Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Mike Compton's Slides

  1. #1

    Default Mike Compton's Slides

    Curious if anyone has perfected the slide style the Compton uses so heavily. Would love to use it but don't necessarily fully get the context or technique. Would it be able to be easily utilized in a 145 type tune (like 9 Lb Hammer or other simple tunes)? He seems to slide into different positions, not just sliding up to the note. I would love to add this technique to my repertoire but not totally sure where to start.

    For reference, he does it alot in Old Mountaineer, starting around 1:25 gives an especially good idea:


    Also Cafe'er Jonas demonstrates it well here in Liberty:

  2. The following members say thank you to Josh Levine for this post:


  3. #2
    Middle-Aged Old-Timer Tobin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Kerrville, TX
    Posts
    4,004

    Default Re: Mike Compton's Slides

    It's a great technique when executed well, and when it's a good fit to the music. There's really nothing magical about it; it's just sliding up or down on a single note or on two strings using double stops. You have to keep your pick moving to keep the notes alive and to 'carry' the slide. In the first bit of Mike Compton's video above, it seems he was just just doing it with measured eighth-notes, but it's as effective - if not more effective - using tremolo. In the part you mentioned (starting around 1:25), he's doing the same thing. He alternates between sliding runs and picked melody notes.

    Yes, it can be used on a I-IV-V tune, or any tune for that matter. Learn your double stops up the neck in the key of G, for example, using only the middle two strings. Then get a tremolo going, or a measured picking pattern, and practice going back and forth. Once you're comfortable doing that on only the middle two strings, then you can expand it to other string pairs and then move it around between pairs, using either actual fingered double-stops or a combination with open drones.

    For example, try this. Start on a G double stop of X-9-5-X (I like to start this one with X-7-5-X and hammer-on to the 9th fret). Tremolo that, then slide up to a C double stop of X-10-7-X, with the tremolo still going. Then slide up to a D double stop of X-12-9-X, and end with a high G double stop of X-12-10-X. There are many, many other combinations you can do, but this is a pretty straightforward one that's easy to slide up.

    Just keep your fingers lightly fretting as you slide. Once you've really got the hang of it, use it to fill parts of tunes in between portions of the melody. It can take a while to get used to jumping in and out of it, but it's a really classic bluegrassy technique.

  4. The following members say thank you to Tobin for this post:


  5. #3

    Default Re: Mike Compton's Slides

    Thanks Tobin. Will definitely try what you suggested. I definitely get the frequency of slides especially when sliding up to the fifth and playing the note on both strings. And I get double stops, but there is something about the smoothness and butteriness of how Compton operates that is second to none. It also seems like he uses it to transition up to different chords and then falls back to the original position. At some point I am just going to have to take a Skype lesson from him. I signed up for Peghead Nation for a free month to check out his videos right when they came out and he even has a video about it, but he was mysterious and vague about the technique. How Monroeis

  6. #4
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    North CA
    Posts
    5,020

    Default Re: Mike Compton's Slides

    Quote Originally Posted by Tobin View Post
    It's a great technique when executed well, and when it's a good fit to the music. There's really nothing magical about it; it's just sliding up or down on a single note or on two strings using double stops. You have to keep your pick moving to keep the notes alive and to 'carry' the slide.
    Indeed, and I would describe the technique as "measured tremolo glissando". It's really effective when used with the double stops.

    Yes, the pick never stops moving, the slurring is smooth and the overall flow works well in context.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •