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Originally Posted by Kirk
I don't take much notice of muting behind the slide, I don't often hear anything too ugly coming from back there, but I know other players do. I don't know why I don't have that problem of unwanted harmonics ringing out. I just checked then and I can keep all fingers off the strings and still get no real problems. |
Hey Kirk
I'm sure as an instructor you'd be the first one to say that when it comes to good slide tone, its mostly about touch, and experience.
I suspect that many people pick up a slide, try to run a few riffs, sound like crap, and they put it back down and give up. I know I suffered through that cycle many times. Until I finally learned how to dampen and palm mute.
I have no doubt there are many veteran slide players that sound great with a thin slide, light gauge strings, low action and not much damping behind the slide. There are also great players that wear a slide on whatever finger they prefer. I'm a firm believer in 'whatever works for you is fine'...
But it seems that conventional wisdom in the 'slide guitar instruction community' recommends that beginning and intermediate players will make better progress with a fair amount of damping behind the slide and palm muting with the picking hand.
I hate to seem to contradict you. I think you are a great player, and I think your
Plane Talk teaching system is a revelation and a useful innovation for the guitar community.
I'm just wary of the fact that novice slide players may look to your example and not work on damping behind the slide, get frustrated, and quit.
IMO, its probably better to start off learning to dampen behind the slide, and then you can certainly abandon the technique later if you find that you sound good without it.
By the way, I'm really looking forward to your Drop D Slide Instruction Course. There really isn't enough good teaching material out there, and I know you'll do a great job.
Barry