Photo: Michael Bailey
Photo: Michael Bailey
Budding guitarists wanting to find out more about Rod's slide technique will now have the opportunity to learn direct from the man himself at one of his occasional and very special Slide Guitar Workshops. Keep checking Forthcoming Dates for these events.Read on for further details…
History: Antecedents in Africa, Asia & Europe - how come Hawaii? - spread & influence of Hawaiian guitar in early 20th century - its influence on blues & country music. Development of different styles from early blues to contemporary (with played examples)
Guitars: Development of specialised instruments (Dobro, Weissenborn). How to adapt a standard guitar for dedicated slide use
Slides: What material? Which finger? …and other perennial conundrums
Tunings: Various alternatives to standard, with emphasis on open D. Alternative chord shapes & positions. (Attendees at the Participatory Workshop will be shown how to retune and given chord sheets showing shapes in D tuning.)
Techniques: how to create notes with the slide - how to combine slide with fingered notes - how to silence unwanted strings - how to create minor chords with the slide (even in a major tuning!) - rhythm-playing and self-accompaniment with alternating bass. Pros & cons of different tunings - the importance of lateral thinking and an open-minded approach - thumb-fretting, partial capoing etc.
All the above components will be illustrated with played examples and there will be ample opportunity to ask questions.
(NOTE: Rod will be happy to talk about other aspects of his work e.g. songwriting and his earlier career, though as the occasion is first and foremost a slide guitar workshop, consideration will have to made for time and the interests of all participants.)
In addition to the above, the Participatory Workshop will include the following:
An all-in play through a simple piece (e.g. a basic 12-bar blues) to get everybody warmed up
Re-tuning to open D
Making a note, then a chord, with the slide
Developing a simple slide tune for all to play together
During the breaks, Rod will go round everybody one at a time for individual appraisal and help with any specific queries
Finally, an all-in play through a piece with a chance for everybody to shine in their own solo (not compulsory!)
Though the Participatory workshop is not intended for absolute novice guitarists, a high level of technical skill is not required. The workshop is aimed at budding and intermediate players who are interested in adding slide to their repertoire. To get the most from the workshop, attendees should be comfortable joining in with simple folk & blues tunes in the basic keys (G, D, E etc), able to keep time and to follow a 12-bar blues and other simple sequences in those keys. However, players of any ability are welcome, and all will hopefully find something to interest and inspire them.
(2) Equipment: guitars, slides, capos & picks
Participants should bring their own guitars - acoustic only please! (Electric slide techniques will be touched on, but electric guitars and amplifiers can't be accommodated in the workshop for practical reasons.) Instrument quality is not important. Players who normally prefer a lighter string gauge may find it helpful to fit slightly heavier strings (e.g. if your usual string set has .010" as the first string, change to an .011" set; if .011", try .012"). The workshop will include advice about adapting & setting up guitars for regular slide playing. Slides should be metal or glass, preferably heavy, and long enough to cover all the strings at once. (Players should bring their own slides but Rod will have a couple of his own spare just in case.) Capos should be of the open-ended type (e.g. Kayser or Shubb) to allow partial capoing (this technique will be explained). No particular style or type of pick (plectrum) is required other than the player's own preference (and bare fingers are fine too!)
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