Bought a strat

[cofi]

I like the moonshine, i like the tone I'm getting with it, but they are a bit tight on the finger, but the shop only had medium size in, i can work with it, but it not the same size as the glass one I've got, it quite a bit smaller,
The copper pipe I've not used for a long long time, from memory, it was a bit duller than the chromed one, but i used it with a Telecaster, with an old P90 pick up at the neck, i wish i still had that guitar, great tone, easy to play, and i was using a Vox AC30, here's a pic ;D


that's from the late 70s,

And the Strat, um, i just haven't had time to play it that much, when I'm gona do something on the guitar, i just grab the Gibson's, but I'll get around to playing it a bit more sometime soon,

[sparky]

Thanks guys, i'v been trying out what you said, i guess it's just practising and try, so i'm trying the vibrato on the one string now,
but i think i'm sounding more like a kitten now, not the cat

[whitey's world]

Sparky try using 2 strings, just like you were playin doublestop chords. Use standard tuning, which is all I ever use. Try this, George Thorogood's Bad To The Bone, relax it's easy. Play it without the slide to get the feel of the beat and then slide on brother. Use the D & G strings only, open, 3rd fret (don't slide from open to 3rd fret), slide up to 5th fret, open, 3rd fret, open. When you play the 3rd fret don't hammer the slide down too hard. When you do the 3rd to 5th fret slide, pick the 5th fret just don't slide up to it and let it ring. And repeat. 0-3-5-0-3-0. After you get that down slide up to the 12th fret and vibrato it and start over again. Listen to the song, it's cool and easy, and I ain't exactly the best teacher, but I'll get you real close. Another fairly easy one is everybody's favorite "FREEBIRD". Use the G string, start on the 7th fret, slide up to the 12th, 11th, 12th, 11th, 11th, 12th, 11th,9th, 9th, 7th, 9th, 9th and listen to the song you can figure it out. Listen close for the slides and picks. OK that'll be $25. Any other stuff you'd like to know is on the house. Everything I know about hackin at guitar is self taught. My son and his buds like the tab thing, which I find hard to read. I can read music staff easier. I play be ear, sit, listen and play it. I might not play it exactly like the "tabs" say but I sound pretty damn good for an old long haired fart.

Here's another practice thingy, play an A chord on the D-G-B strings on the 2nd fret, and slide using the 5th, 7th, 9th frets. Use any slide up and down combination you want, just use those frets to stay in the key of A. I think its easier to get the feel of 2 or 3 strings easier than tryin on 1 string. Maybe not but I do think chords sound better to get your confidence up on the slide.

[cofi]

sparky, +1 what whitey is saying, he's given some good example songs to work with ;D

the only difference for me, would be, i would get to playing a single string first, get to feel comfortable and your licks and scales, then go on to chords, but i wouldn't say my way is better, than whiteys, just difference way to do the same thing,
try both ways, it fun either way

[sparky]

Wow, thanks again guys,

I'm practising about half an hour a day on the slide, i tried the chords way, it sure sounds cool and works well for them songs you mentiond,
but I'm going to practise both ways, single string and two strings/chords, you know the way Warren and Derek Trucks play a lot of single strin slide,
and getting that vibrato action going, man that not easy, my wrist is really stiff, i just cant get it to move fast enough now my right hand, i can really shake that one,

[sparky]

I just thought I'd say, what a ball i'm having with this, freaking great (nice new smilies, cool) i'm getting right into it, Oh yeah

A big thanks to you guy's, for the tips ;D, so i'v a couple more questions for you, you know at the mo i'm playing normal tuning, what's another popular tuning thats good to use, thanks

[whitey's world]

Do a search for "open guitar tuning" . Open G would be easy for you. Use the slide as a bar for the chords. Open is G, 2nd fret A and so on just like standard tuning usin your fingers. Some of them open tunings tighten up some of your strings more than standard tuning. Increased pressure on the neck but a good guitar should handle it, just detune back to standard when your're finished. I searchd it awhile back and printed out about 7 pages of all sorts of different tunings, which I will never use. My son does all that drop tune stuff. The most important thing I can keep tellin you is don't press the slide down. Let it glide over the strings. If you're havin fun you done figured it out. By the way what slide you using?

Cofi might have to move this slide thread to a more appropriate spot so we can talk aboout his Strat here.

[sparky]

Thanks whitey, I done a search and found a few sites, i tried the open G, I got some good tunes with it and tried the open E,
Yeah, I found that out not to press too hard, it sort a deadens the sound,

Thanks for all your help

I.m using a chromed slide,

[whitey's world]

cofi, give us an update on the STRAT.

[punk]

I play "Bad To The Bone" in open G. Its easier for me to get that sound GT gets. slide on the pinky. I leave my Strat. tuned to open G.
(DGDGBD)
That way, If I feel like gettin' the lead out, I just grab the Strat.