Banjo Tip - Technique "Slide"

I thought today would be a good day for me to take a few minutes to share an important tip to all those learning to play banjo. I want to talk about slides today. If you click on the links, you will see very short video clip demonstrations. Here are some common problems that I see in beginners:

1. Not leaving the sliding finger down long enough on the string. When you perform a slide, you need to leave your finger down long enough for that note to continue to ring. When you listen to the "incorrect slide" file, you will notice how the sound stops as soon as the sliding finger is lifted. This will lead to a choppy sound in your playing.

Incorrect Slide #1

Correct Slide

The main reason I see people lift the sliding finger too soon is because they are not using the correct finger placement and it interferes with the next string. For example, you slide from the 2nd to 3rd fret on the 3rd string. If you leave your finger down, when you try to pick the 2nd string immediately after the slide, the 2nd string is muffled by your finger. You need to position your finger high enough on the 3rd string so that it does not interfere with the 2nd string. It might take some work, but the results will definitely be worth it!

2. Not staying close enough to the fret you are sliding across. For instance, if you are going to slide from the 2nd to 3rd fret, start with your finger just behind the 3rd fret. There is no need to slide all the way from the beginning of the 2nd fret to all the way across the 3rd fret. This will slow you down when you start increasing your speed.

Incorrect Slide #2

3. Not making it across the fret; sliding within the fret. This may seem like it goes without saying to some of you, but I see this from time to time in my teaching. It usually occurs when someone is watching their right hand instead of their left hand. They actually know they have to cross the fret for the slide to take place, but since they aren't watching the left hand and aren't listening for the change in sound, they don't realize they aren't actually sliding across the fret.

Incorrect Slide #3