How To Play Guitar Like Derek Trucks

By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer

Derek Trucks is a virtuoso slide guitarist who has been playing with famous rock groups like the Allman Brothers Band since he was a teen. While slide blues guitarists may have been his early inspiration, he has since added Latin and Indian scales to his unique styles. This is what helps him stand out amongst other slide players, and allows him to remain an inspiration to anyone learning how to play guitar. Here are some tips and tricks to play guitar in the style of Derek Trucks. 

Slide Blues Guitar Basics

Slide blues guitar is a 100-year-old genre with famous Mississippi Delta blues players like Elmore James. These musicians initially used simple one-string, diddly bows, and a slide to move along the notes chromatically, giving a blues effect. A slide can be made of metal, glass, or really any device that allows you to properly cover the strings. It is a tradition to make your own (but it is fine to buy one to start out).

Over the years slide guitar was a part of blues, country, and Hawaiian genres, probably the most famous example is Duane Allman’s solo on the song “Layla.” Derek Trucks carries on the tradition of James and Allman by playing these same slide styles but with a modern twist. And before you can start playing like Derek Trucks or even Elmore James there are some important slide guitar pointers. 

• Any guitar works as a slide guitar if the action is higher. That way as you lightly press the slide against the strings it will not hit the frets and cause buzzing. Each guitar will require just the right amount of slide pressure. Make sure the bass and treble strings are equally covered.

• Derek Trucks uses a bottleneck glass slide but you can use whatever is comfortable. It can go on your ring finger, or any you choose, it is best to use what is easiest to control at first.

• The guitar can be played on your lap or upright as normal. The key is to lightly dampen/mute the strings with the finger before the slide that way you keep away squeaky noises. This is the hardest part of slide guitar, stopping unwanted string interference!

• Different string styles can lead to less buzzing, but it is mostly about your grip and string muting. If you are hearing bad sounds it is more likely poor technique as opposed to your string makeup.

• You are not fretting the guitar so finding the right note is more of a feel rather than an exact spot. This is why it can have such a bluesy vibe as the notes are wavy. As you get the hang of the slide feel, it will be easier to make this movement sound pleasant and groovy.

• Open tunings are the easiest way to start. Derek Trucks uses open E (EBEG#BE) the most and this makes it easy to know what guitar scales you are on. With open E tuning the third fret is a G chord, the sixth fret a C chord, and the eighth a D chord. Be sure to use a guitar tuner when tuning open.

• Blues songs are often in a I-IV-V variation in a 12-bar pattern. Start playing the G chord for a couple of measures then move up to the C chord, do this back and forth, and keep it as clean as possible. To end the riff we move up to the D and return to the G and repeat. Get this pattern down and jam on it until no errant sounds are made. Playing standard guitar chords in open tuning might take a minute to get used to, so work slowly and patiently.

• If too many bad sounds occur it may mean your action is too low or your playing needs improvement. Slide guitar seems super easy when you watch it but making it smooth and cool is no easy feat!

Playing Slide Guitar Like Derek Trucks

Slide guitar is a completely different instrument than a regular fretted guitar. Unlike shredding you’re not going for perfection and intense speed. With slides, you are often playing slower, more deliberately, and with emotion. Just getting the string muting right will take more time before you can start focusing on that emotion.

After you have a basic I-IV-V blues progression feel down, you can start playing more specific notes and scales in your E tuning. If you are a complete beginner as a slide player it will be hard to jump right into Derek Trucks tablature, but if you listen to him play while reading it, you will start to pick up more of his style.

• When you first open slide guitar tablature it can seem overwhelming, so break down small licks at first. Just take a couple of measures and play the lick repeatedly. Not only will you learn the song, but he uses similar licks in other tunes.

• Normally with slide guitar, blues scales are the standard practice, but Derek uses a variety of world scales beyond Western music. Once you have some basic blues scales down, start practicing more unique intervals. His playing seems so unique because he moves beyond the usual blues.

• Slide guitarists can use picks when playing, but like Derek Trucks, you can try fingerstyle. This can give you more ability to manipulate the overall tone of the composition, and there isn’t as much hurry in our playing. It also makes it easier to mute errant strings when using your fingers.

• To get the proper guitar tone we need the normal settings of an overdriven blues guitar sound. On most amps, this would be just enough gain to provide some crunch, the treble high on 7-8, the mids around 3-5, and the bass low around 2-3. In slide blues, we need the smooth string sound to cut through the mix.

• There are no pedals or distortion to hide mistakes with this setup so it is important to play the slide as cleanly as possible. You will know right away if you have any problems as they will sound terrible. Again, slide guitar seems easy, but it isn’t!

• Derek Trucks has spent many years perfecting this slide craft. So don’t be surprised if you have trouble jumping into his style. Just tune your guitar to open E and start jamming with some blues backing tracks. Don’t worry about his style, just improvise, and focus on getting a clean and emotive sound

Obviously, you will not be able to play guitar like Derek Trucks in a short period of time, any slide guitar is going to take practice as it is like a whole new instrument! Just find a nice slide, and a comfortable grip, and keep the action high so you can focus on a clean sound with no shrill squeaks! As you get the movement right, start focusing on scales and licks and you may not make it to the level of Derek Trucks, but you will be able to sling some heavy slide guitar riffs!