How do I slide up or down to notes?
Sliding is an important technique in both rhythm guitar and lead guitar playing. It involves sliding on one string from a lower fret to a higher target note, or from a higher fret to a lower target note. Sliding requires a lot of accuracy to successfully pull off, but with practice it can be pretty easy to get down. Start off focusing on building the accuracy slowly, and speed up as you perfect the technique.
Musical Example:
A good example of sliding on the guitar is the iconic song “Blackbird” by The Beatles:
Featured Lesson:
To learn the basics of sliding on the guitar, here is a lesson from Tony Polecastro:
Important takeaways from the lesson are:
- What a “slide” is (0:45)
- How to keep your slides from “disappearing” with downward pressure (1:20)
- Know where you are starting and stopping (2:05)
- Lock down your thumb for better slides (2:40)
- Slide practice exercise (4:00)
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