| The Origins and Magic of Slide Guitar
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| | very expensive at the time, but there is
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| | little evidence that players ever used a
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| It's a hot sultry night on the
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| | slide on a banjo.
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| Mississippi delta. The full moon casts
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| | Some musicologists suggest that Hawaiian
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| it's translucent light on the fields and
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| | music was the greatest influence in
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| swamp oak trees. The lingering smell of
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| | popularizing slide guitar. This was about
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| barbecue and wisteria mix with
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| | the time (early thirties) when steel
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| honeysuckle and tobacco smoke. Folks are
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| | bodied guitars were becoming available.
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| sitting on the front porch trying to beat
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| | This music was played in "slack-key" or
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| the heat. Someone picks up an old guitar
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| | an open tuning as it is called today. The
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| and begins to play a familiar tune.
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| | guitar is tuned to an "open" or major
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| The sound is unmistakable, cutting right
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| | chord, such as a Gmajor or Dmajor. There
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| to your heart, and emotions. It's
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| | are many variations in these tunings, but
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| distinctive voice, almost human-like,
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| | most tunes are played in one of the three
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| hangs in the night air like a soulful
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| | main open tunings.
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| cry. That is the signature sound of the
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| | Hawaiian music was very influential in
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| slide guitar.
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| | spreading the slide guitar craze
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| Where did this style get its start? The
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| | throughout the country. This gave rise to
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| prevailing wisdom attributes its birth to
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| | a great demand for slide style guitars
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| the old single string instrument called
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| | from manufacturers. The Hawaiian lap
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| the jitterbug, used by black musicians
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| | steel guitars were more popular than
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| around the turn of the 20th century. This
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| | standard guitars all through the 1930's.
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| instrument was simply a length of thin
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| | All of the major manufacturers had
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| wire stretched between two nails on a
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| | offerings: Gibson; National; Dopera
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| post and played using an old bone or
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| | Brothers; (Dobro) Regal, just to mention
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| heavy nail. Some used a bottle or other
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| | a few. Hawaiian slide guitar was
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| smooth objects as well. One could play a
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| | incorporated into every style of music
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| lead line or improvise an accompaniment
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| | from Jazz to Mountain Music. This has
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| to folk, blues, and spiritual songs. The
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| | continued on to the present. The list of
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| jitterbug was essentially one of the
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| | today's accomplished slide players is
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| first blues instruments.
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| | large and ever growing.
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| There are ancient African instruments
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| | The adaptation of slide guitar techniques
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| much like the jitterbug but using a gourd
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| | by early blues musicians is, perhaps, the
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| resonator with the single string. It,
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| | ultimate marriage and is instantly
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| also, was played with a bone sliding up
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| | recognizable. Some of the great masters
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| and down a neck to change pitches.
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| | of the past include: Son House; Tampa
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| As guitars became more available, a lot
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| | Red; Robert Johnson; and Muddy Waters, to
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| of the early blues and folk players
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| | name a few. These magical and soul filled
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| adopted them. These guitars had terrible
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| | sounds have captivated musicians and
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| action and strings were scarce. Using a
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| | listeners alike.
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| slide allowed playing on some really
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| | The voice like quality of a glass
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| horrible guitars yet produced a very
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| | bottleneck or brass pipe sliding up and
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| appealing sound. Using a glass or metal
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| | down a guitar string has a created
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| slide would also save the fingers!
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| | musical tradition worthy of it longevity.
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| Guitars were very popular in the early
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| | It resonates with our emotions and has
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| part of the 20th century. Frequently,
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| | found a permanent home in our hearts. God
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| rural musicians got inexpensive guitars
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| | bless those who aspire to the sound of
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| from a mail order catalogs. Banjos were
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| | the slide guitar.
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