Slides

Slide. The notation for a slide is either a straight line or curved arc between the initial and terminal notes, annotated with either the expression Slide or the abbreviation sl. When first introduced and later followed by abbreviation sl the annotation is Slide (sl).

Slide often requires compact notation, therefore the annotation may be introduced by the in-line abbreviation sl. When the abbreviation sl appears in-line, it appears at the beginning of the line. A slide may also be indicated with no initial or no terminal note.

Slide implies that the notes are sustained for the duration indicated without interruption. It provides no further information about its release, or fingering.

A straight line as in Examples 1 and 2 represent constant rate of pitch change. The slope of the line remains constant.

Example 1 illustrates how to introduce Slide (sl) in a composition. The guitarist interprets the straight line between A and C to mean a slide from A to C and that sl is an abbreviation for later slides in the score. Example 2 is an example of the abbeviation sl to slide from A to C. Repeated occurrences of identical usage may omit the annotation.

Example 3 illustrates an in-line abbreviation to slide from A to C. Example 4 illustrates a slide from C to an unspecified terminal note.

Rate of Pitch Change. The curved arc between the initial and terminal notes represents the pitch change as the guitarist moves the left hand. The rate of pitch change is the ratio of the distance traveled by the hand over time. A curved arc represents a change in the rate of pitch change. The slope of the curved arc varies according to the speed of the hand at time t.

Example 5, a curved arc with a steeper slope followed by a more gradual slope illustrates faster drop in pitch closer to the initial note and slower drop closer to the terminal note. Example 6, a curved arc with a more gradual slope followed by a steeper slope illustrates slower drop in pitch closer to the initial note and faster drop closer to the terminal note.

Example 7, a curved arc with a more gradual slope followed by a steeper slope illustrates slower rise in pitch closer to the initial note and faster rise closer to the terminal note. Example 8, a curved arc with a steeper slope followed by a more gradual slope illustrates faster rise in pitch closer to the initial note and slower rise closer to the terminal note.