It’s well worth experimenting using the slide on different fingers but you will probably settle on one that suits you and becomes your favourite. Mine is my ring finger and I will explain why.
There are pros and cons for each finger, so let’s have a look at why you might want to choose a particular finger.
Play Guitar Slide on Your Ring Finger
This is my preferred option. My ring finger is fairly strong and can move the slide fairly easily up and down the neck. Leaving my forefinger and middle finger free for fretting is helpful, but I still find using my little finger to fret is a bit difficult due to the slide getting in the way.
Play Guitar Slide on Your Middle Finger
This is my second choice. Again my middle finger is strong and I find it fairly easy to control the slide. The added bonus with using this finger is that my forefinger and ring finger help to steady the slide. I just have to be careful that my ring finger is sitting high enough on the side of the slide so that it doesn’t touch the guitar strings as this will deaden the sound. However, I don’t find this so easy to use my fingers to add the odd fretted notes.
Play Guitar Slide on Your Forefinger
In some ways you would think that this finger is the obvious choice. When I’m playing one finger chords without a slide I always use my forefinger. Yet I find it quite cumbersome to play with a slide on that finger.
It’s not just due to the fact that I need to keep my other fingers well out of the way to avoid deadening the string sound. I also don’t have the benefit of any fingers behind the slide to help deaden any unwanted fret buzz.
I also find it a bit awkward to get my wrist in a good position. It feels like my wrist has to bend at an uncomfortable angle.
Play Guitar Slide on Your Little Finger
I find this very tricky. Although I gain the use of 3 strong fingers for fretting, my little finger is a bit too weak to control a heavy slide. This is my least preferred option.
Pros And Cons For Using A Particular Finger For Slide Guitar
| FINGER | PROS | CONS |
| FOREFINGER | strong finger gives good control can use other fingers for fretted notes | no fingers behind side to prevent fret buzz may find this needs an awkward wrist angle |
| MIDDLE FINGER | strong finger gives good control can use other fingers for fretted notes ring and forefinger to steady slide | need to hold ring finger off strings harder to fret odd notes |
| RING FINGER | strong finger gives good control can use other fingers for fretted notes middle & forefinger prevent fret buzz | |
| LITTLE FINGER | can use other fingers for fretted notes | weakest finger lacks control |
Other Things To Consider When Choosing Which finger To Use For A Guitar Slide
Different fingers have different diameters so you may find that the diameter of one finger fits better with your slide. However if your slide is too big for a particular finger, you can try packing the slide with something.
A finger plaster stuck on the inside of the slide can make it just that little bit easier to control, but if you need something a bit more substantial, try using some EVA foam available from craft stores or online. It is also called funky foam.
Just cut the foam to size. You can overlap it if it’s too thin to reduce the slide diameter enough.
I haven’t felt the need to attach the foam to the slide because I find it grips the slide, but you could use double sided sticky tape if you want.
Conclusion
You can play slide on any finger that feels comfortable to you. Experiment, just like I did, because what you find best to start with may become harder as you get more proficient in your playing.
You also might find that a particular finger suits better for pure slide playing and a different finger gives you more flexibility if you want to add the odd fretted note.
Further Reading
I have a few articles and YouTube videos if you are a beginner interested in exploring slide guitar further:
