Slide Guitar For Beginners
Open Tuning - Part 5

Lesson Sample

Teacher: This lesson uses the open C tuning:

open C tuning


Teacher: From standard tuning, re-tune the 6th string down two whole steps to C,
5th string down a whole step to G,
4th string down a whole step to C,
leave the 3rd string where it is (G),
tune the 2nd string UP a half step to C,
leave the 1st string alone (E). You can use the tab file's embedded audio playback to match up your strings by ear against mine.

Roy: Lyle, will the 6th string sound real low?

Teacher: Yes Roy, the 6th string is lower in pitch by two whole steps, from E to C.

Teacher: Playing the blues with a slide is so much fun in open tunings and you generaly only need 3 chords, the 1 - 4 - 5 chords of the key. In the key of C you need C, F, and G:

Chords in Open C tuning


Teacher: If you're tuned up correctly, your guitar should be in tune with mine. Play back the chords in the tab file to check your tuning with me. All 6 strings can be played straight across the neck with the slide to create the chords. Remember that the slide goes on TOP of the fret wire, not between them.

Teacher: Just for fun I wrote an intro to the Lesson Sample. It didn't use the slide until the very last note of the riff.

Teacher: You'll use your 2nd finger for this little riff:

intro riff


Teacher: You can loop the tab if you want. Later this riff will be used in a solo!

Teacher: That's just a simple fun riff to play in the open C tuning. Here's how the whole intro is played using your 2nd finger, then the slide for the very last note:

intro


intro

Teacher: Out of the 3 basic chords in the key of C, using the open C tuning, we can play many riffs at each chord location on the neck. The chord progression for this 12 bar blues jam in C goes like this:

chord chart


Teacher: Before I show you the first solo I'll show you the main riff that makes up the theme of the solo:

main riff


main riff

Teacher: You can loop the tab file to practice the main riff with me.

Teacher: At the end of the solo is the turnaround riff. You'll use your 2nd and 1st fingers of your left hand in the first measure of the turnaround:

turnaround riff


turnaround riff

Teacher: Any questions so far?

Rob: I use my slide on my fourth finger. Can I use first, second and third in the turnaround riff?

Teacher: Sure Rob.

Mathew: Is there a rule of thumb as to where a slide should go?

Teacher: Most of the time the 3rd or 4th finger is used for wearing the slide.

slides on fingers

Teacher: Now that you have learned the main riff and the last riff called the turnaround, here's the first complete solo:

solo 1

solo 1


Teacher: Notice when the chords change to F and G the solo riffs move to those chord positions on the neck. This makes it easy and fun to play blues in open tunings.

Teacher: Here's a jam track you can use to play along with:

Looping Jam Track - solo 1

Teacher: The second solo has many riffs and brakes away from the main riff/theme of solo 1, but still following the chords for the riff locations:

solo 2


Teacher: Here's a jam track for solo 2, it's the same progression but in the back ground is solo 2:

Looping Jam Track - solo 2

Teacher: Remember the intro riff at the beginning of the lesson? Here's a way you can play it into the 12 bar jam during the C chords:

solo 3


Looping Jam Track in C

Teacher: That should give you all a bunch of cool riffs to work on!

Teacher: That's all for this lesson. Thank you very much for purchasing this product, I had a lot of fun making it! - Lyle

Lyle@theguitar.net