Slide Technique, Part 1: Getting Started

This lesson is part of the course Beginning Dobro with Mike Witcher.

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Learn the basics of the lap-style resophonic slide guitar, with essential tips on right- and left-hand technique as well as arrangements of classic tunes and songs.

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Amazing Grace

In this lesson, you'll learn the popular gospel classic "Amazing Grace." The melody can be played almost entirely on the first string of the dobro, and besides being a great melody, makes a great exercise for practicing your intonation on the first string. It's also a great way to start developing the natural "singing" quality of the dobro in your playing. The best way to do that is to work on playing on one string at a time, which this arrangement does, of course. Once you've learned the melody see if you can play the melody on the first string cleanly without lifting the bar. Mike also talks about using a shallow vibrato on certain notes, adding texture to the note without really changing the pitch very much.

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SLIDE TECHNIQUE

Slide Technique, Part 1: Getting Started

Slide Technique, Part 2: Battle of the Buzz

Slide Technique, Part 3: Arpeggios and Muting

Slide Technique, Part 4: Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

Slide Technique, Part 1: Getting Started

In this lesson, Mike gets you started with the bar (also called the slide or steel), with tips on holding the bar, how much pressure to put on the strings, and muting the strings behind the bar. He shows you, for example, how he uses his ring finger to feel the string and make sure the bar is in the proper position and how to determine the correct angle to tip the bar in order to cleanly play single notes.

Previous Lesson

← Picking-Hand Technique, Part 4: Alternating Picking

Next Lesson

Slide Technique, Part 2: Battle of the Buzz →

Previous Lesson

← Picking-Hand Technique, Part 4: Alternating Picking

Next Lesson

Slide Technique, Part 2: Battle of the Buzz →

Previous Lesson

← Picking-Hand Technique, Part 4: Alternating Picking

Next Lesson

Slide Technique, Part 2: Battle of the Buzz →