Which finger do I put the slide on?
Generally, it's either the pinky or ring finger, but there have been some notable exceptions.
What material the slide should be made of?
Slides are available in several materials including brass, chrome, glass & bone.
I lean towards brass for a rougher, more growling sound, and chrome for a smoother, warmer sound. Glass is well-suited to electric guitar, since generally you play with lighter strings and the lighter weight helps the overall feel. People improvise with beer bottles all the time while gigging in bars, as well as one blues player who uses an old-fashioned antacid bottle. I haven't tried bone yet, but I'd love some feedback from anyone who has, so feel free to comment.
Note:
(If your fingers sweat a lot, brass tends to leave a green slimy residue that isn't much of a big deal, except that it's gross as hell...)
How long should the slide be?
This is really dependent on personal preference, but generally it's good to size the slide relative to the length and girth of your slide finger. If the tip of your finger pokes out a little bit, you can feel which string you're on and it facilitates overall sensitivity.
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