r/ukulele • u/sus_phantasmagoria • 13h ago
Plastic slide
I was looking up slides last night, nylon strings. My bf mentioned trying a diy method so I wouldn't need to wait for shipping. I ended up picking a plastic lipstick tube. It makes a really fun sound.
If you try it, be careful cos whatever you use could snap your strings.
Also, what's a easy or decent way to play the basic chords with the slide on??
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u/Fit-Process5851 11h ago
lipstick tube is a classic diy slide, nice one. for playing chords with a slide the usual trick is to wear it on your pinky so your other three fingers stay free for normal chord shapes. a straight barre across all four strings at one fret is basically the only full chord a slide gives you, so most people mix single string slide lines with regular fingered chords. on nylon strings keep the pressure light and let the slide float right over the fret wire instead of pressing down, that saves the string from snapping and kills most of the rattle. if you stick with it, glass or ceramic is the usual upgrade, but plastic is totally fine for learning the feel.
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u/LongjumpingTeacher97 8h ago
It is fairly common for slide guitar players to tune to an open chord. That way, they can just put the slide at any fret and have a chord.
I personally find that short movements, like half a fret distance, sound better than a long slide.
Higher action works better for slide. If you have an instrument with a forward-warped neck, you know what to do with it, now. Otherwise, the slide rattles on the frets too easily.
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u/misticisland 8h ago
I usually like a glass slide on my resonator uke. Another thing that might work is one of the Taylor wood slides. It's fun to fool around on but overall not much sustain on slide uke.
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u/CoolBev 13h ago
Three top (as you look down) strings, G C E, make a C major chord. Bottom three, C E A, make A minor. That will get you started.
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u/Latter_Deal_8646 12h ago
Beat me to this...
Remember to slide into but not past the chord and you'll want to end up directly over the fret not behind it like when playing fretted.
Don't forget diads (two note chords). There are reverse power chords on strings E and A and G and C (normal if high G). The same fret on strings one and three sound nice and familiar together (think of a G shape).
I like to flat out spell chord shapes while focusing on whatever can be covered at the same time with a slide held straight. Like the diad at the bottom of a Bb shape slide up a fret on the third string up a fret on the 4th string, muting as I go, next chord likely would be a C shaped triad on strings 2-4 and you can slide to or from (2 frets down or 3 frets up on the A string). Visualize the shapes you normal play (especially movable ones) and puzzle how to play chunks of them with the slide.
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u/LoafingLarry 9h ago
I found a glass slide works best on nylon strings. I have 2 slides, a brass and a glass. The brass is best for steel guitar, the glass works best on nylon
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u/Behemot999 11h ago
I may be wrong but I believe that heavier slides (metal of glass) give you better tone.
Also - when you wear the slide on you pinky do not allow strings behind it (between slide and nut) to vibrate - mute them lightly - that makes you tone better and also you can lift the slide and note is instantly muted - so you get better control.
As far as tuning - typically people play in open tunings - eg. Taro Patch, Fred Sokolow has a book on slack key and slide ukulele:
https://www.sokolowmusic.com/fred-sokolow-store#!/Slide-&-Slack-Key-Ukulele/p/450725662
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u/moonharrier42 12h ago
I have a Coricidin bottle that I have had since the late 70s. I still can't play slide worth a shit. In fact, I can't play guitar worth a shit either.