morningfield
Verified buyer
07/17/25
Thanks
Slide Soulshaker
Interactive Video Masterclass for Slide Guitar
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Rick Vito
Educator
Genres
About this course
“Rick Vito's guitar playing just slays me! His style is as cool and sharp as a '59 Cadillac tailfin.” – Bonnie Raitt
Slide guitar maestro Rick Vito has a touring, performing, and recording pedigree that reads like a Who’s Who of popular music. You’ve heard, seen, and been mesmerized by Rick’s guitar and slide prowess with John Mayall, Roger McGuinn, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Rita Coolidge, Maria Muldaur, Dolly Parton, Bob Seger (check out Like A Rock!), and famously with Fleetwood Mac. Rick’s vocals, songwriting and solo artist recording work is likewise uber impressive.
“Soulful singer, brilliant guitar player, you got to check out Rick Vito, for sure!” – Keb Mo’
We’re thrilled to welcome Rick to the family with his first TrueFire course, Slide Soulshaker! You will likewise be thrilled with Rick’s passionate educational chops as you play your way through this consummate electric slide guitar learning experience.
”I’ve been blessed to play, perform, and record with so many great artists and bands over the years. And for the last 25 years, I’ve had my own solo career as well. Playing slide guitar in these various settings allows me to set myself apart from other players and bring a special element to the music that might not have been there otherwise. The vocal qualities of slide guitar can truly be soulshaking!”
Rick organized the course into four sections. In the first section, Rick presents a variety of essential slide guitar techniques and concepts: The Philosophy of Slide, The Slide Itself, Guitar Selection for Slide, Action & Setup, Muting & Chording, Right-Hand Approaches, Pitch Precision & Vibrato, String Gauges & Character, and Amplifiers & Effects.
”This first section teaches how slide can add a different "color" to your playing. Getting past the sometimes frustrating early stages can be a daunting challenge, and we address that here. I hope to introduce you to the "magic" realm of what slide guitar has to offer to you as a guitarist that may be a little different than standard fingerstyle playing. Remember that the whole slide guitar thing had very humble, even primitive beginnings, so this style is wide open to any feel or technique you may have.”
In the second section’s series of lessons, Rick shares his creative approaches for rhythm parts, soloing, and playing interesting fills: The Vocal Quality of Slide, When to Use Slide for Rhythm, Slide Fills, and Building a Slide Solo, and Less is More.
”This section deals with how to figure out where to insert fills, playing rhythm on your slide guitar and how to create and build solos. It teaches how to develop your own personal freedom (a KEY word) when playing slide. This section will be very important in understanding and mastering "expression" on your instrument, the key to the heart and soul!”
Some of Rick’s favorite slide guitar tunings with some licks and tips for each of them are focused on in the third section: Standard Tuning, Open E & D Tuning, The Magic G String Tunings (this one worth the price of admission alone!), and Open A & G Tuning.
”The different tunings used in slide guitar have many ties and similarities also. Section 3 takes a closer look at a variety of tunings you can choose to use and some great licks that accompany them. You'll see how "E" and "D" tuning are related and contrasted, and also the same for "A" and "G" tuning. Standard tuning is often overlooked but is, in fact, an extremely versatile tuning that can sometimes be used when playing your standard fingerstyle guitar. Then there is the "Magic G String" tuning! I've recently discovered this secret little tuning trick that can produce great results for you too.”
Finally, in the fourth section, Rick improvised 10 slide soloing performance studies to illustrate the way he approaches soloing over a variety of feels and tempos. Rick performs the solos over backing tracks and then breaks them down emphasizing the concepts and techniques being applied.
”I'll play along with my pre-recorded tracks which will demonstrate most of what we've covered in the first three sections. I'll be playing to songs using the E tuning, standard tuning, D tuning, and finally G and A tuning. We'll cover how you can employ all of these in blues, rock & roll, country and R&B style songs, with plenty of useful licks to learn and develop your own way!”
Rick will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for each of the soloing performance studies. Plus, Rick includes all of the rhythm tracks for you to work with on your own. In addition, you’ll be able to loop or slow down any of the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let’s do some soulshaking with Rick Vito!
Slide guitar maestro Rick Vito has a touring, performing, and recording pedigree that reads like a Who’s Who of popular music. You’ve heard, seen, and been mesmerized by Rick’s guitar and slide prowess with John Mayall, Roger McGuinn, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Rita Coolidge, Maria Muldaur, Dolly Parton, Bob Seger (check out Like A Rock!), and famously with Fleetwood Mac. Rick’s vocals, songwriting and solo artist recording work is likewise uber impressive.
“Soulful singer, brilliant guitar player, you got to check out Rick Vito, for sure!” – Keb Mo’
We’re thrilled to welcome Rick to the family with his first TrueFire course, Slide Soulshaker! You will likewise be thrilled with Rick’s passionate educational chops as you play your way through this consummate electric slide guitar learning experience.
”I’ve been blessed to play, perform, and record with so many great artists and bands over the years. And for the last 25 years, I’ve had my own solo career as well. Playing slide guitar in these various settings allows me to set myself apart from other players and bring a special element to the music that might not have been there otherwise. The vocal qualities of slide guitar can truly be soulshaking!”
Rick organized the course into four sections. In the first section, Rick presents a variety of essential slide guitar techniques and concepts: The Philosophy of Slide, The Slide Itself, Guitar Selection for Slide, Action & Setup, Muting & Chording, Right-Hand Approaches, Pitch Precision & Vibrato, String Gauges & Character, and Amplifiers & Effects.
”This first section teaches how slide can add a different "color" to your playing. Getting past the sometimes frustrating early stages can be a daunting challenge, and we address that here. I hope to introduce you to the "magic" realm of what slide guitar has to offer to you as a guitarist that may be a little different than standard fingerstyle playing. Remember that the whole slide guitar thing had very humble, even primitive beginnings, so this style is wide open to any feel or technique you may have.”
In the second section’s series of lessons, Rick shares his creative approaches for rhythm parts, soloing, and playing interesting fills: The Vocal Quality of Slide, When to Use Slide for Rhythm, Slide Fills, and Building a Slide Solo, and Less is More.
”This section deals with how to figure out where to insert fills, playing rhythm on your slide guitar and how to create and build solos. It teaches how to develop your own personal freedom (a KEY word) when playing slide. This section will be very important in understanding and mastering "expression" on your instrument, the key to the heart and soul!”
Some of Rick’s favorite slide guitar tunings with some licks and tips for each of them are focused on in the third section: Standard Tuning, Open E & D Tuning, The Magic G String Tunings (this one worth the price of admission alone!), and Open A & G Tuning.
”The different tunings used in slide guitar have many ties and similarities also. Section 3 takes a closer look at a variety of tunings you can choose to use and some great licks that accompany them. You'll see how "E" and "D" tuning are related and contrasted, and also the same for "A" and "G" tuning. Standard tuning is often overlooked but is, in fact, an extremely versatile tuning that can sometimes be used when playing your standard fingerstyle guitar. Then there is the "Magic G String" tuning! I've recently discovered this secret little tuning trick that can produce great results for you too.”
Finally, in the fourth section, Rick improvised 10 slide soloing performance studies to illustrate the way he approaches soloing over a variety of feels and tempos. Rick performs the solos over backing tracks and then breaks them down emphasizing the concepts and techniques being applied.
”I'll play along with my pre-recorded tracks which will demonstrate most of what we've covered in the first three sections. I'll be playing to songs using the E tuning, standard tuning, D tuning, and finally G and A tuning. We'll cover how you can employ all of these in blues, rock & roll, country and R&B style songs, with plenty of useful licks to learn and develop your own way!”
Rick will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for each of the soloing performance studies. Plus, Rick includes all of the rhythm tracks for you to work with on your own. In addition, you’ll be able to loop or slow down any of the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let’s do some soulshaking with Rick Vito!
Recommended Guitar Slides
What you'll learn
- Navigate chord changes (I and V) with slide
- Use two-note seventh chord voicings
- Execute Bo Diddley-style rhythmic patterns
- Integrate rhythmic figures with lead licks
- Create musical conversation between rhythm and lead parts
Release date: 12/22/2018 • 2h 26m runtime
Sample lessons
Slidin' the Blues
Overview
Slidin' the Blues
Performance
Slidin' the Blues
Breakdown
Trouble
Overview
What's included
54 lessons • 22 charts • 10 Jam Tracks
Slide Soulshaker
Hi everyone, I'm Rick Vito and thank you for choosing my new course, Slide Soulshaker! I've been playing Slide throughout my entire 40+ year career and am happy to have this opportunity to give back to you what I've learned firsthand.
The course is divided into four sections. The first covers everything from basics like setting up your slide guitar, learning to mute, and other concepts essential for you to know in order to find success as a slide player. The second section gets deeper into soloing, rhythm and fills. After that, we'll look at different slide tunings, how they sound and tips on how to use them effectively. In the last section, I'll improvise along with my various blues, rock & roll and R&B tracks in various tunings which will all be in tab and notation for you to play along with.
I hope you find the course fun and that it will help you get to where you want to go! I look forward to your feedback and perhaps hearing from you sometime to hear of your progress. So, with all that said, let's SLIDE!
The course is divided into four sections. The first covers everything from basics like setting up your slide guitar, learning to mute, and other concepts essential for you to know in order to find success as a slide player. The second section gets deeper into soloing, rhythm and fills. After that, we'll look at different slide tunings, how they sound and tips on how to use them effectively. In the last section, I'll improvise along with my various blues, rock & roll and R&B tracks in various tunings which will all be in tab and notation for you to play along with.
I hope you find the course fun and that it will help you get to where you want to go! I look forward to your feedback and perhaps hearing from you sometime to hear of your progress. So, with all that said, let's SLIDE!
SECTION 1: Essential Concepts
This first section teaches how slide can add a different "color" to your playing. Getting past the sometimes frustrating early stages can be a daunting challenge, and we address that here. I hope to introduce you to the "magic" realm of what slide guitar has to offer to you as a guitarist that may be a little different than standard finger style playing. Remember that the whole slide guitar thing had very humble, even primitive beginnings, so this style is wide open to any feel or technique you may have.
The Philosophy of Slide
I find that creating your own personal philosophy on your approach to slide playing is essential. Developing your skills is a very subjective thing that is not necessarily bound by formal rules. The more you are able to "do it your way", the better, I say. In a nutshell, with slide guitar, "the feel is the deal!"
The Slide Itself
Here we take a look at some of the different kinds of slides you can choose to use. Today, there are many made of different materials that are available commercially, or you might even want to make your own (I tell how it was done way back when)! Each slide is capable of producing a different sound and action. It's all about doing some experimenting with different slides until you find your own personal slide comfort zone.
Guitar Selection for Slide
Virtually ANY guitar that feels and sounds good to you can be designated as your slide guitar. It can be a pawn shop special, a cheap import, or a more expensive USA made model. When you find the ideal guitar (or guitars) for you, set it up right and stick with it. Some of the best slide guitar ever recorded was played both on very humble instruments and instruments that are now worth a fortune, largely because of the slide music that was played on them by players we now know and love! I also give some suggestions on using certain guitars not often associated with slide to get unique sounds.
Action & Setup
If you decide to have a designated slide guitar as I recommend, it may work well for you to consider raising the height of your strings (the action). This and other tips in this segment will help you get a great tone out of your guitar. Think of the pure tones found in the sound of steel guitar and you'll get what I mean here. Again, I stress the importance of experimenting until you find what you feel is the right action for your playing on a personal level.
Muting & Chording
Learning the fine art of muting out unwanted notes and sounds is key to good slide playing. Here you can find some suggestions based on what I do to achieve good melodic flow that will eliminate extraneous noise or notes. This is a prime reason why many otherwise great guitarists give up too soon on playing slide guitar. We'll also take a look at chordal technique that does not require any muting at all.
+ 47 more lessons
Reviews
10 results
petew1108
Verified buyer
05/16/25
So you CAN play slide while using a pick! I don't feel like such an outlier anymore!
Great stuff! I like how he plays slide with a pick. I've not been able to nail down the ability to play slide with my fingers, so this was nice to see on this course.
Brenda
10/27/21
Slide on fire
A great demonstration of blues-rock with guitar and slide. His mastery of the guitar is admirable because he shows a feeling that is transmitted in each of his interpretations. The material that you have available is of quality and diverse since you can learn to develop solos and rhythms as well as to have certain variations that can serve you to obtain a wider repertoire with the slide. Undoubtedly, he is a recommended guitarist from whom you can learn a lot.
Jorge
10/23/21
Powerful slide
A spectacular guitarist who has a powerful technique with the slide, the distinction, style and use of the instrument are totally marked in the lesson. The content is varied and useful to learn how to master an element like the slide. The definitions of each process are well explained by the teacher, resulting in a fun and dynamic lesson that is highly recommended and generates a desire to progress and increase your techniques on the guitar. Rick Vito is a fantastic guitarist with a great feeling and technique.
Artist21
Verified buyer
06/20/20
Great Player and Teacher!!!
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