Slide Guitar: A Primer: Slide Guitar Instruction, #1

By Little Joe Bourgeois

Let's explore the world of Slide Guitar together! I'll never forget my introduction to the art of slide guitar through my Gandfather's old record collection. When I fisrt heard Robert Johnson off a scratchy 78 I was hooked! It didn't take long for me to beg my dad to take me down to the hardware store in Cherry Valley, Arkansas to get a piece of pipe! I took it home, sanded off the rough edges and slid it across the strings and from that moment on, I was hooked. In this text I want to share the knowledge that I've built through the last forty years of playing with yoiu so that you can keep this art form alive! Have fun and pass it on!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little Joe Bourgeois
• Release date: May 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224335985

Little Joe Bourgeois

"Little" Joe Bourgeois is a singer and performer of country blues who was born in Massachusetts but raised in Arkansas about 70 miles northwest of Memphis. In his new home Ridgeway, West Virginia, and throughout the country, he delivers his music in a rough-hewn style that is authentic, emotional, and thrilling. As a child of a musical family, he was heavily influenced by the music he heard at church and family gatherings. Hymns, southern gospel, country & western, old time and bluegrass were the sounds of his youth. Soon after beginning his musical journey on the guitar, he was introduced to blues through his parents' Christmas presents of "The Best of B.B. King" and "The Country Blues Songbook". From there he learned blues techniques from older, experienced Delta blues players. His main musical influences are B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Doc Watson, Joe Pass, Mississippi John Hurt, Jimi Hendrix and Danny Gatton, but his style is undeniably his own. A dedicated blues fan with 35 years of playing experience, he pays tribute to the music that nurtured his musical talents by sharing it with others through performances, storytelling and instruction.

Book preview

Prelude

Slide Guitar has been a passion of mine for almost 40 years now. From the first time I heard Robert Johnson slide a piece of pipe across the strings I knew slide guitar was my destiny. That’s what got me started! After some begging and bugging Dad finally took me to the the hardware store in Cherry Valley, Arkansas to get that piece of pipe and shut my mouth. I’ll never forget the clerk smiling and saying, give me that finger and then selecting the right size pipe to cut. After that I took it home, sanded down the edges, and started playing. I was hooked! It is my sincere hope that after reading this book you’ll be hooked as well. This book is a starting point for you on a journey that can take you to many different musical places and forms! You can play just about any kind of music with the techniques outlined in this book so buckle up for the ride and have fun!

Different Tunings

The best place to start is an exploration of different ways to tune a guitar for slide playing. In this book we will cover four different tunings.

Standard Tuning:

E A D G B E

This is the old standard tuning that we all know from when we first