Homespun

Nothing creates a sound quite like a bottleneck slide, which is why it is used in everything from Delta blues to finger style folk tunes and even ragtime. All well-rounded guitarists need to know this style, and Mike Dowling's "Bottleneck - Blues And Beyond" is the best way we know to catch the spirit.

On his accessible, easy-to-comprehend follow-up lesson, Mike Dowling teaches precision bottleneck techniques designed to broaden your repertoire, textures and rhythms. Mike starts by teaching his unique version of Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor which uses a rumba beat in Open G tuning. His funky, irrepressible Drop Down Mamais an absolute classic, a fantastic lesson in syncopation and groove. From there, try D minor tuning for a haunting vocal and guitar version of The Cuckoo. After some tips on Open D tuning, Dowling launches into a study of his own tune Street Corner Rag. This fantastic piece includes finger picking, syncopation and slide enhancements for a true tour-de-force of bottleneck guitar work.

Along the way, Mike tosses in many tips on how to use the slide, as well as his alternating thumb, for maximum effect. His "toolbox tips" on turnarounds, strumming, arranging a tunelike "Railroad Bill" and what Mike calls "ornamentation" rounds out this powerful lesson.