Pretty much if you mention playing slide guitar, you will no doubt hear the name Duane Allman come up. He is considered the innovator of the electric slide guitar. Drawing from Robert Johnson, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters, Duane developed his own unique slide guitar style that no one has been able to duplicate. There have been many who have tried, and Derek Trucks is probably the closest I have heard, but Derek Trucks is more of his own man.
To me Duane was the creator and has some of the most harmonica sounding, and slippery open e tuning licks you’ll ever hear. Yes he is that good! Just listen to the Fillmore East and try to duplicate his timing and phrasing. His sense of drama and timing are superb. Maybe it’s all of the sessions he did in Muscle Shoals with Aretha and such.
I put out a video a while back of how to sound more like Duane Allman when playing open e tuning slide guitar.
By trying to sound more like a vocalist and a harmonica, your slide guitar licks will begin to sound more like Duane’s classic lines.
I’ve developed a Full Course on playing slide guitar in open e tuning. Get Started Here
Are you a Duane Allman Fan? If so what do you like about his style and what are your favorite solos he played? Let me know right below.
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Goin’ Down Slow by Duane Allman is one of my favorite blues songs. And it’s not about music, it’s about the artist’s soul first of all… and if talking about Duane Allman’s guitar style – there is a big soul involved – and I like it!
Thanks for the comment. Yeah that is a really cool tune. Nice tone on that one. He’s definitely one of my favorite guitarists.
Duane Allman was one of the greatest slide guitarists that ever lived. It’s such a shame he passed away so early (24), who knows where he may have taken the world of guitaring to if he had lived to a ripe old age. Nice post, thanks!
lol nice stuff dude.
Dear John Tuggle,
Years ago I sold my Les Paul Standard to pay for my rent and I never liked that I did that. It seemed like the day the music died for me.
Well today I just brought home a beautiful new Les Paul Standard.
In the past I tried to be grab onto standard tuning but I always gravitate to playing slide and playing Open E tuning. I never got very far with my slide playing but have always thought that if I could get the right kind of help my slide playing would take off.
My favorite guitars players are Duane, Derek and Dickey! So I super excited to have found your website. It seems like the perfect fit. If I learn to play like Duane, Derek and Dickey I will have died and gone to heaven.
As soon as I can I plan on ordering that 6 DVD Slide Guitar set and put in the work to get this down.
Thanx for the product!
I love it when he plays the 7 fret on the second string and bends the 10 fret on the first string OH YA EVERY OTHER NOTE