Chords for Martin Harley: how to choose the right slide for slide guitar and lap steel

Tempo:
115.4 bpm
Chords used:

D

Dm

G

A

F

Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
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Martin Harley: how to choose the right slide for slide guitar and lap steel chords
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[Bm] [A]
[G] [D] [Bm]
[A] [F] [G]
[Eb] One [D]
thing you're going to want to decide on when you start playing slide guitar is what
kind of slide you're going to use.
Traditionally [C] [B] people use bottle mix which is more applicable for an upright style like
this but people [D] use different slides for different reasons I guess and one of your
main ones is kind of this medicine bottle and it could be worn on your finger for the
bottle neck style but yeah equally get it in your [A] hand like so [Dm] and use it to fret.
[D]
That glass has [Abm] got quite a mellow tone, it's quite nice, it doesn't have a brittle attack,
it's quite round but because it's quite light it doesn't have a huge amount of [Dm] sustain so
it's very nice.
[D]
[A] [D]
I find that when [G] I'm playing big chords and I want some sustain, that fades away quite quickly.
It works better on the top strings but it doesn't give you much [F] at the bottom end [D]
and
you're playing in a gig, you're getting sweaty, glass, round, [Ab] sort of slips out of your hand
a little bit.
But you know that's one option and what's nice about this is if you just try and slide
out for the first time and you're playing around with your 12 string [N] conversion or anything
you've raised the nut on, cheap and cheerful, it doesn't have to be a medicine bottle, it
could be a pill bottle, it could be pretty much anything made of glass.
[D] I'd say option two, certainly a cheap way of doing things is a socket.
This is a 10mm Draper socket, going to get endorsed by Draper after this, aren't I?
And it's good, it's round of course, still, [Ab] but it's quite heavy [E] and the weight adds to
the sustain of the note.
So if I play a similar sort of [Dm] thing, [D] [Dm]
so it's just [D] that
Notes are just [Dm] lasting a little bit longer, [D]
but [C] you'll notice when I go and slide up to
a [G] chord, it's got a bit more [Fm] in the bottom end.
[G] The weight of the slide is holding the strings down a bit more, just creating a longer [F] sustain.
[G] [Dm]
[D]
So yeah, [Eb] good cheap and cheerful way of playing lap steel, lap [B] slide.
Well this for me is a tool of choice, which is a Shub SP2.
It's actually quite heavy, which I can't really demonstrate to you particularly.
But it's brass, it's shaped and contoured to fit into your hand nicely.
So first finger sits [Dm] across the back, second finger here.
So it's a very comfortable, ergonomic design, as opposed to the slightly ungainly socket.
[D] Because it's heavier still, it's got even more [Dm] sustain.
[A]
[Fm] Come up to a big [G] chord
[F] [E]
[D] So you've got a lot more to play with there.
I [N] think one thing to note is, when you first start playing slide guitar, whatever you're
holding in your hand is probably going to feel slightly uncomfortable for a while.
You've probably already played guitar, you may have experimented with alternate tunings
or open tunings, and you're used to navigating a fretboard with your hands.
So as soon as you put this in it, you feel a bit disadvantaged for a while.
So don't be disheartened.
I think slide is a fantastic medium, it's a fantastic and broad and diverse instrument.
But it does take a little while to unlock the potential that it does have.
So stick at it, and practice is the key to all of these things I guess.
But that's the primary difference between these.
Another cheap option is go to B&Q and get a bit of closed rail.
Anything that's chrome, shiny, try stuff out.
I'm all up for making things as cheap as possible.
If you can get yourself up and running on an old guitar and get some good sounds,
and it's not costing you a lot of money, that's
Key:  
D
1321
Dm
2311
G
2131
A
1231
F
134211111
D
1321
Dm
2311
G
2131
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ _
[G] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ [F] _ [G] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Eb] One [D] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ thing you're going to want to decide on when you start playing slide guitar is what
kind of slide you're going to use.
Traditionally [C] _ [B] people use bottle mix _ _ _ which is more applicable for _ _ _ _ _ _ an upright _ style like
this but _ people [D] use different _ _ _ slides for different reasons I guess and one of your
main ones is kind of this medicine bottle and it could be worn on your finger for the
bottle neck style _ but yeah equally get it in your [A] hand like so [Dm] and _ use it to fret.
[D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ That glass has [Abm] got quite a mellow tone, it's quite nice, it doesn't have a brittle attack,
it's quite round _ but because it's quite light it doesn't have a huge amount of [Dm] sustain so
it's very nice.
_ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
I find that when [G] _ I'm playing big chords and I want some sustain, _ _ _ that fades away quite quickly.
It works better on the top strings but it doesn't give you _ much [F] at the bottom end [D] _
and
_ _ _ _ you're playing in a gig, you're getting sweaty, _ _ glass, round, [Ab] sort of slips out of your hand
a little bit.
But you know that's one option and what's nice about this is if you just try and slide
out for the first time and you're playing around with your 12 string [N] conversion or anything
you've raised the nut on, cheap and cheerful, it doesn't have to be a medicine bottle, it
could be a pill bottle, it could be pretty much anything made of glass. _
_ _ _ _ [D] I'd say option two, certainly a _ cheap way of doing things is a socket.
_ This is a 10mm Draper socket, going to get endorsed by Draper after this, aren't I? _ _
And it's good, _ it's round of course, still, [Ab] but it's quite heavy _ [E] and the weight adds to
the sustain of the note.
So if I play a similar sort of [Dm] thing, _ _ [D] _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ _ _ so it's just [D] that_
Notes are just [Dm] lasting a little bit longer, [D] _ _ _ _
but _ _ _ [C] you'll notice when I go and slide up to
a [G] chord, _ _ it's got a bit more [Fm] in the bottom end.
[G] _ The weight of the slide is holding the strings down a bit more, just creating a longer [F] sustain.
[G] _ _ _ [Dm] _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ So yeah, [Eb] good cheap and cheerful way of _ _ playing lap steel, lap [B] slide.
_ Well this for me is _ a tool of choice, which is a Shub SP2. _ _
It's actually quite heavy, which I can't really demonstrate to you _ particularly.
_ _ _ But it's brass, it's shaped and contoured to fit into your hand nicely.
So first finger sits [Dm] across the back, second finger here.
So it's a very comfortable, ergonomic design, as opposed to the slightly ungainly socket.
_ _ [D] _ Because it's heavier still, it's got even more [Dm] sustain.
_ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Fm] Come up to a big [G] chord_ _ _ _
_ _ _ [F] _ _ [E] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] _ _ So you've got a lot more to play with there.
_ _ I _ [N] think one thing to note is, when you first start playing slide guitar, whatever you're
holding in your hand is probably going to feel slightly uncomfortable for a while.
You've probably already played guitar, you may have experimented with alternate tunings
or open tunings, and you're used to navigating a fretboard with your hands.
So as soon as you put this in it, _ _ you feel a bit disadvantaged for a while.
So _ _ don't be disheartened.
I think slide is a fantastic _ _ medium, _ it's a fantastic and broad and diverse instrument.
But it does take a little while to _ unlock the potential that it does have.
So stick at it, and _ _ practice is the key to all of these things I guess.
But that's the primary difference between these.
Another _ cheap option is _ _ go to B&Q and get a bit of _ closed rail.
Anything that's chrome, shiny, try stuff out. _ _ _
I'm all up for making things as cheap as possible.
_ _ If you can get yourself up and running on an old guitar and get some good sounds,
and it's not costing you a lot of money, that's_ _ _ _ _

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