Bob Dylan kicked off his summer tour in Austin, Texas on the fourth of August. The Never Ending Tour, which Dylan began in the late 80’s, will continue on for a solid month. If recent tours are any indication, Dylan and His Band will break out choice cuts from his 60’s catalogue while mixing in a heavy does of tunes off his last five records.

The band, which showcases the return of six string maestro Charlie Sexton, is always top notch and capable of providing raw bombast one moment and hushed delicacy the next, all the while against an authentic backdrop of rhythm and blues. For the past few years, Dylan has shied away from the guitar, replacing it with keyboards to the chagrin of some fans. Yet the guitar has crept back in his hands finally, and this is when Dylan and His Band are at their most potent.

Staples such as “Cold Irons Bound”, “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Thunder on the Mountain” comes across with a power that will catch anyone who hasn’t followed Dylan the last fifteen years off guard. The days of quiet introspective acoustic songs are gone in favor of loose bluesy rock that fits the restless nature of Dylan’s recent material. The harmonica usually makes an appearance for a few songs, and in case anyone forgot, Dylan is still on of the most talented harp players on the block.

One wonders how serious Dylan takes himself with his reclusive public persona and canon of classic American songs under his belt. On recent tours, Dylan has sashayed across the stage with just a mic in hand like some sort of Civil War mobster making gun gestures with his hand towards the audience. What the man intends is anyone’s guess, but you can sense the guy is having fun and not merely going through the motions of playing “Ballad of a Thin Man” for the thousandth time. If you can catch him as he travels across the country, it will be well worth it to see a classic artist who is still in his prime and showing it night in and night out.

E.M. Kaplan

Anyone who has ever heard the unique stylings of Blind Willie Johnson, Elmore James or Muddy Waters undoubtedly noticed the striking presence of the slide guitar. Acting as a floating fret, the slide could mimic the sorrow of a blues singer’s voice or increase the energy of a song, depending on the player’s mood and tastes. However, the slide guitar presents a few challenges that need to be understood in order to get the desired sound.

Playing with a slide is much easier when you tune the guitar to an open key as opposed to standard tuning. By tuning to an open G (the key of many classic Rolling Stones tunes), open D, or open A, for example, the fret board opens up and the slide playing can really shine. In many open tunings, you can safely bounce from the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 12th frets to create a definitive bluesy slide vibe.

The finger you put the slide on is entirely up to you. Most players stick with using the ring finger or pinkie since it frees up your other fingers to add embellishments. Glass slides offer a smooth tone while metal slides conjure up a rustic and urgent feel.

The trick to getting the desired tone is to lightly touch the string with the slide. Do not press down. The fingers behind the slide will be used to mute the strings giving the tone of the slide an uninterrupted clarity and sustain. This takes practice, so it’s a good idea to start off slow until you can control the pitch of the slide. The idea is too keep it dead on, not too sharp and not too flat.

The slide guitar takes years to master, but it is a lot of fun to learn. Recordings by blues artists like Blind Willie Johnson, Son House and Robert Johnson offer the cornerstone of slide guitar inspired blues.

Duane Allman, Eric Clapton and Ry Cooder took slide guitar to expressive heights, and Derek Trucks is bringing slide guitar into the future by mixing the blues and southern rock with Indian ragas.

The beauty of the slide guitar is that you are not limited to the twelve notes of Western music since the slide is actually acting like a floating fret leaving only the imagination to decide where a note should start and end. For anyone who has had trouble getting the right tone of out their slide guitar playing, take it slow and follow the tips mentioned above to begin creating music with one of the guitar’s most expressive tools.

E.M. Kaplan