Photo of the Day
Shoutbox

dp: dude
371 days ago

Bango_Rilla: Shout Bananas!!
326 days ago

BillyBlastOff: See you kiddies at the Convention!
310 days ago

GDW: showman
261 days ago

Emilien03: https://losg...
183 days ago

Pyronauts: Happy Tanks-Kicking!!!
176 days ago

glennmagi: CLAM SHACK guitar
162 days ago

Hothorseraddish: surf music is amazing
142 days ago

dp: get reverberated!
92 days ago

Clint: “A Day at the Beach” podcast #237 is TWO HOURS of NEW surf music releases. https://link...
26 days ago

Please login or register to shout.

IRC Status
  • racc

Join them in the #ShallowEnd!

Need help getting started?

Current Polls

No polls at this time. Check out our past polls.

Current Contests

No contests at this time. Check out our past contests.

Donations

Help us meet our monthly goal:

92%

92%

Donate Now

Cake May Birthdays Cake
SG101 Banner

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

Permalink Dick Dale's slide technique

New Topic
Page 1 of 1

I'm trying to improve my playing techniques and one of the techniques is slides, I really love those single and dual string slides that Dick Dale used to do but I never knew how to do them properly, so I turn to you so you can advise me on how to improve at this area. Thanks in advance to everyone.

Start off slow and be consistent with your alternate picking. Gradually increase the speed until you’re happy .

I think you're asking about a glissando.

Someone on this forum had the signature 'When in doubt, glissando!' I loved that.

If I'd stop buying old guitars to fix, I might actually learn to play.
Bringing instruments back to life since 2013.

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot the past few days.

One thing I can say is that I am very lucky in that I have experienced Dick Dale live something like 30 times. Even with the “proper” technique no one will be able to do these roars and slides like he did them. Equipment is key: vintage Stratocaster with thick-ass finger chewing strings on the bridge pickup, Reverb unit, Brownface Showman, JBLs. Attitude is the remainder. Physical stance is also important: they cannot be achieved while sitting down and just like riding a surf board proper balance is a must. Jaw clenched, eyes shut tight helps? They are aggressive, yet at the same time controlled. One question about these glissandos… is the picking technique in time? Or does it ramp up/down like an air raid siren? They’re from the gut. It takes focus and energy from your entire body. Dick said (quoted on a shirt) “the body follows the mind.” So being in the “correct” mental state is very important… channeling anger or energy or whatever.

surf on

-paul

Last edited: Nov 30, 2023 21:23:02

Pyronauts wrote:

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot the past few days.

One thing I can say is that I am very lucky in that I have experienced Dick Dale live something like 30 times. Even with the “proper” technique no one will be able to do these roars and slides like he did them. Equipment is key: vintage Stratocaster with thick-ass finger chewing strings using the bridge pickup, Reverb unit, Brownface Showman, JBLs. Attitude is the remainder. Physical stance is also important: they cannot be achieved while sitting down and just like riding a surf board proper balance is a must. Jaw clenched, eyes shut tight helps? They are aggressive, yet at the same time controlled. One question about these glissandos… is the picking technique in time? Or does it ramp up/down like an air raid siren? They’re from the gut. It takes focus and energy from your entire body. Dick said (quoted on a shirt) “the body follows the mind.” So being in the “correct” mental state is very important… channeling anger or energy or whatever.

surf on

-paul

Last edited: Nov 30, 2023 21:25:52

The glissando should be in time, but the tremolo picking is “as fast as you possibly can”

Pyronauts wrote:

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot the past few days.

One thing I can say is that I am very lucky in that I have experienced Dick Dale live something like 30 times. Even with the “proper” technique no one will be able to do these roars and slides like he did them. Equipment is key: vintage Stratocaster with thick-ass finger chewing strings on the bridge pickup, Reverb unit, Brownface Showman, JBLs. Attitude is the remainder. Physical stance is also important: they cannot be achieved while sitting down and just like riding a surf board proper balance is a must. Jaw clenched, eyes shut tight helps? They are aggressive, yet at the same time controlled. One question about these glissandos… is the picking technique in time? Or does it ramp up/down like an air raid siren? They’re from the gut. It takes focus and energy from your entire body. Dick said (quoted on a shirt) “the body follows the mind.” So being in the “correct” mental state is very important… channeling anger or energy or whatever.

surf on

-paul

Page 1 of 1
Top