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Using a slide can be a great way to add more sounds and creative options to your guitar playing, especially on acoustic guitar. Playing acoustic slide guitar can add more interest to your solos and melodic fills, and it also has a rhythmic quality to it that works well with the instrument.
Although acoustic slide guitar can seem mysterious and challenging, it can be pretty simple and straightforward if you learn the playing techniques, tuning options, players, and sounds associated with it. You can play slide on most acoustic guitars, but some may benefit from a professional setup if you decide to play slide primarily on the guitar.
Let’s take a closer look at acoustic slide guitar, and learn more about this style of playing…
Acoustic Slide Guitar: What’s The Best Guitar To Use?
One of the first things to consider when playing acoustic slide guitar is the actual instrument you’ll be using. Think about the sound properties of the guitar, its size, and also whether or not it is a cutaway.
Acoustic guitars that are a cutaway in design will give you more mobility with the slide as you move past the 12th fret of the guitar. This can be beneficial for playing riffs, licks, and solos with a slide. If your guitar isn’t a cutaway, you’ll still have plenty of musical options when using a slide on it.
If you already have an acoustic guitar, then you’ll probably be able to use it for some form of slide guitar playing. However, the acoustic’s string height, action, and current tuning will determine how you approach playing it.
Slide guitar in general usually requires the strings to be far enough away from the neck of the guitar, so that the slide doesn’t cause the strings to touch the fretboard when a proper amount of pressure is applied.
However, keep in mind that if the strings are too high off the fretboard, you may not be able to easily fret notes with your fingers like you normally do when playing without a slide.
You’ll definitely want to consider these things as you move forward with your playing. Most acoustic guitars are built and setup for standard tuning in E, and so it may be a good option to use this tuning if you decide not to get your guitar set up for slide playing.
Acoustic Slide Guitar Setup
Because of their natural wood properties, acoustic guitars can be more fragile than electric guitars in regards to setting them up and making adjustments. Always get your guitar setup professionally if you’re going to make any adjustments to it, to avoid possibly damaging it.
If your current string height is too low, and when you lightly press down on the strings with the slide they always touch the fretboard, then you may want to consider getting the action raised on it by getting it setup accordingly.
Most acoustic guitars have a high enough action to play slide on, but it can be more challenging from a technique standpoint to play on one with a low string height. It is normal in the beginning stages of playing acoustic slide guitar for the slide to occasionally scrape the fretboard, especially if the string height is lower.
Some slide players will only use the slide while playing, and never fret notes with their fingers like a regular guitar player does. If you decide to play this way, it can be beneficial to have a high action or string height on the guitar to make playing easier.
However, it can also be nice to be able to fret notes with your fingers for chords and for your usual playing style, and then you can use the slide whenever you’d like to as well. In this case, finding a nice balance in regard to your string height can be beneficial.
Try to get the strings high enough from the fretboard that slide techniques feel easier (the slide and strings aren’t touching the fretboard much), but low enough where you can still comfortably fret notes with your fingers.
If you’re having to apply a lot of pressure with your fingers to fret notes, you’ll lose the stamina to hold notes and chords for a longer duration. You’ll also have to develop some impressive callouses on your fingertips to be able to do this!
Acoustic Slide Guitar Strings
The strings you use for acoustic slide guitar will affect your sound and the playability of the guitar. Most acoustic guitars use steel strings, which have a nice resonance and projecting tone for slide guitar.
Some acoustic guitars may have nylon strings, especially if they’re designed or functioning like a classical guitar, and these will have a much warmer sound than steel strings. It is uncommon for acoustic slide guitarists to use nylon strings with a slide because they can actually be too warm in tone, and thus sound dull. However, this doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
The type of string material you use will have a noticeable effect on your tone. There are numerous options for acoustic guitar, such as phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze, nickel, and various alloys.
Also, some brands offer coated versions of these strings to improve mobility on the neck, and to change the feel of the strings. Coated strings can also impact the sound they generate.
Usually, the top two strings of the guitar (the 1st and 2nd strings) will be plain steel strings and the other strings are wrapped in the materials mentioned above. These plain steel strings can sound great for acoustic slide guitar because of their timbre and projecting tone.
Best Strings for Acoustic Slide Guitar
Nickel strings can be a favorite for slide players because of their warm tonality and deep sound. These are great for blues playing and rock n’ roll. D’Addario makes a nickel bronze set (click to see on Amazon) that work well for this type of playing.
Some players prefer the brighter sound that 80/20 strings like Elixir’s 80/20 Bronze (available on Amazon) can make, especially if they’re playing primarily country, bluegrass, or traditional styles of music.
Phosphor bronze strings such as Elixir’s Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb strings (click to view on Amazon) have a nice balance of warmth and presence, and can be great to use for acoustic slide guitar.
No matter what type of string material you use, always consider the gauge and size of the strings in regard to sound, ease of play, and functionality.
What Gauge String To Use for Acoustic Slide Guitar
Often, heavier gauge strings will have a more robust and thick tone that can be great for acoustic slide guitar. However, these will be harder to fret with your fingers and thus it may be better to use them if you plan on using the slide the majority of the time.
Keep in mind that if you use a set of different gauged strings than your acoustic guitar was designed to use, it may not fit properly in the nut and bridge of the guitar.
Although a slight change in gauge will probably work fine with your guitar’s nut and bridge, it may need to be professionally setup to accommodate this change. Also, heavier strings will put more tension on the guitar and this also needs to be taken into account when professionally setting up the guitar for playing.
If you use too light of a gauge, you’ll lose a good bit of your tone and it may be hard to sustain notes with the slide as you play. Sets of strings that are labelled extra light, or custom light, will usually be too light in this manner. However, some players may prefer them because it’s easier to fret notes with their fingers while playing.
Usually, most acoustic guitars use light gauge strings (regular light gauge, not extra light) for standard guitar playing. These will often have enough weight to them to give you a nice tone for slide guitar, and will also be heavy enough to support your technique. They’ll also allow you to still comfortably fret notes with your fingers.
Light/medium strings are also an option, and these can have a nice tonal balance for using a slide, and for fretting notes with your fingers.
Here are some good options of different gauged strings for acoustic slide guitar…
- Extra Light: Elixir’s 80/20 Bronze Nanoweb (available on Amazon)
- Light: Elixir’s Phosphor Bronze Nanoweb (available on Amazon)
- Light/Medium: Martin’s MA545 Authentic Phosphor Bronze (available on Amazon)
- Medium: Elixir’s Phosphor Bronze Medium .013-.056 Strings (available on Amazon)
Acoustic Slide Guitar Tuning
One of the most fundamental aspects of playing acoustic slide guitar, the tuning you choose to use will greatly affect your approach to playing. Many slide guitarists have used open tunings traditionally, which are great for creating chords and for open string playing.
Common open tunings include Open E, Open G, Open D, and Open A. These will likely require you to learn new positions and chord shapes on the fretboard, which takes time and memorization.
However, this can pay off because the open tunings have a lot to offer musically for acoustic slide guitar. Also, you’ll still have the knowledge of standard tuning from your regular guitar playing.
The open E tuning most closely resembles regular guitar’s standard tuning, and share the same string pitches on the 6th, 2nd, and 1st strings.
It can sometimes be easier to use standard guitar tuning for slide guitar, as you’ll likely have previous knowledge of the tuning from playing regular acoustic guitar without a slide. Also, there will less likely be a need for you to have to get your guitar professionally setup for playing.
Keep in mind that the open tunings can be rewarding to learn for slide guitar, even if they’re not as easy to use at first.
Acoustic Slide Guitar Standard Tuning
If you decide to play in standard tuning, you’ll notice that there are many options for playing single string riffs, licks, scales, and melodies. However, you may be more limited in creating fuller sounding chords, which can be hard to find on this tuning since the slide usually needs to be straight across the fretboard.
To create a fuller sounding chord in this tuning, you can use your fingers to fret some notes, and then use the slide to play others. This technique is challenging, but can be rewarding if you choose to play standard tuning. It will also give you more versatility in your playing, and a lot of this technique depends on what finger your slide is on.
As mentioned earlier, the best part about using standard tuning for acoustic slide guitar is that you’ll likely have previous knowledge of the tuning.
Best Tuning for Acoustic Slide Guitar
Finding the best tuning for your playing will ultimately come down to your preference, style of playing, the song, and how your guitar is set up. Each tuning has its pros and cons, and experimenting with the various open tunings is a great way to expand your musical skills and knowledge.
Open E has been used by famous slide guitarists such as Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, and many others, who often use(d) this tuning on electric guitar. The tuning works just as well with acoustic if the guitar is setup accordingly.
Traditional bottleneck blues players often used Open G, Open E, Open D, and Open A tunings, and many of the traditional bottleneck songs work well with these tunings. With most of the open tunings you can create nice, full sounding major chords and use the lower strings to create a steady bass line.
If you’re looking to jump right into slide playing, without having to learn a new tuning, then using the standard tuning on your guitar is probably the best way to begin playing. You can always experiment with the other tunings as you continue to develop your playing technique.
What Type of Slide To Use
Many players commonly use a metal slide on acoustic guitar because of its durability and sound. A metal slide is usually stronger or heavier than glass slides, and provide plenty of sustain for holding out notes that you play.
It is important to realize that acoustic guitars usually require you to apply more force on the slide against the strings, which is important for making notes sound good from a technique standpoint. The heavier weight of many metal slides will allow you to use them effectively for acoustic slide guitar.
Also, because they’re made of metal you can put more force on them with your finger (without worrying about them breaking or cracking like a glass slide can). Check out this guide to slides, which can be helpful for choosing a slide to use for your instrument.
How To Play Acoustic Slide Guitar
Playing acoustic slide guitar is very similar to playing slide on any guitar, including electric guitars. The playing techniques will be very similar, however the main difference is the size and physical properties of acoustic guitars.
Learning slide guitar technique will be the most important part of using a slide with acoustic guitar. By taking a closer look at how to use the slide on the strings, as well as how to pick notes with your right hand while muting certain strings, you can begin building a strong foundation for your slide playing.
Beginner Acoustic Slide Guitar
You’ll want to begin by finding a slide that fits well on the finger you’d like to use, and one that is also the material you’d like to use. As mentioned earlier, metal slides work well for acoustic guitar because of their tonality and ability to sustain and project notes.
Next, determine if you’re going to pick notes with your fingers, use finger and thumb picks, or a regular guitar pick. It is common practice to play slide guitar without any picks, using instead the bare fingers to pick strings, as well as the palm and other fingers to mute them.
Perhaps the most important and challenging technique involved with playing acoustic slide guitar is being sure to mute any strings with your picking hand that aren’t being played. With slide guitar, when the slide is moved along the strings, unwanted sounds can be produced if you don’t mute (or “block”) any strings that aren’t being played.
This takes some getting used to if you’re accustomed to using a pick on guitar, however the technique can be easier than it seems with patience and practice. When you’re able to properly block strings with your right hand, you’ll be able to get a nice clean sound out of each note you play if you’re using the slide correctly with your other hand.
By placing the slide on the strings, with a correct amount of pressure, you’ll be able to sustain notes and use vibrato. You’ll also have the ability to slide in and out of notes, creating the sound that acoustic slide guitar is known for.
When using a slide, you’ll usually place it directly over frets that you’d like to play, instead of in between frets like you do when playing regular guitar. Also, it is important to remember that the strings and the slide usually should never touch the fretboard. The slide itself will act as a way of sustaining notes, instead of your fingers.
Keep in mind that you need to rest some of your left hand’s fingers on the strings behind the slide as you play (between the slide and the key head of the guitar). This mutes the strings behind the slide, which is important for eliminating unwanted overtones and harmonics.
As you play, try to develop a habit of keeping the slide straight and parallel to the frets which will help ensure more accurate intonation. It can be beneficial to practice with music drones to help develop your ear and intonation for acoustic slide guitar.
One of the most fun and interesting parts of playing slide on acoustic guitar is the ability to use vibrato. This is one of the most expressive characteristics of the slide sound, and combined with the actual sliding of notes, it can evoke a lot of musicality.
Acoustic Slide Guitar Licks
A great way to develop your acoustic slide guitar playing is to learn some licks and riffs from some of your favorite players, songs, and recordings. These are great ways to learn how to phrase and articulate notes with the slide, and can also show you areas of the fretboard that are helpful to use with your tuning.
Many slide guitar licks and solos make use of the higher pitched strings on the acoustic guitar, which project well dynamically and sound more melodic. Realizing that many slide guitar licks utilize a position on the fretboard, or movement along a single string, can make learning easier and more efficient.
As you learn more licks, try to add variations to them so that you have more musical options for your acoustic slide guitar playing. The slide guitar is so unique in its ability to articulate notes in a variety of ways, and you can utilize this aspect of it to build a musical palette that is characteristic to your own voice on the instrument.
Acoustic Slide Guitar Lessons
Although not every professional guitarist or teacher can play slide guitar, many of them have learned the basics of technique and can help you build a foundation for your slide playing. Ask your local guitar teacher if they can help you begin learning the techniques and sounds involved, which can be a great way to get instant feedback on your playing.
Also, watching videos of your favorite players on YouTube can be an insightful way to develop your technique. Look closely at how they hold the slide, their muting technique, and their tone.
Even more importantly, try to understand how they phrase and build solos and/or riffs within the song. Listen for when they play in the song, how they interact with the main vocals, and when they add riffs or solos.
This can be a great way to gain a deeper understanding of the sonic spaces that can be utilized (or not, to give the song and instruments more breathing room) within a song.
Acoustic Slide Guitar Songs
Learning specific songs can be a great way to develop your acoustic slide playing. After all, most music takes the form of songs and they can be a good vehicle for expression with the slide.
Taking a look at traditional acoustic slide guitar songs is helpful, and it can also be beneficial to learn songs that your favorite players play on. Furthermore, if you play in a band or with other musicians, try to find ways to incorporate acoustic slide guitar into the songs.
Try to be creative and tasteful with your slide playing, which can add a lot to any song. After all, most musicians and listeners are excited to hear any slide playing because of how uncommon it is in most forms of music.
Easy Acoustic Slide Guitar Songs
Some of the easiest slide guitar songs to play include “Amazing Grace”, “Statesboro Blues”, and “The Sky Is Crying”.
Although these may not be easy to play from a beginner’s technique standpoint, they have become a staple in many slide guitarist’s repertoire. This makes it easier to learn them because of available tabs, recordings, and videos that display how slide is used within the song.
“Amazing Grace” is a great song to play on acoustic slide guitar, and it’s much easier to learn because you likely already have the melody memorized from hearing the song throughout your life. You can create your own arrangement of it, or use sheet music and tabs to learn how it can be played on guitar (and then translate it to slide).
This can be one of the easiest ways to learn acoustic slide guitar songs: take a song you already know on regular guitar and see if you can find a way to play it using a slide.
Also, most blues songs follow a simple chord progression and these can be great to play slide guitar on. Any blues or rock song that uses only a few chords can be easier to play on acoustic slide guitar because of the improvisational nature of the blues, and the gritty and exciting sound that the slide can make.
Acoustic Blues Slide Guitar
Playing the blues on acoustic slide guitar is one of the most traditional ways of playing slide guitar. The vocal-like qualities of the slide are great for expressing feeling and emotion, which are both important elements of blues music.
The history of slide guitar is intriguing, and most of it originated in early blues music of the 1900s. Delta blues slide guitar, which is often synonymous with bottleneck traditions of slide guitar, developed in large part because of the slide’s interesting timbre when used on the strings.
Also, the slide’s ability to project notes loudly and dynamically on an acoustic guitar (without an amplifier) contributed greatly to the slide’s growth in popularity among early blues musicians.
Acoustic Delta Blues Slide Guitar
As players began to learn that the slide could produce melodic sounds, without requiring a player to extensively learn how to finger notes with their left hand, early Delta blues guitarists saw it as a musical opportunity.
Not only was the sound exciting and one of a kind, but it was so expressive and enjoyable to hear. In the very early days of acoustic slide guitar, many players would use pocketknives and other household items as slides.
They soon realized that using the neck of a glass bottle would work well, if it was separated from the body of the bottle. Also, some players would use sections of metal tubing (or piping) similar to metal guitar slides that are used today.
Acoustic Slide Guitar Players
Although it may seem as though the most well-known slide guitar players only play electric slide guitar, most of them are just as adept at playing acoustic slide guitar. Famous players such as Duane Allman and Derek Trucks have created some great slide music using an acoustic guitar, and some of their recordings display it in an innovative and creative way.
Delta Blues Players
As hinted at earlier, many of the slide guitar players from early blues music used an acoustic guitar when they played. So much of today’s slide guitar playing, on any instrument, is influenced by these players.
After listening and studying some of these player’s techniques, you’ll notice that many of them were great at performing solo on acoustic slide guitar. They’d combine vocal, rhythmic, and melodic elements by using the slide to accentuate notes.
Also, they’d often create a call and response effect between their vocals and their slide riffs, which would create a lot of texture and fullness in their sound. Many of them would play a steady bass line on the lower pitched strings with their thumb, and use the slide on the higher strings to add melodic variations.
Best Acoustic Slide Guitar Players
Many of the best acoustic slide guitar players are definitely worth listening to. Their playing can be influential to developing your own voice on the instrument, and there are some great recordings of many of them that you can hear and learn from.
Here are some noteworthy acoustic slide guitar players that have been influential to many other players…
- Robert Johnson
- Duane Allman
- Blind Willie Johnson
- Derek Trucks
- Tampa Red
- Charley Patton
A quick listen to these players will reveal just how much feeling and emotion they were able to create in their music by using a slide on the acoustic guitar. As you continue to play acoustic slide guitar, remember that there are still a lot of musical opportunities and styles to explore with a slide.
Since most guitar players don’t use a slide much, playing acoustic slide guitar is a great way to pave new musical paths and catch listeners’ attention.
Check out the page below for a look at influential slide guitar albums…
7 Slide Guitar Classics (That Changed Rock and Roll FOREVER)