Description
Vastapol, or open-D tuning (D A D F# A D, lowest string to highest), was once called the “learning tuning” by bluesman Furry Lewis. Long associated with country blues and other roots styles, it's especially well suited to fluid, vocal-like slide lines.
In this lesson, Elsie covers a few essentials of slide technique: wear the slide on your fourth finger, keep your thumb anchored behind the neck, and use the remaining fingers to either fret notes or mute unwanted string noise. A light touch is crucial—good slide playing depends on strategic muting and accurate intonation.
To get from standard tuning to open D, lower strings 1 and 6 from E to D, string 2 from B to A, and string 3 from G to F#. Then, try the foundational example Elsie demonstrates, which combines an alternating open-D bass line with notes from the D Mixolydian mode (D E F# G A B C) on the first string. And remember: slide playing is all about keeping things clean.