slide trouble tuning to play in different keys.

Im quite new at learning slide my technique seems fine im gliding alright and not getting any buzzes or stuff, but its the tuning aspect that i am having trouble with,say im sliding in standard tuning in the key of a song say its a am penatonic solo when i slide just as i would pick the sound doesnt seem right sure theres vibrato BUT IT SOUNDS OUT OF TUNE EVEN THOUGH IM WITHIN THE SCALE . How do i tune up so the slide sounds correct in any key.

When you play with a slide, you HAVE to play with the slide ABOVE the fretwire, not between frets. I have no idea why, but it's true!

Afro

It's because the pitch of the note depends on the length of the string that is allowed to vibrate (as well as the tension in the string and the thickness of it). When you push down between two frets, the string is pushed down against the fret that is nearer to the body of the guitar, and the string is allowed to vibrate from that fret down to the bridge. When using a slide, you don't push the string against the fret, you just lightly rest the slide on the string, and the string vibrates from the slide down to the bridge. To play in tune, you must match the pitch of the string vibrating from the fret to the bridge to the pitch of the string vibrating from the slide to the bridge, and therefore the length must be the same.

Ah, that makes perfect sense - cheers for that!

Afro