How to play slide guitar like the world's greatest players

Figure 3. Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder in 2017. Note the slide on the pinkie, freeing him up to incorporate fretted chords in his playing.

Ry Cooder in 2017. Note the slide on the pinkie, freeing him up to incorporate fretted chords in his playing. (Image credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images)

A true legend of slide guitar and the man credited with turning Keith Richards on to open G tuning, Cooder himself plays in many different tunings. 

He has been known to use drop-D, open D, open G and open E. When playing electric, Ry uses a glass slide, worn on his 4th finger. Dark and evocative Cajun-flavored vibes are the order of the day here. 

For best tonal results, use a deep tremolo effect, timed to eighth-note triplets relative to the tempo. We’ve included a fretted chord section here to illustrate how Cooder effortlessly switches between fingers and slide; you’ll need to wear the slide on your 4th finger to pull this off. 

If you find this awkward, you could momentarily remove the slide, as there’s ample time to quickly redeploy it before the closing phrase.

(Image credit: Future)

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Jimmy Brown

Over the past 30 years, Jimmy Brown has built a reputation as one of the world's finest music educators, through his work as a transcriber and Senior Music Editor for Guitar World magazine and Lessons Editor for its sister publication, Guitar Player. In addition to these roles, Jimmy is also a busy working musician, performing regularly in the greater New York City area. Jimmy earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and Performance and Music Management from William Paterson University in 1989. He is also an experienced private guitar teacher and an accomplished writer.