Resonator guitars have been a mainstay in folk, blues, and bluegrass music for years. There are two main types, the square neck resonator that sits on the lap, and the round neck version which is played like a standard guitar. This post is intended for mostly round neck resonators and using a bottleneck slide. Here are five ways to improve your resonator playing with a bottleneck.

1. Use an open tuning. The most common tunings for resonator and slide guitar are Open G, Open A, and open D. In these tunings the guitar is tuned to an open chord.

2. Practice with recordings or backing tracks. This will help you tune your slide playing to the band or music going on around you. If you practice without a reference you may develop bad intonation habits.

3. Listen to the masters of the style. Most of resonator masters are the blues guitarists from the early 20th century, like Son House and Tampa Red.

4. Learn the vocabulary. Starting with several licks from the masters you’ve checked out will give you some things to play and a point of departure.

5. Keep fresh strings on your guitar. Make sure that your guitar is setup properly and you change the strings regularly to keep in in tune and preserve the tone of your resonator..