How to Use Half Slide Techniques on an Acoustic Guitar

Even though Dobro was the name of a manufacturing company started by the Dopyera brothers, it became synonymous with steel guitars and resonating guitars, much like Kleenex did with tissues. Today the term is still used but since Gibson purchased the name in 1933, no other company could use it to name a guitar. The slide and the dobro guitar are natural partners and one of the techniques is the half slide on the dobro.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dobro guitar
• Slide
• Pick (optional)

1. Practice a slide. The slide commonly used is metallic. Because of the weight of the slide, you don't need much pressure. Just make certain it's on the fret wire.

2. Pick with your fingers or use a pick when you practice the half slide on the dobro. Choose a picking style that uses all the strings.

3. Place the slide on the strings. Begin to pick your pattern. Uncover one string and listen to how it changes the sound of the picking. This is a half slide on the Dobro.

4. Lift the slide to uncover two strings and hear the sound change even more. Continue uncovering more strings and listen to the effect of the movement. Adjusting the slide so it only covers particular strings is the half slide technique and it makes a wonderful resonating sound on the dobro.

5. Change the time that you add the slide. Begin without a slide and put one in, lift the slide off one string or two and then lift it off the guitar while you pick.

6. Begin picking and then put the slide on the fret wire and slide it backward to create a new sound. All these techniques involve part of the slide; hence, the term half slide on the dobro.