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Delta Blues Slide Guitar in Open G — Son House Style

·2 mins
Open G Slide Guitar Blues Bottleneck Fingerstyle Intermediate Video Lesson
Table of Contents

Source: Guitar Tuning Database

What This Video Covers #

Son House is one of the foundational figures in delta blues — a direct influence on Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and ultimately on every blues guitarist who came after. His style of slide guitar in Open G tuning is raw, powerful, and deeply expressive. This lesson teaches that approach on resonator acoustic guitar.

Son House’s Approach to Open G #

Son House played in Open G (D–G–D–G–B–D) with a heavy glass or metal slide, often a bottleneck. His technique emphasised:

  • Heavy, authoritative tone: driving the slide into the strings rather than floating over them
  • Aggressive vibrato: wide, fast, almost violent compared to the smoother styles of later players
  • Vocal phrasing: treating the guitar as an extension of the voice, with long held notes and sudden attacks
  • Rhythmic thumb bass: the fretting hand thumb often wraps around or the picking hand maintains a bass pattern while the slide moves on upper strings

The Resonator Acoustic #

The lesson is demonstrated on a resonator guitar, which amplifies the slide tone naturally through its cone. Open G is the traditional tuning for this instrument in a blues context. If you’re playing a standard steel-string acoustic, the technique is the same — the resonator just gives a more characterful sound.

Key Techniques Covered #

  • Positioning the slide correctly over the fret wire
  • Generating vibrato from the wrist rather than the fingers
  • Dampening strings behind the slide to control unwanted noise
  • Building a simple delta blues arrangement around a I–IV–V pattern

The Historical Context #

The video touches on Son House’s musical legacy and why his style was so influential. Understanding where this music came from makes the technique feel less like an exercise and more like a living tradition.

Who This Is For #

Intermediate slide players who want to explore the roots of Open G blues rather than just modern riff-based approaches. Some slide experience is helpful, but the lesson is accessible to motivated beginners.

Key Takeaways #

  • Son House’s vibrato and attack distinguish delta blues from smoother slide styles
  • Resonator guitar amplifies slide tone naturally but any acoustic works
  • The thumb and slide can work independently to create bass + melody simultaneously