Ask Brendan Columns » I want to Play Like Slash 12/02

I want to Play Like Slash 12/02

Published on December 1st, 2002 in Ask Brendan Columns

Ask Brendan is a monthly column where Guitar Educator, Brendan Burns, answers questions about music and the pursuit of Understanding and Mastering the guitar.

I WANT TO PLAY LIKE SLASH

December 02

Q: Brendan, I like the way Slash, the old guitarist from Guns n’ Roses, plays the guitar. What can I do to sound more like him?

B: There are two things that can help you sound more like Slash. First, spend some time with the minor pentatonic scale. Slash is a master of the minor pentatonic scale. Second, find some transcriptions and play along with Guns n’ Roses cds. By playing along with accurate transcriptions you can trace Slash’s finger movements and his pentatonic direction. Playing just with the cd is also powerful. Tap into that “mimicking” instinct and play licks like he is, or try just following his direction. These exercises can help you access and dissect what you think is amazing about Slash or any guitarist.

I’ve added a PDF file of the pentatonics on the Quickview page. Click here to open the pdf file.

Hints: The more you can understand the minor pentatonic scale the easier it will be to mimic Slash’s playing. Start by learning Form I. Then learn Form II and attach it to your understanding of Form I. Then learn Form III and add it to Form I and II.

4 Responses

  • Victor Torres says:
    Saturday, 26th April 2008 at 10:36 am

    Hi, I just happen to bump into this site and I believe is great!

    I am also interested in Slash technique and tone. Could you update this link? the one from december the 2nd (“I WANT TO PLAY LIKE SLASH”) is not working anymore.

    Also, could you give us an example on the generic amp setup for his sound?

  • brendanburns says:
    Monday, 28th April 2008 at 1:45 am

    Victor,
    Thanks for the note. I’ve updated the link to point to the PDF file. Thanks for the heads-up on the broken link.
    As far as Slash’s tone goes, that’s a big subject. I think he’s partial to Marshall amps, but truthfully I haven’t looked into what he’s playing through for a while. If you want to do a little investigating, try GuitarWorld or GuitarPlayer, they might have an article on Slash’s gear in their archives.

  • Victor Torres says:
    Saturday, 7th June 2008 at 11:18 am

    Awesome! I was able to download the file this time! Thanks a bunch!
    I’ve been on the road for a while, so I hadn’t have the chance to look at it till now. I have a Korg effects console that I’ve been trying to setup to my fav’s players. What I am looking for is something like a generic setup for that kind of console, but in a generic way.

    Something like:

    Gain (0-5) : 3
    Sustain (0-5): 4
    etc…

    Something that could be adapted to any console brand. I know it is not an easy thing, but I believe it would be very helpful not only for me.
    I’ll take your advice and check on GuitarWorld and GuitarPlayer also.

    Thanks again for keeping an eye on the comments!

  • brendanburns says:
    Wednesday, 11th June 2008 at 1:17 pm

    I know very little about the Korg effect consoles, but I remember trying to get that sound out of a Peavey practice amp. It takes a little experimenting, but keep listening to recordings and then listening to your playing. As you make your ears susceptible to the nuances in his playing, your fingers will make a change. This may seem strange, but a lot of Slash’s tone is in his fingers.
    Best of luck, and remember: Frustration leads to progress.



Contact:

Brendan Burns | 857.540.2523 | mail@brendanburns.com