In his comment to my post of last Sunday, Jim G. requested “a little slide guitar.”

So, my friend, and friends: here you go.

“Tool Box” by Eric Sinclair

I’ve been playing slide guitar for quite awhile now. When I started, I would go out, in nice weather, and sit on our small back porch after dinner to practice. As I’ve improved, I find it to be a wonderfully expressive way to breathe life into even the most common melody. I started out with “Amazing Grace” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Then I learned “Sitting On Top Of The World,” based on an arrangement by Folk singer Jim Ringer. “Tool Box” is my first successful original slide guitar instrumental.

For playing slide, I use my high-action, mahogany body, 1970’s Harmony acoustic (my first guitar). It is strung with medium gauge strings, including an even heavier 1st string, and tuned to an open-D tuning. I pick with bare fingers and use either a thick glass or heavy, tapered brass slide worn on my left hand pinky finger.

When my daughter first heard this piece, she asked what it was called. I told her it was called “Tool Box.” When she asked why, I answered: “Because it has a lot of hammer-ons in it.”

Much eye-rolling ensued.

I hope you enjoy it.