If you’ve been working through the hammer on and pulls or bending lesson, you’ve already got two of the expressive techniques in lead guitar under your fingers.

Slides add something different. Where a bend pushes a string sideways to reach a note, a slide gets there by moving along the string. The two techniques can land on the same pitch, but they feel different to the listener.

Let’s get started.

What a slide actually is

A slide is exactly what it sounds like. You fret a note, pick it, and move your finger up or down the string to a target note without lifting off. The pitch changes continuously as you move, and the target note is what the listener hears as the arrival point.

Like bending, the target note is what matters. The slide is just how you get there.

There are two types worth knowing at this stage.

A legato slide is picked only once. You pick the starting note and let the sliding motion carry the sound to the target. The target note rings without being picked again.

A shift slide picks both notes. You pick the starting note, slide to the target, and pick again on arrival. It’s louder and more defined at the landing point.

How to play a slide

Finger position and pressure

Use enough finger pressure to keep the string ringing as you move, but not so much that you slow yourself down. The goal is a smooth, continuous sound from start to finish, not two separate notes.

You can use any finger to slide, but your third finger is a practical starting point since it lines up with the bending technique we reviewed in a previous lesson. Same finger, different kind of movement.

The motion

Keep your finger in contact with the string and move your whole hand in the direction of the target note. Don’t pivot or rotate. The movement is a straight shift along the string, driven by your arm, with your finger staying flat against the fretboard.

The speed of the slide affects the feel. A slow slide sounds deliberate and smooth while a fast slide creates a sharper, more immediate arrival. Both are useful in different contexts.

Slides going up vs slides going down

Sliding up raises the pitch and creates a sense of lift or arrival. Sliding down lowers the pitch and creates a sense of release or resolution. You’ll use both constantly in real lead playing, sometimes even within the same phrase.

Tab notation for slides

In tab, a slide is shown with a forward or back slash between the fret numbers.

A forward slash (/) means slide up. A backslash () means slide down. So 7 / 9 means slide from the 7th fret up to the 9th, and 9 \ 7 means slide from the 9th fret down to the 7th.

Other time, no note is indicated before a slide marking. That is left to the player’s interpretation where to start but I would play start between 1 to 2 frets away. In this case, the slide acts like a grace note before the target note. See the examples below.

4 Slide Examples to Practice

Example 1: Legato slide up

Pick the 7th fret on the G string and slide up to the 9th without picking again. Listen for the target note ringing clearly at the end of the slide.

Example 2: Legato slide down

Pick the 9th fret on the G string and slide down to the 7th without picking again. Again, make sure the target note rings clearly at the end of the slide.

Example 3: Shift slide up

Pick the 7th fret on the G string, slide up to the 9th, and pick again on arrival. Notice how the second pick makes the target note feel more defined and intentional.

Example 4: Shift slide down

Same concept as before but now sliding down and then replaying the target note.

Common Slide Mistakes

1. Lifting the finger mid-slide

The sound cuts out before you reach the target. Keep consistent pressure on the string from start to finish. If the note dies mid-slide, you’ve lifted off without realizing it.

2. Sliding too slowly on short intervals

A slow slide between adjacent or nearby frets sounds hesitant rather than musical. Short slides work best when they’re quick and decisive. Save the slow, deliberate slides for wider intervals where the music calls for it.

3. Losing the target note

If you slide past the fret you were aiming for, the phrase falls apart. Practice landing on the target fret accurately before worrying about tone or speed. Know where you’re going before you slide.

4. Starting note matters

The note you slide from affects how the phrase sounds, even if the listener mainly hears the arrival. Starting from a note inside the scale sounds smooth and connected. Starting from outside the scale can sound intentionally bluesy. Both are valid, but be deliberate about it.

Slide Phrase Examples

If you’ve been through the minor pentatonic scales lesson, you already know Shape 1 in A minor at the 5th position. For most of the examples, we’ll use this shapes to slide in and out of notes for other shapes.

The phrases below use slides alongside the hammer-ons, pull-offs, and bends from the earlier lessons in this series. The idea is the same as before: real musical phrases, not drills.

Phrase 1: Legato slides

The legato slide happens on the first two notes, and the grace note slide happens on the last note here.

Phrase 2: Hammer on + legato slide

Here’s another pentatonic style phrase, including a hammer-on to start it off.

Phrase 3: Bend + legato slide

This phrase uses a slight bend to start off and re-emphasizes the last note with a slide.

Phrase 4: Blues grace note + slide down

This note uses a blues note with a legato slide down to add some flavor.

Phrase 5: Slide up + slide down

This phrase combines both a legato slide up and slide down to decorate the line.

Phrase 6: Classical style line with shift slide

This phrase uses an classical style A minor arpeggio with a shift slide on the last note.

Practice Routine (10-15 minutes)

Minutes 1-5: Clean slide control

Work through Examples 1 through 4, practicing both legato and shift slides going up and down. Focus on keeping the string ringing as you move and landing directly on the target fret. Start slowly, then gradually make the slide quicker while keeping the landing clean.

Minutes 6-10: Practice slides inside a phrase

Choose two of the phrase examples above and practice them slowly until the slides feel like a natural part of the line. Pay attention to how the slide connects one note to the next. Once the phrase feels comfortable, gradually bring it up to a more musical tempo.

Minutes 11-15: Apply the phrases over a backing track

Put on a backing track that works with the scale you’re using and try playing one or two of the phrases over it. Start by playing the phrase exactly as written, then experiment with changing the rhythm, repeating part of it, or using the slide in a different place. The goal is to take the idea from the lesson and begin making it part of your own playing.

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Wrapping Up

Slides are a simple way to connect notes and give a phrase more movement and expression. You can use a legato slide for a smoother sound, pick the target again with a shift slide for more definition, or use a quick grace-note slide to add color before a note.

You don’t need to slide into every note, but a well-placed slide can help one note flow naturally into the next. As you work with pentatonic and blues scale shapes, try combining slides with hammer-ons, pull-offs, and bends to create smoother, more musical phrases.

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