Category Archives for "PR: Slide"

If you’ve been following the Open G tuning series, you’ve already tuned up, found your I–IV–V chords, and explored a few slide basics.

In this third and final lesson, we dive into how to turn that foundation into music—with simple riffs, expressive single-note lines, and even a boogie-woogie shuffle pattern that fuses rhythm and lead.

Working primarily on the 2nd and 3rd strings, you’ll learn how to:
• Build riffs right from your chord shapes
• Target the major third to bring out the flavor of each chord
• Slide smoothly and stay on pitch
• Develop picking precision and rhythmic variety
• Combine boogie-style fretting with slide licks

Colin also explains why finger choice matters, how to keep your tone clean, and how to mix slide with traditional fretted parts for more dynamic playing.

Why Slide Guitar in Open G Tuning Is So Rewarding

Once you get the hang of it, open G slide guitar opens the door to a whole new sound — rich with sustain, expression, and character you just can’t get from standard fretting alone.

Here’s what you’ll gain by learning this style:

🎸 Greater Expressiveness – Learn to bend, glide, and sing between notes in a way that brings your playing to life
🎸 Instant Chord Voicings – Play full-sounding chords with just one finger or a single bar
🎸 Creative Riffs at Your Fingertips – Build melodic lines directly from your chord shapes using major thirds and open positions
🎸 Better Feel and Groove – Develop your picking control and rhythmic instincts using classic blues patterns
🎸 Confidence with Tuning and Technique – Know exactly where your notes are, how to dial in your tone, and how to avoid the common pitfalls most beginners struggle with

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you’re enjoying this series and want to dive into more techniques, licks, and practical slide workouts — we’ve got a full course that walks you through everything.

👉 Check Out the Full Slide Guitar Course Here:

In this follow-up to our first Open G tuning lesson, we dive deeper into what you can actually do once you’re tuned up and ready to go.

In this video, we’ll explore:
• How to understand and use the 1–4–5 progression (G, C, D)
• Why this combo is so important across blues, rock, and country
• Playing the chords fretted or with a slide – your choice
• Tips for adding muting and distortion for better tone and control
• How to make your playing more expressive with alternate bass strumming

If you’re still new to the Nashville Number System or unsure how to play rhythm and lead in Open G, this lesson will open some important doors. And it might just make your slide guitar playing sound a whole lot cooler, too.

This is just one of three free lessons introducing slide guitar in Open G. If you’re ready to take your skills further, check out the full Essentials of Slide Guitar course — a complete training series designed to walk you through everything from tuning and setup to riffs, rhythm, and slide solos.

👉 Grab the full course here:

If you’ve ever been curious about Open G tuning—or how slide guitar works in it—this is a great place to begin.

In this video, Colin Daniel walks through exactly how to get your guitar tuned to Open G (D G D G B D), explains why this tuning is so effective for slide playing, and shows you the basic chord shapes you’ll use most often.

We’ll also look at finger choice for the slide (and why Colin prefers his “bad boy” finger), talk about muting techniques to clean up your tone, and demonstrate a few expressive ways to start moving between chords using the slide.

This is a hands-on lesson, so grab your guitar, get tuned up, and follow along.

In this video, you’ll learn:
• How to tune to Open G Major
• Why this tuning is ideal for slide guitar
• The I–IV–V chord positions in Open G (G, C, and D)
• Basic muting and tone control techniques
• How to combine slide lines with fretted intervals
• And how to start playing simple musical ideas with great feel

Want to go deeper with slide guitar?
This video is just the beginning.

If you’re ready to take your playing further, check out the full course:

In this lesson, we’ll walk you through Open D Major tuning (D–A–D–F#–A–D), one of the easiest and most powerful ways to get started with slide guitar.

It only takes a few quick adjustments from standard tuning — and the result is a full D major chord when you strum all six strings open. That means you can start making music with your slide almost immediately.

We’ll also learn how to find your I–IV–V chords in this tuning (D, G, and A) and give you tips for finding the sweet spot on the fret when using your slide.

Want to take the next step?

The Essentials of Slide Guitar course shows you how to:

✅ Choose the right slide and get set up properly
✅ Play riffs that follow the chords (not just noodling)
✅ Seamlessly blend rhythm and lead playing
✅ Sound confident, expressive, and musical — even as a beginner

Whether you’re brand new to slide or just looking for a better way in, this course will show you how to sound great with just one move.

Want to sound good on slide — without learning a bunch of theory first?

In this lesson, Colin Daniel walks you through a simple way to follow the chords and build musical-sounding slide riffs right away. It’s all based on just a few shapes that work great in open E tuning — no note memorization required.

If you’re comfortable with a 12-bar blues progression, you’re more than ready to try this.

Slide guitar can feel like a mystery when you’re first getting started — but it doesn’t have to be.

With the right tuning and a simple approach to following the chords, you can sound expressive and confident without needing to overthink it.

Like this approach? You'll love the full course:

It’s built for players who want to break into slide playing the easy way — one move at a time.

Thinking about trying slide guitar but not sure where to start?

In this quick lesson, Colin shows you a simple way to add character to your 12-bar blues using a flatted third — a classic move that gives your playing more expression without making things complicated.

Slide guitar doesn’t have to be complicated.

With the right approach, it’s actually one of the easiest ways to add feel, character, and expression to your playing — even if you’ve never tried it before.

Want to keep going?
Click below to learn slide guitar the simple, musical way.