Remember lesson 10? That was the week we looked at
two different guitar techniques. They were hammer ons and pull offs. If you've forgotten them then head back
to the lesson and play around with them again.
Now jump to lesson 11 where we first introduced
the slide. If you remember how to play a slide already then great. If not then take this time to refresh
yourself before moving forward.
In this example we'll use an E major chord, however you could just as easily use no chords at all. Once your fingers are in the correct position then strum the chord. Listen to that sound. Now place your strumming hand against the bridge of the guitar. Make sure the hand is touching each string slightly. Now play the chord again. Notice the difference? This is a palm mute. Your palm leans against the strings, slightly muting the sound. If you want to hear more of this, try listening to The XX - Islands.
Pick a random string and a random fret. Place your index finger on that fret. Now play that note repeatedly with your strumming hand. The goal here is the strike the string as many times as possible in a short space of time. On the off chance you go to see an orchestra, watch the violin players clustered towards the front. If they repeatedly move their bows back and forth in short, sharp movements then they are likely playing vibrato. If you want to get a better feel for vibrato, try listening to The Pixies - Hey.
Place your index finger on any fret of any string of your choice. For the sake of ease, it might be better to pick a higher pitched string and a fret closer to the neck of the guitar. Play the string that your finger is holding down. Now, without releasing your finger from the fret, begin to bend the string. When you feel enough tension, slowly begin to release the bend by moving the finger back to the spot on the fretboard where you placed it initially. By bending the string, you should hear the pitch get higher. When you move the finger back to where you started, you can hear the pitch return to the original sound. If you'd like to hear a good example of bends, try listening to the Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond.