Troy Refern has developed a unique and versatile slide style. We asked Troy to come up with six of his favourite ‘next level’ slide licks and he went for a challenging 7/8 time feel and classic open E tuning (E-B-E-G#-B-E). All the examples combine classic blues-rock slide vocabulary but framed in this more sophisticated odd time setting. But first let’s review the basics of good slide technique.
Learning slide has a couple of barriers to entry. The first is establishing consistent contact between the slide and the strings. You may find using heavier strings and a higher action can help here. Troy uses a super-sized, heavy brass slide, which provides a great tone and sustain, but can be hard to control if you are just starting out. So feel free to experiment with using a lighter slide, perhaps glass, if you need to.
