Acrobat Reader and maximized on your screen.

2-

Once you've called up an MP3 file, keep the MP3 player open. Naturally, you'll use the play, rewind,
pause, loop and other controls as needed.

3-

Once you've opened a Power Tab file, keep that program open and maximized as well.

4-

Go through the course page-by-page, example-by-example, and click on all of the icons as you come
across them.

5-

Use your Task Bar to shuttle between the various elements; Manual pages, Power Tab pages and MP3
player.

60-Day Fingerstyle Blues Camp

Acoustic Slide Blues - MENU

CHAPTER ONE HISTORY

A fascinating insight and background to the origins of slide playing.

CHAPTER TWO GENERAL TECHNIQUES AND TIPS

A valuable insight into the methods for your development and practice. Plus great advice
on what kind of guitars to use, how they should be set up, plus pointers on what type of
slides to use to achieve certain effects.

CHAPTER THREE EXERCISES

A series of four groups designed to improve all aspects of playing. Exercises are
accompanied with audio files. These start at square one so even if you're new to the
guitar you can still do this course. If you've dabbled with slide you'll surely want these
lessons to get you playing this fantastically haunting style like a real pro.

CHAPTER FOUR CHORDS IN SLIDE PLAYING

Chord position charts for both open G and D tunings are listed.

CHAPTER FIVE RIFFS AND PATTERNS

A total of commonly used riffs in G tuning, all relative to blues styles. These riffs crop up
in countless blues songs and instrumentals.

Produced by TrueFire and The Acoustic Guitar Workshop

CHAPTER 1 -

HISTORY & ORIGINS OF THE SLIDE GUITAR IN THE BLUES

here have been many claims to the origin of the slide guitar. Its haunting sound can be heard across the
whole spectrum of musical styles, through blues, rock, country, Hawaiian and even jazz. A sound so
haunting, that as fans of Robert Johnson might believe, was born from the devil himself. However, there are
a few more 'earthly signposts' that musicologists have followed, to try and pin down the birth of the slide
sound.

Throughout the world musicians have created sounds by dragging objects across stringed instruments, for
either effect or as an integral part of its sound. An example of this was discovered in W.Africa in the form
of a musical bow. Still used today, this one stringed instrument was attached to a gourd resonator and held
to the abdomen, while the player plucked the string and used a bone or metal to vary the pitch.
Investigators into the popular form of slide playing associated with the blues, determined that this was
probably why a more contemporary version of the bow called the Jitterbug came to be used by the Negro
musicians around the southern states of America at the turn of the century. With the influx of slaves, years
before, came a rich culture of music, and although the slaves were bereft of possessions, a musical bow
would be a simple instrument to make. The Jitterbug, like the bow, had one string, but this time simply
attached to the floor or side of a shack. When plucked, an object would be dragged along the string to
accompany simple songs. The sound, which could wail and moan like the human voice, became an ideal
backing to the early blues and perhaps forerunner to the guitar's role in the slide style.

BUT WHY THE GUITAR?

In the early part of the 20th century, the guitar was becoming increasingly popular, as a cheaper
alternative to the piano. Along with the banjo, it was more portable and could be ordered by
catalogue in the many rural backwaters. It is a safe bet to say, that knives, bones and glass, would
have been used on the guitar as an extension to the Jitterbug. The guitar became more widely used
with the slide, after a young Hawaiian guitarist called Joseph Kekeku made a recording using this
style. It was a flashy, eerie kind of tune, that became popular in the U.S., and gave the already
established Black style more impetus.
The Hawaiian influence on slide playing cannot be overlooked. The speed at which the music
spread into the American culture at the turn of the century was evident in the increased production
of guitars and lap steels. All the main makers were turning them out: National, Rickenbacker and
Gibson. In fact, the Hawaiian style lap steel, far out sold Spanish style guitars. Since the early
Kekeku recordings, the use of the slide began to seep into all styles of music, from the early blues,
right into the mountain Hillbilly music of early folk and country.
The Hawaiians have always laid claim to the invention of the slide guitar, but it is fairer to say, that
it was a development rather than an invention. Anyway, the young J.K could easily have got the idea by
listening to an American sailor, whose ship had docked in Honolulu!
Whatever the worldly origins of the slide guitar, this form of playing is best known for it's partnership with
the blues. The slide playing of Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, to name a few, has reached
almost classical status. It is a style that has captivated, amazed and baffled guitarists of all kinds, and to
my mind has become the most enchanting.
Whether it be for the blues or not, learning even some of the basic techniques, can turn the guitar into a
new instrument, offering a whole range of sounds and effects. So, let's get sliding.
Before you start playing, read through all the tips in the general technique section in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 2 -

GENERAL TECHNIQUES AND TIPS

WHAT DO I USE FOR A SLIDE?

There have been many objects used to achieve the slide sound. Knives, bottle necks, tubes of all kinds of
metals and glass, spark plug sockets, lighters, stone, marble, plastic ----- anything!
At sometime or other I've used them all but to keep things simple and effective, I use a real bottle neck or
metal tube, cut long enough to be slightly longer than the pinkie.
GLASS OR METAL?
Glass is great for smooth, long sustain - Paris Texas type stuff. The heavier glass the better. Avoid
manufactured glass slides as they tend to lack sustain and brightness - use real bottle glass. Ry Cooder is
said to use a Fighting Cock Kentucky Bourbon bottle!
Metal - good for more attack, especially electric. Experiment with heavy or light metal - both produce
different sounds. Think Muddy Waters, light. Lowell George( Little Feat ) heavy.
For both glass and metal, think:
Heavy - better for sustain, more accuracy, good for long slow notes
Light - Thin sound, but faster, harder to keep accurate, less volume and
sustain
WHICH FINGER?
This is a personal choice, as with most aspects of slide playing. Many well
known players have used different combinations. I've always found the slide
best suited to the pinkie. This allows me more opportunity to finger chords,
and play regular fretted notes as well as play the slide. Anyway, if it is good
enough for Robert Johnson or Ry Cooder it's good enough for me.

Most players favour the pinkie

for the slide

HOW DO I STOP ALL THAT SCRATCHING AND BUZZING?

Sometimes the extraneous noises can be used to great effect - listen to Blind Willie Johnson. For the
purpose of improving technique, try and play cleanly and smoothly. Lose all those noises by dampening the
strings behind the slide. Practice all the exercises in the following sections, by dragging the third finger
along the strings as use the slide. Or, alternatively use the first finger of the slide hand to damp down the
unwanted buzzes. The more you dampen, the tighter and smoother the sound. When you release the fingers
behind the slide - notice the difference.

ACTION?
Use a guitar set up with slightly higher
action, so there is less chance of the
slide banging against the frets. It helps
to minimise those extraneous noises we
talked about earlier. However, if the
action is too high, it will be harder to
finger the chords when needed.
STRINGS?
A personal choice again, but I believe
the best sound is achieved by using the
thickest you can manage - at least a
0013 on the top. Bob Brozman once told me that he used a 0017 on his National - now, there's a real slide
man for you!

CHAPTER 2 -

GENERAL TECHNIQUES AND TIPS

WHAT ABOUT GUITARS?

Acoustic or electric, who cares. I like the rootsy flavour of an acoustic for instant feel. My favourites are
small bodied acoustics and resonators. I love all those junk shop guitars with bowed necks and impossible
action. Check them out. Slide players can pick up some real winners. In fact all the exercises were recorded
with an old, small body Hofner, that I found in Denmark for 20 pounds.
For electric players, the fenders have great natural sustain. Check out that early Ry Cooder sound. With
added compression, like the old purple pecker, or rack effects, the slide sounds great. On his later albums,
Ry used the pick up from an old lap steel, for that real slide sound and sustain. The trick is don't be afraid
to experiment.
THIS IS CRUCIAL - VIBRATO
This is a crucial aspect of slide playing.There are two main
reasons for this:
1. Think of the slide ( bottleneck, or whatever you decide to use ) as
a moving fret which by careful handling will maintain the pitch of the
note you are trying to play. If you are new to slide playing you will
fast realise how difficult this is. Vibrato with the slide means you
play a compromise between an in and out of tune note - somewhere
in the middle is the correct pitch. To keep good pitch, keep the slide
at right angles to the fret at all times.
and on the tab:

A violinist uses the same effect on the

fretboard ( fretless of course ) to maintain
steady pitch. Witness the intense movement
of the fingers as they ensure the right notes
are achieved.This is especially so for the
slide, when reaching the end of a phrase or riff, as the final note sounds dull or sharp or flat unless vibrato
is used. There are many different styles of vibrato. Listen to the intense movement of the slide on Blind
Willie Johnsons - Dark Was The Night, or the almost non existent vibrato on Tampa Red's Denver Blues. This
leads me to my next main point.
2. Vibrato gives your slide playing a personal touch which can reflect the intensity of your mood or your
feeling for the blues. Once you feel comfortable with the slide, experiment with different amounts of
vibrato - light or heavy. Listen to as many players as you can and gauge the amount used which distinguishes
their playing.
The slide can be held tight against a finger to produce a very controlled movement or loose for a more
carefree result.Careful though, as they tend to fly off your finger! I've noticed that some players use lack of
vibrato to produce quarter tones, which are carefully placed, and give an eerie effect against the proper
pitched note. Once again, listen to Blind Willie Johnson or Ry Cooder ( Vigilante Man ) to hear these notes.
More about these mysterious quarter tones later!

CHAPTER 3 -

SLIDE EXERCISES

EXERCISES - GROUP 1
All the following are in G tuning - LOW TO HIGH: DGDGBD
There are many different exercises that can help you with the slide. Some say it's just hands on and loads of
luck. However to avoid weeks of agonising howling try these for a few days and begin to connect slide to
string with positive accuracy. Play all the exercises ascending and descending
Play each note with the slide on the first string, up to the 12th fret. No sliding or vibrato yet, just go for
the right pitch as if you were fretting as normal. Keep the slide at right angles, directly over the fret.
Remember, to stop the unwanted noises, use string dampening behind the slide. ( See the tips and
technique pages.)
Do the same exercise on each string, from top to bottom:

This time slide into each note as you strike the string and see if you can hit the pitch - still no vibrato. Start
from the third fret to give you at least one fret below sliding space.

Now, add vibrato to find your pitch more easily ( read techniques and tips page ).

Repeat the previous style of exercises with double strings

CHAPTER 3 -

SLIDE EXERCISES

EXERCISES - GROUP 1 CONTINUED

And with triple stops:

The above exercise uses a diatonic or major chord triad system, which can easily be achieved in open tuning.
The exercise below uses triads, but this time on the second, third and fourth strings.Use vibrato as before and
string dampening to avoid the extraneous noises. This is especially important here, as the top string is left
open.

CHAPTER 3 -

SLIDE EXERCISES

EXERCISES - GROUP 2
Here are some open string and slide exercises. This time lift the slide and your damping finger to include
the open first string in between each note. Pay attention to the pitch and strive to stay in tune.

Now add vibrato and don't forget to play the exercise ascending and descending.

Now with the slide movement

As in the previous group exercises, these open string workouts should be tried on double and triple strings.

CHAPTER 3 -

SLIDE EXERCISES

EXERCISES - SLIDING SCALES

This is an important exercise in slide playing, helping to develop accuracy over wide ranges on the fret
board.
Hold the slide over the second fret. Strike the note, then slide smoothly to the fifth fret. When you reach
the top, use vibrato to hold the pitch and sustain the note. At this point you can experiment with different
kinds of vibrato for feel and expression.

Now try using more intervals. Do the same exercise in reverse, starting at the twelfth fret. As with all the
group exercises, the above should be practised using double and triple strings.

The long sweep. Start at the third fret. Strike the string and sweep up to the twelfth fret, ending with
vibrato.

Use an open string start, sweeping from various positions.

CHAPTER 3 -

SLIDE EXERCISES

EXERCISES - GROUP 4
A common effect with the slide is the pull off

Slide and the pull off

And with vibrato

Three string pull off

CHAPTER 3 -

SLIDE EXERCISES

EXERCISES - GROUP 4 Continued

Now try it with a hammer on

Hammer on and sweep

Three string Hammer on

Hammer on and pull off together

Hammer on and pull off with vibrato

CHAPTER 4 -

CHORDS AND THE SLIDE IN G

CHORDS AND THE SLIDE IN G

There are many chord possibilities with the slide. Lap steel players evolved ingenious ways of slanting the
slide in open tuning to create all the necessary harmony for playing chords. This is easy to do when you
have the guitar on the lap but a little tricky in the normal way. For the sake of the blues we will consider
the three main chords of the blues in the key of G and keep the chord shapes fairly simple but effective.
The three chord trick in G = G C D ( 7 )
Check out these slide positions.
Slide into the chords and remember vibrato!!!
Sometimes it is simply enough to play these block patterns to produce great accompaniment for songs.
Listen to George Thorogood - Bad To The Bone.
Try mixing your riffs and chords for an overall great effect.

CHAPTER 4 -

CHORDS AND THE SLIDE IN G

CHORDS AND THE SLIDE IN G

Check out these 7th positions.

Dont forget to play over the frets!

CHAPTER 4 - CHORDS AND THE SLIDE IN G

Get to grips with these shapes in open G. They will give the in-between slide bits, real flavour

CHAPTER 5 -

RIFFS AND PATTERNS IN G

ime now to put the exercises into some bluesy style riffs. Some of them are very Delta Blues like, so
keep listening to artists like Robert Johnson and Son House - you're bound to hear a few of these licks
come up. Just stay loose and experiment. Youre bound to come up with a stack of licks of your own, or be
able to modify famous patterns to your own ends.

Dampening behind the slide is important for a tight clean sound, but experiment with a more open sound,
for a rough and ready authentic Delta flavour.
Play each one at least twice and listen to the played examples, to help guide you through.

CHAPTER 5 -

RIFFS AND PATTERNS IN G

CHAPTER 5 -

RIFFS AND PATTERNS IN G

CHAPTER 5 -

RIFFS AND PATTERNS IN G

WIDER INTERVAL RIFFS:

For a classy effect it is a good idea to form riffs using the lower and higher notes of the triads.

The first note uses a dobro style

technique of tilting the slide to
keep the top string clear.
DIAGRAM LEFT

CHAPTER 5 -

RIFFS AND PATTERNS IN G

BASS ACCOMPANIMENT WITH THE SLIDE IN G

All the previous riffs should be tried using some kind of bass pick with the thumb. This gives the solo slide
more dimension and great when you are playing alone. Here are some typical examples.

CHAPTER 5 -

RIFFS AND PATTERNS IN G

QUARTER TONES
Emphasis is always placed on accuracy with slide playing. The general rule is to keep the slide at right
angles and directly over the fret.
An eerie effect can be achieved however by using the slide in-between the frets to produce tones. This is
great for slow blues playing.