[MarkSaurs]

I have been watching and reading what is available on site regarding slide guitar. Kirk and many seem to feel that the pinky is the best place to wear the slide.

I have tried. Lord knows, I have really tried. I just cannot get comfortable with the darn thing on my smallest finger.

I have experimented (over years and years) with all of the others (except for my thumb of course). I have found that for me the most comfortable finger to wear it on is the middle.

Is this heresy? Will it impact the tablature? Am I making this too hard?

I have purchased the DVD on slide and perhaps all of this will be answered when I review that material. I am; however, impatient by nature and am trying to jump ahead as quickly as I can.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[allthumbs]

The middle finger can be a problem if your planing to pick the notes as well as slide. On the other hand if your going to play pure slide then it doesn't matter what finger it is on. You can even play it lap style just holding the slide in your hand.
What exactly is the problem with wearing a slide on the pinky. Maybe we can help.

[MarkSaurs]

Thanks for chiming in. I appreciate the offer.

The slide feels like it is falliing off when I put it on my little finger. I have tried thinner slides (in diameter not material) and they end up being too long or too thin.

I use a Coricedon bottle and really like the tone it produces. It seems to want to be on the middle finger. It fits and it shapes better in terms of my eye spotting it directly over the fret.

I know that is probably just me, but you know what they say,...90% of the game is 100% mental.

[tina_]

I understand what your saying. I got stuck on this too. I was a crazed woman for a while - looking for the perfect slide for my little finger - but rubbish at playing it (a bit embarrassing in one or 2 guitar shops!).

You could use the one you have how its comfortable and keep a lookout for one that might be good on another finger? You might find you can do everything you need with your middle finger!

[MarkSaurs]

With the slide on my middle finger i can play major chordlets (I and V notes) which seems to suit blues or rock 'n' roll fairly well. When I put the slide on my little finger it seems to want to clink whenever I involve my ring finger.

Thanks for your input. Your suggestion is a good one.

[knight46]

Mark,
I think what you will find is that it is best to do what is most comfortable and then try and do something different until it is comfortable. For example short barre chords and then transition into full barre. I believe that the looseness of the slide is part of the problem as well as the length. Play with the finger that is most comfortable and affords you the greatest flexibility and then when you are in a "give it a try" mode try the pinkie again.
JMVHO

[allthumbs]

You can get material to fill the hole with. Some people buy sheets of thin transparency plastic and cut it into a long strip. They roll it to the diameter they want and place in in the slide.
It really is just experience. I have a slide that is so wide I can fit my thumb into it. I have others that are a tight fit. Either one works fine but, I prefer the tight fitting one just because it is the heaviest slide I have.
Just keep your third finger pressed against the outside of the slide when your wearing it on your baby finger. Gives you all the control you need.

[MarkSaurs]

Thanks for all the great ideas.

The idea of filling the hole with something is worth a try. Blinding Flash of the Obvious (BFO). Wonder why it never occurred to me to try that. Can't wait to get home and experiment with that.

[MarkSaurs]

Wow! Got home and stuffed a (unused) tissue in the Coricedon bottle and guess what? Control is no longer a problem and it doesnt feel like it is constantly trying to fall off my finger. Something more permanent will have to be employed but simply trying this has changed things dramatically.

Sometimes its the simplest solutions that elude me! Thanks for the support and the feedback.

[6string]

The thumb might not be a bad idea, I wonder if anybody does it that way?

[allthumbs]

I remember one carbon graphite slide I bought actually came with a strip of plastic for adjusting the finger size. BTW, the carbon slide was terrible