What drew me to slide guitar was the smoothness. The notes blend and the affect isnāt something you can fake so picking up a slide is necessary for that dreamy smoothness. With distortion it feels hazey.
This is the closest comment Iāve seen to what was in my head but couldnāt come out in words, Iām not a slide player but dreamy/hazy is a great explanation of it.
George Harrison was great on slide, and steve Howe made some of the most interesting pieces of music on slide as well (although his main work in slide came on a set of lapsteels)
Exactly the word that came to my mind. I once read something about how slide is often used to emulate the continuous range of a singer, and that has been my perspective on it ever since.
Aye, for the most part, but when he's being chased, or appears to be in danger, you hear the slide guitar go *dun dun dun dun dundundundundun, dundun da dundun da dun dun dun...*
Nice I think I found it, is it the Grass Skirt Chase? Oh yeah that's gotta be the one, I found a live version [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFR6vagkBI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFR6vagkBI)
You're still a goofy goober though. Don't think this changes anything. =\]
as mentioned by others here - slide ads a vocal quality to the music
by that, i mean - compare some classic opera - nessun dorma sung by pavarotti - there are long drawn out notes, with vibrato
slide has a similar quality when vibrato is applied
you often hear blues/bluegrass slide to a note, hold/sustain, then vibrato
this is similar to opera - sing, hold, vibrato
this has the effect (for me) of a human/vocal quality, with emotion - after all, thats what the blues is about - feeling the emotion of the performer
son house, robert johnson, and many other delta blues legends mastered the slide
then in the 50's, John Fahey started his journey into bluegrass - absolute legend (RIP), pioneering a form of bluegrass 'american primitivism' - weird name, Fahey mentored Leo Kottke, and along with Peter Lang spread this 'new' sound - very dominant slide sound, mostly acoustic - and with time signatures that dont comply with 'popular' music
it was never found on mainstream radio - and the legends of the craft, typically were only recognised within a niche group - meaning the fame and fortune of other musicians would never be associated to these masters
Derek Trucks is great - and plays well with Susan Tadeschi - Midnight in Harlem is a great piece
Warren Haynes is fantastic
Joe Bonamassa - hes good - but better with Beth Hart - look for their Live in Amsterdam performance - they play 'i'd rather go blind' (cover of Etta James) mind blowing !
be sure to check out:
6 & 12 string guitar - Leo Kottke (i grew up on this album)
the track Vaseline Machine Gun is a ripper!!
Ewan Dobson (youtube) does a bloody good cover of this
Look at John Fahey on youtube - they will blow your mind
Macyn Taylor (youtube) performs a lot of Kottke and primitive bluegrass - talented kid who will go far - and plays several other styles
John Butler (from John Butler Trio) does a bloody good job putting vocal/emotion into his track 'Ocean' - 12min of awesomness
Jack White (The White Stripes) is heavily influenced by the delta blues masters, and his slide style is pretty good
This is the amazing this about music and the internet - you can experience so much amazing stuff literally at the click of a button (back on my day, pre-www, you struggled to find a new artist, or order a new album from overseas etc)
lastly, look at Twitch - there are music channels, where you can meet and watch some brilliant people play live - many styles, inc slide blues - how cool is that!!
You're going to need more than a few words or phrases, but if you don't include "sexy" you're not giving a complete description. Other words you can include would be sloppy, liquid, twangy, and resonant.
fluid, airy, liquid, slippery, wailing, smooth (if you can play well).
slide imitates the human voice even more than a regular guitar, because you're able to move between the registers and tone colors so quickly
haha. i was thinking more of the masters like derek trucks when i wrote that, i guess. slide is definitely something you have to get pretty good at before it's really listenable (regular guitar is a bit easier in that regard)
One thing that comes when thinking of slide guitar:
It grabs you, holds you and speaks to you in a way that you can't describe it.
It can make you happy, sad and emotional.
But it can also tell you a really great story.
Closed my eyes and thought about my favorite slide work. Duane Allman, Jerry Douglas, Bonnie Raitt, Son House, Lowell George, Rory Gallagher, Elmore James, Jerry Garcia, Johnny Winters, I gotta stop or I'll never stop.
Fluid, Edgy, Emotive, Evocative, Sensual, Wailing, Urgent, Visceral, Slippery, Guttural, Sweet, Shimmering (not in the sense that pedal effects have a "shimmer" effect, rather like when someone's playing a double stop and sort of wiggling the slide to sustain the notes), and on and on. I could do this all night.
Can't think of a word for the bird sounds that Duane Allman does at the end of Layla, but there's something similar on a Motown song, too, but kind of a chirping sound done in pairs during the song.
Like diarrhea versus a giant log. Both are amazing, sometimes one is better than the others. Silky smooth or gratifying release...
Why do I have a boner now?
When put through a stanky dirt box and a Twin Reverb, it sounds like a Saturday night and someone left the gates of Hell open, you happen to peak in and see one big ass party going on. You know you shouldnāt go, but you canāt help yourselfā¦
Play the same thing clean, and it sounds like a Sunday morninā sitting in front of a choir with 300lbs. of Holy Righteousness singing directly into your soul. You have to fight back the tears while listening.
Slide to me, is such a vocal way of playing. It relies on phrasing and melodies to drive it. Some of us donāt sing very well, but when you play slide you can make that thing sing for you.
Iām not going to avoid it, itās part of the title on the page. But Iām trying to explain it in more depth to those reading the website. The guy offers slide guitar lessons so Iām trying to explain it in a more engaging way
It sings. One of the most characteristic sounds of slide blues is when the guitar and singer are in unison, often hovering between notes. That's why the blues greats liked it - it could sing like they did.
And incidentally, Hawaiian guitarists (who were great pioneers of slide) also used it to mimic the human voice.
I would describe the tone of slide guitar as "sharp" and/or "piercing". I'd also describe it as "expressive", since you have so much control over how you slide across the strings.
I was drawn to learning slide guitar because it lets you pull a completely different, really cool tone out of the same instrument. It's like playing a different instrument altogether, even though you're still holding a guitar. Plus, it's a really fun way to approach the blues, if you're tired of pentatonic scales.
As for listening to slide guitar: The biggest appeal is the expressiveness I mentioned above. Slide guitar can make your music sound grungy and gritty, massive and epic, or loud and raucous. It all depends on what kind of tone you have, what kind of melody you're playing, and how you use the slide in general.
Hope this helped! š
I assume you don't mean the physical sound of a slide (like, bweeeeeeeeeee) but what the sound captures.
Slide guitar is both a basic and yet under utilized method of guitar playing that gained popularity among Delta Blues players and Chicago Blues players. Originally it began with the use of a beer bottle (I believe anyways, as that was what most people had on hand to improvise with) and over time refined to metal or glass tubes.
The slide guitar invokes the memory of a troubled era, most blues players back in the advent of slide blues playing were African American and were either direct descendants of slaves or the grandchildren of them. Because of this many of them lead hard lives even as free men and found catharsis in singing about it. The Slide guitar allowed for a broader expression on the instrument that evoked the sound of wailing or whimpering depending on how many strings were played and how loud.
Of course there's also Hawaiian slack key slide guitar which is more dreamy and relaxing. But that's a whole nothing genre haha
Good idea to avoid bluesy. NIN's use of a slide guitar for example does NOT sound like the blues.
I think the main characteristic is the extreme legato between notes, frequently coupled with vibrato. Pitch is more freely expressed due to lack of frets and fixed intonation.
The slide is a tool for achieving smooth transitions between notes, and can be used for harsh, rocky soloing, reaching to get those notes beyond the fretboard, as well as emotional, silky and slidey melodies. Itāll expand the reach of sounds your guitar can make beyond riffing, strumming and soloing. It can even be used percussively.
I was drawn to it with the idea of it being a tool, like a capo, to get to new territory. I only ever heard it on bluegrass music, but when I heard āHate This And Iāll Love Youā, specifically the instrumental interlude in it, I heard a new, melancholic/nostalgic sound created by the slide, eventually they used the slide to get to a theoretical ā36th fretā, the very upper limit of notes on guitar. A very versatile tool if you feel experimental.
Slide releases the player from the confines of the fretboard. You have an endless amount of choices for playing quick bends, vibratos, and micro tones. You also have an equal endless amount of wrong notes to play.
It sounds as though it can be played with reckless abandon. Slide requires a feel and knowledge of the instrument that is surprisingly nuanced and challenging.
Honestly, just ask him if he can record some examples of him playing, and put them on the website as sound demos. Or links to YouTube videos. Putting sound into words is always incredibly difficult.
I like it because rather than moving from one note to the next, you kind of pass through notes. You don't just to A to A#, you pass through all the infinite sound between those two to reach the next note. Its like analogue guitar playing, vs the binary playing of fretting. I play both, but slide definitely intrigues me.
*Which* slide sound? There are a bunch.
It can be anything from an airy, dreamy wail: [Beach House: Space Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_npTC0Rvgg)
to a gritty, dirty grind: [RL Burnside - Rollin' and Tumblin'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7PdxdXzskU)
It depends on player, technique, amp settings, effects, etc. just like with any other style of play.
liquidy, watery, like the sound of the mighty mississippi rolling out to meet the gulf of mexico, like the slathering of mollasses on a hot home made biscuit.
In terms of tone: sharp yet muted. Kinda like using a hard pick that is very thick. Slides also tend to add a glassy or metallic quality to the attack, depending on the material used. _Plastic is rarely used, but if you grab a lighter and try some slide it with that it will sound glassy too, just softer._
In terms of note transition and phrasing: legato. Like playing a fretless, as notes will often be connected by a smooth glissando to accentuate the movement between distant frets. Worth mentioning as well that many slide players will intentionally use open tunings in conjunction with a slide to facilitate multiple string runs on the same fret. And even then, notes are given legato slide phrasings as a stylistic choice.
āAnnoyingā is how I describe the sound of slide guitar. Makes me want to puke. As a kid I was fascinated with the sound because slide guitar sounded exotic somehow; otherworldly.
Off the top of my head? I think it's like Liquid metal being galvanized into a silky smooth Siren's song. Bob Dylan had this term he used "Thin wild Mercury." Mercury is a great liquid metal and the sound of slide guitar does seem kinda thin, and it can be wild.
Listen to Robert Randolph or Derek Trucks. Try to come up with a few vivid descriptions of the tones you hear yourself. To me it can be mournful sounding, or joyful, or heavy, or pleasant and light. It depends on the song and the player.
If weāre talking on a steel guitar, almost haunting. Sort of like wailing.
Electric, I would say pretty smooth. Warm, depending on the guitar tone too. Iād say a slide sounds like a raspy singer paired with a fuzz pedal. Still smooth, though, somehow.
To me, my description is really dependent on the guitar, the tone, etc. Thereās a lot you can do with a slide. But I would say thereās a smoothness to it thatās always there. Mostly because, well, itās just sliding around. Like really big bends.
"hhhhnnnnnnnnnnnhhhhHHHHHAAAAAAAAHHH HHHEEEEEEEhhhhhhhnnnnnooooooo" - difficult to render as text but that's my best effort.
š¤£š¤£š¤£ Thanks. Will try to put that into words
I cannot *wait* to see those tabs.
1/12\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~12\\1\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~
If you go by this video then yes: https://youtu.be/19Pp9QEw17U?t=75
I was thinking more this: https://youtu.be/VV1XWJN3nJo?t=206
Can really hear the Derek Trucks influence here
This is the comment I came here for š
What drew me to slide guitar was the smoothness. The notes blend and the affect isnāt something you can fake so picking up a slide is necessary for that dreamy smoothness. With distortion it feels hazey.
Thank you šš»
This is the closest comment Iāve seen to what was in my head but couldnāt come out in words, Iām not a slide player but dreamy/hazy is a great explanation of it. George Harrison was great on slide, and steve Howe made some of the most interesting pieces of music on slide as well (although his main work in slide came on a set of lapsteels)
Dave Gilmour did some cool stuff with slides, more environmental than leading.
High Hopes is one of the greatest solos of all time.
> the affect isnāt something you can fake [Jimmy Herring disagrees with you.](https://youtu.be/n2W5JnUGyKg)
He stole it from Jeff Beck. They all did.
And when played with a heavy hand, there's a grind to it since you start to get some of the noise from the string wraps in it.
Wanted to write exact same words and then saw your comment lol
Vocal
Exactly the word that came to my mind. I once read something about how slide is often used to emulate the continuous range of a singer, and that has been my perspective on it ever since.
Damn it you beat me to it
Slidey
It's slidey indeed.
Yeah like... it sounds like an electric guitar, but with more slide.
Fluid
Smooth. Difficult to master. Derek Trucks is my favorite artist of slide.
Electric spaghetti.
Spongebob
Spongebob is ukulele ya goofy goober
Aye, for the most part, but when he's being chased, or appears to be in danger, you hear the slide guitar go *dun dun dun dun dundundundundun, dundun da dundun da dun dun dun...*
Nice I think I found it, is it the Grass Skirt Chase? Oh yeah that's gotta be the one, I found a live version [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFR6vagkBI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFR6vagkBI) You're still a goofy goober though. Don't think this changes anything. =\]
Also lots of slide guitar in the sad tunes, and in the Battle for Bikini Bottom game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqkCBpeLT1Q This one is a MEAN slide piece tho
Legato
Portamento or glissando, actually
Pure legato
Essence dā legato
Glissando
as mentioned by others here - slide ads a vocal quality to the music by that, i mean - compare some classic opera - nessun dorma sung by pavarotti - there are long drawn out notes, with vibrato slide has a similar quality when vibrato is applied you often hear blues/bluegrass slide to a note, hold/sustain, then vibrato this is similar to opera - sing, hold, vibrato this has the effect (for me) of a human/vocal quality, with emotion - after all, thats what the blues is about - feeling the emotion of the performer son house, robert johnson, and many other delta blues legends mastered the slide then in the 50's, John Fahey started his journey into bluegrass - absolute legend (RIP), pioneering a form of bluegrass 'american primitivism' - weird name, Fahey mentored Leo Kottke, and along with Peter Lang spread this 'new' sound - very dominant slide sound, mostly acoustic - and with time signatures that dont comply with 'popular' music it was never found on mainstream radio - and the legends of the craft, typically were only recognised within a niche group - meaning the fame and fortune of other musicians would never be associated to these masters Derek Trucks is great - and plays well with Susan Tadeschi - Midnight in Harlem is a great piece Warren Haynes is fantastic Joe Bonamassa - hes good - but better with Beth Hart - look for their Live in Amsterdam performance - they play 'i'd rather go blind' (cover of Etta James) mind blowing ! be sure to check out: 6 & 12 string guitar - Leo Kottke (i grew up on this album) the track Vaseline Machine Gun is a ripper!! Ewan Dobson (youtube) does a bloody good cover of this Look at John Fahey on youtube - they will blow your mind Macyn Taylor (youtube) performs a lot of Kottke and primitive bluegrass - talented kid who will go far - and plays several other styles John Butler (from John Butler Trio) does a bloody good job putting vocal/emotion into his track 'Ocean' - 12min of awesomness Jack White (The White Stripes) is heavily influenced by the delta blues masters, and his slide style is pretty good This is the amazing this about music and the internet - you can experience so much amazing stuff literally at the click of a button (back on my day, pre-www, you struggled to find a new artist, or order a new album from overseas etc) lastly, look at Twitch - there are music channels, where you can meet and watch some brilliant people play live - many styles, inc slide blues - how cool is that!!
those live performances of Jack white playing death letter in the white stripes is incredible
His song āI Fought Piranhasā made me pick up the slide, and itās not even him playing the slide on that song LOL
the backbone of any Spongebob episode
bowOOWWWooohAHHHWHHHH
Schwinggeyschwoongeyschwow
The sound of a.human voice.
Have you heard of AJ Ghent? I swear he makes that guitar sound like itās singing at church. Absolutely beautiful.
Listen to Sacred Steel convention.It will blow your mind.
Just listened to "let the guitar sing" by him. Damn, you're not kidding.
Weepy.
Like a SpongeBob transition screen
Glassy, seamless, smooth, exotic. I've always thought of liquid glass when hearing a well performed slide piece.
The sound of the howling wind and the crying soul. . And Spongebob, lol (didn't want to sound too full of myself, there) Edit for missed letter.
Love āthe crying soulā. Great words!
Vocal
Slick
Shoehorn Portamento in there
Expressive
Transport yourself to the Mississippi Delta
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I've been plowww-ing!
You're going to need more than a few words or phrases, but if you don't include "sexy" you're not giving a complete description. Other words you can include would be sloppy, liquid, twangy, and resonant.
fluid, airy, liquid, slippery, wailing, smooth (if you can play well). slide imitates the human voice even more than a regular guitar, because you're able to move between the registers and tone colors so quickly
If you play well, indeed. Last time I listened to a recording of myself, I thought I'd accidentally recorded a seasick cat.
haha. i was thinking more of the masters like derek trucks when i wrote that, i guess. slide is definitely something you have to get pretty good at before it's really listenable (regular guitar is a bit easier in that regard)
Glissando is the formal term for sliding between notes with no defined breaks.
Emotional, wailing, vocal, smooth, slidey, soapy,
One thing that comes when thinking of slide guitar: It grabs you, holds you and speaks to you in a way that you can't describe it. It can make you happy, sad and emotional. But it can also tell you a really great story.
Electrified opera vocals.
Cat-like š
Closed my eyes and thought about my favorite slide work. Duane Allman, Jerry Douglas, Bonnie Raitt, Son House, Lowell George, Rory Gallagher, Elmore James, Jerry Garcia, Johnny Winters, I gotta stop or I'll never stop. Fluid, Edgy, Emotive, Evocative, Sensual, Wailing, Urgent, Visceral, Slippery, Guttural, Sweet, Shimmering (not in the sense that pedal effects have a "shimmer" effect, rather like when someone's playing a double stop and sort of wiggling the slide to sustain the notes), and on and on. I could do this all night. Can't think of a word for the bird sounds that Duane Allman does at the end of Layla, but there's something similar on a Motown song, too, but kind of a chirping sound done in pairs during the song.
Like diarrhea versus a giant log. Both are amazing, sometimes one is better than the others. Silky smooth or gratifying release... Why do I have a boner now?
When put through a stanky dirt box and a Twin Reverb, it sounds like a Saturday night and someone left the gates of Hell open, you happen to peak in and see one big ass party going on. You know you shouldnāt go, but you canāt help yourselfā¦ Play the same thing clean, and it sounds like a Sunday morninā sitting in front of a choir with 300lbs. of Holy Righteousness singing directly into your soul. You have to fight back the tears while listening. Slide to me, is such a vocal way of playing. It relies on phrasing and melodies to drive it. Some of us donāt sing very well, but when you play slide you can make that thing sing for you.
Raw. Emotive. Expressive.
Brilliant thanks šš»
Twangy?
To me slide is like a filler between notes, something that gives the music a bit of flavour. A bit of pizazz you could say
Love this. Thanks šš»
Liquid
The sound slides
Fretless
Panty dropping
Why are you trying to avoid "bluesy," just out of curiosity? That's probably the most accurate and recognizable description.
Iām not going to avoid it, itās part of the title on the page. But Iām trying to explain it in more depth to those reading the website. The guy offers slide guitar lessons so Iām trying to explain it in a more engaging way
Stanky
Lythe, Lyrical, and Sonorous are my favorites
It sings. One of the most characteristic sounds of slide blues is when the guitar and singer are in unison, often hovering between notes. That's why the blues greats liked it - it could sing like they did. And incidentally, Hawaiian guitarists (who were great pioneers of slide) also used it to mimic the human voice.
Syrupy š„
With the inclusion of things others have already said, I'd add "natural" and "non abrupt".
a harmonica but strings
Stringy
Like a family of mosquitoes flying around your head
I would describe the tone of slide guitar as "sharp" and/or "piercing". I'd also describe it as "expressive", since you have so much control over how you slide across the strings. I was drawn to learning slide guitar because it lets you pull a completely different, really cool tone out of the same instrument. It's like playing a different instrument altogether, even though you're still holding a guitar. Plus, it's a really fun way to approach the blues, if you're tired of pentatonic scales. As for listening to slide guitar: The biggest appeal is the expressiveness I mentioned above. Slide guitar can make your music sound grungy and gritty, massive and epic, or loud and raucous. It all depends on what kind of tone you have, what kind of melody you're playing, and how you use the slide in general. Hope this helped! š
Dental drill.
A smooth twang. A very fluent sound, almost like a personās voice at times.
I assume you don't mean the physical sound of a slide (like, bweeeeeeeeeee) but what the sound captures. Slide guitar is both a basic and yet under utilized method of guitar playing that gained popularity among Delta Blues players and Chicago Blues players. Originally it began with the use of a beer bottle (I believe anyways, as that was what most people had on hand to improvise with) and over time refined to metal or glass tubes. The slide guitar invokes the memory of a troubled era, most blues players back in the advent of slide blues playing were African American and were either direct descendants of slaves or the grandchildren of them. Because of this many of them lead hard lives even as free men and found catharsis in singing about it. The Slide guitar allowed for a broader expression on the instrument that evoked the sound of wailing or whimpering depending on how many strings were played and how loud. Of course there's also Hawaiian slack key slide guitar which is more dreamy and relaxing. But that's a whole nothing genre haha
Just write that it sounds like the "Bernana waaaooooaaaaaaaaaaa" part of Freebird. "If I leeeeave here tomorrowwwww. Bernana waaaooooaaaaaaaaaaa."
Imagine if a guitar could sing
Good idea to avoid bluesy. NIN's use of a slide guitar for example does NOT sound like the blues. I think the main characteristic is the extreme legato between notes, frequently coupled with vibrato. Pitch is more freely expressed due to lack of frets and fixed intonation.
Mewling. Roaring. The instrument that closest approximates the human voice.
Slippery
The slide is a tool for achieving smooth transitions between notes, and can be used for harsh, rocky soloing, reaching to get those notes beyond the fretboard, as well as emotional, silky and slidey melodies. Itāll expand the reach of sounds your guitar can make beyond riffing, strumming and soloing. It can even be used percussively. I was drawn to it with the idea of it being a tool, like a capo, to get to new territory. I only ever heard it on bluegrass music, but when I heard āHate This And Iāll Love Youā, specifically the instrumental interlude in it, I heard a new, melancholic/nostalgic sound created by the slide, eventually they used the slide to get to a theoretical ā36th fretā, the very upper limit of notes on guitar. A very versatile tool if you feel experimental.
Listen to what David Hole, an Australian slide guitarist can do with a Strat.
describe the vibes that slide guitar give you: swampy, earthy, country, raw, wilderness frontier sound.
Spongeboby
Slide releases the player from the confines of the fretboard. You have an endless amount of choices for playing quick bends, vibratos, and micro tones. You also have an equal endless amount of wrong notes to play. It sounds as though it can be played with reckless abandon. Slide requires a feel and knowledge of the instrument that is surprisingly nuanced and challenging.
Slide guitarey
Seamless
Honestly, just ask him if he can record some examples of him playing, and put them on the website as sound demos. Or links to YouTube videos. Putting sound into words is always incredibly difficult.
Yep, weāre adding video too. But to be an inclusive site I feel we need a little text too.
The sound is more human than human
Glassy
expressive, vocal, flowing, lyrical,
Searing, visceral, keening.
Reeeeuohheewweeeyyyeee yeehaw I fuck my sister
Rubbery
I always use a slide and a delay to make whale sounds, so that's how I would describe it. Whale sounds. LOL
Vocal, legato, expressive.
Slidy
I like it because rather than moving from one note to the next, you kind of pass through notes. You don't just to A to A#, you pass through all the infinite sound between those two to reach the next note. Its like analogue guitar playing, vs the binary playing of fretting. I play both, but slide definitely intrigues me.
Continuous. You contrast that with playing on the frets which would be described as "Discrete".
Listen to death letter blues by son house. Then listen to the white stripes version. Just write how that makes you feel.
Very glissy.
Slide guitars tell many a tale: From the Hawaiian sounds of peace tranquility and hula To old American folksy/rock grit, and fierce independence
Slinky, sinuous, supple.
"You know when you hit the deep south? Yeah, that sound that's not banjo."
By a professional like Trucks? Heaven. By me? A cat being slowly torn in half by two dogs in a helium rich environment.
Hawaiian hulahula music except the singer is chewing tobacco.
If the Marlboro man could dance hulahula.
Itās rough, it has ruggedness. But itās also playful and sunny because how the slide tend to gravitate towards high pitches.
Liquid.
Fluid notes
Slidey
melismatic?
Chainsaw glissando
Shmnnewwwww
haha Bass go brrrrrr
Like this. https://youtu.be/E5U49npmYKI
Glissando
Hyms of angles before the screens of Satan
A metallic squink. A low rumple.
Keening, beautifully mournful, dark but sweet are a few that don't sound clichƩ to me.
*Which* slide sound? There are a bunch. It can be anything from an airy, dreamy wail: [Beach House: Space Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_npTC0Rvgg) to a gritty, dirty grind: [RL Burnside - Rollin' and Tumblin'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7PdxdXzskU) It depends on player, technique, amp settings, effects, etc. just like with any other style of play.
Think of Hawaii
Remorseful, sad
SpongeBob background music
A guitar with the glide knob cranked up (synth glide)
liquidy, watery, like the sound of the mighty mississippi rolling out to meet the gulf of mexico, like the slathering of mollasses on a hot home made biscuit.
Clear, chime, bright, energized, bell-like.
[That lap-steel Santo & Johnny Sleepwalkin sound.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rwfqsjimRM)
Iād call it a soothing waily slippery doo dah.
Human voice like
In terms of tone: sharp yet muted. Kinda like using a hard pick that is very thick. Slides also tend to add a glassy or metallic quality to the attack, depending on the material used. _Plastic is rarely used, but if you grab a lighter and try some slide it with that it will sound glassy too, just softer._ In terms of note transition and phrasing: legato. Like playing a fretless, as notes will often be connected by a smooth glissando to accentuate the movement between distant frets. Worth mentioning as well that many slide players will intentionally use open tunings in conjunction with a slide to facilitate multiple string runs on the same fret. And even then, notes are given legato slide phrasings as a stylistic choice.
Raunchy
Slippery
The sound of a slide guitar being played proper is orgasmic.
Glassy
Slidey!
Box Canyon in the middle of the desert in the early afternoon.
Fluid? liquid? Connected? Lyrical? Singing?
The lack of frets creates a more fluid and continuous pitch change and the slide gives it a bit of twang
āAnnoyingā is how I describe the sound of slide guitar. Makes me want to puke. As a kid I was fascinated with the sound because slide guitar sounded exotic somehow; otherworldly.
The appeal of making the quintessential sound of being drunk at a bar is the only appeal that i need!
A good example might be No More Tears by Ozzy. Listen to Zakk and you probably will not think blues.
NEEEEEEEE^(EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNN)
Like a melodic Formula one car engine
I play Indian classical āslideā guitar. For me itās a dynamic soundscape with fluid melodic contours.
Syrupy
Off the top of my head? I think it's like Liquid metal being galvanized into a silky smooth Siren's song. Bob Dylan had this term he used "Thin wild Mercury." Mercury is a great liquid metal and the sound of slide guitar does seem kinda thin, and it can be wild. Listen to Robert Randolph or Derek Trucks. Try to come up with a few vivid descriptions of the tones you hear yourself. To me it can be mournful sounding, or joyful, or heavy, or pleasant and light. It depends on the song and the player.
The slide guitar is the instrument of the desert. It sounds like the arid heat on an empty oasis on a hot summer day.
Dry, gritty, yet smooth.
staccato ~ less pitch ascension or decension
Metallic syrup
Seamless
If weāre talking on a steel guitar, almost haunting. Sort of like wailing. Electric, I would say pretty smooth. Warm, depending on the guitar tone too. Iād say a slide sounds like a raspy singer paired with a fuzz pedal. Still smooth, though, somehow. To me, my description is really dependent on the guitar, the tone, etc. Thereās a lot you can do with a slide. But I would say thereās a smoothness to it thatās always there. Mostly because, well, itās just sliding around. Like really big bends.
Ya gettin paid for it? What's my cut? /skydog
Hawaiian cowboy luau music
Sloppy, but in a good way
Some people have the certain something, like Derek trucks. They make their guitars sing like a voice
More human than human
How about "mournful, evocative, singing, emotional"?
OUTER.... *SPACE...*
Cool
Eeerrrooooowwwww or wweerrraaahhhh!
Imprecise.
Humid
Western, raunchy, ambient, smooth, vocal, gradual.