Question abt bending

[clean_distortion]

hi, this is my second post here on this forum. my question is: what is the correct technique for bending?

should i use two or more fingers to help support the bend? this makes it easier to bend (especially with the weaker fingers) but it is more time consuming and i sometimes find myself unable to execute rapid bends eg. clapton)

on the other hand, when i use only one finger sometimes i do not have enough strength to reach the proper pitch or to sustain the note.

hence, i would like to know whether there is a one CORRECT way of bending on the electric guitar. any help is very much appreciated and thanks for reading this long post!!!

P.S i've been playing for abt 3-4 months.

 

[Belbel]

Practice with one finger bends to build up strength. Think about it: you basically have 4 fingers available to play. If you need to use more than 1 to bend then instead of having 3 free fingers you have fewer, which will handicap you. Sure its hard at the beginning but once you have the strength you will really appreciate it. Especially practice bending alone with the pinky finger on the high e string.

 

[Luke]

hi, this is my second post here on this forum. my question is: what is the correct technique for bending?

should i use two or more fingers to help support the bend? this makes it easier to bend (especially with the weaker fingers) but it is more time consuming and i sometimes find myself unable to execute rapid bends eg. clapton)

You should because this makes your bends more accurate. You will get quicker the more your muscles get used to it. Repetition is the key.

on the other hand, when i use only one finger sometimes i do not have enough strength to reach the proper pitch or to sustain the note.

There you go. pitch is the most important thing when bending. I hardly ever use just one finger when i am bending unless its my index for a 1/4 semitone blues style bend at the end of a phrase.

If you are looking to practise bending, I would suggest the use of a tuner to check on the accuracy of the note you are bending to.

 

[clean_distortion]

hi, thanks for the replies. basically, does it mean that both ways are fine - as long as you can reach the correct pitch when bending?

btw, when i practice bending. i often play the actual note that im gonna bend to. then i bend the note to that pitch.

i.e 3rd string: play 7, then bend the 5 to 7.

 

[Luke]

Practice with one finger bends to build up strength. Think about it: you basically have 4 fingers available to play. If you need to use more than 1 to bend then instead of having 3 free fingers you have fewer, which will handicap you. Sure its hard at the beginning but once you have the strength you will really appreciate it. Especially practice bending alone with the pinky finger on the high e string.

I am sorry but I highly disagree with this. Bending down perhaps, and only maybe a minor 2nd but other than the middle finger, your other fingers need reinforcement.

Strength is all well and good but this will put you in the habit of tensing up your hand which makes for bad vibrato, overbending, and gripping the neck too tightly.

 

[Luke]

hi, thanks for the replies. basically, does it mean that both ways are fine - as long as you can reach the correct pitch when bending?

btw, when i practice bending. i often play the actual note that im gonna bend to. then i bend the note to that pitch.

i.e 3rd string: play 7, then bend the 5 to 7.

Thats a good way, and I am not trying to impune on your hearing but you might still not be bending exactly to pitch because your ears might not be as developed as they will be.

Practising with a tuner on, guarantees you accuracy.

 

[clean_distortion]

k thanks for the advice... you've been a great help.

 

[RebirthX]

Hmm... When I do bend with heavy distortion...
I always get unwanted noise coming from... example...
I bend first string, will touch second string...
So when I un-bend... the sound came out...

 

[clean_distortion]

yeah... sometimes i get that too.... :lol:

i find that it happens when i force the bend too much.

 

[Luke]

Hmm... When I do bend with heavy distortion...
I always get unwanted noise coming from... example...
I bend first string, will touch second string...
So when I un-bend... the sound came out...

Its good that you're aware of it. Alot of guitar players aren't.

Sometimes a little string noise is cool because it fits the music but its better when you are able to control when you want it to surface in your solo.

You just have to learn to mute the strings you want to keep quiet. You have a couple options. Your right hand can do it. Or for example if I am bending with my ring finger, I use my middle and index to support the bend but I push my middle finger just a little higher so it mutes ths string above it.

I think Clapton does kind of the same thing.

Also, alot of distortion doesn't make you sound heavier. If fact, because of the higher gain, it makes things like string noise, louder and harder to get rid of.

I would lay of a little of the gain and you will see that not only will your playing sound more clean, your tone will still be as heavy as it was.

 

[hifi_killer]

I used more than 1 finger to bend just for the 1st few frets, which is insanely difficult to achieve a 2 step bend. Sometimes i use 2 fingers for bends on the high e string which is sometimes equally difficult to achieve a 2 step bend, and also sometimes 2 fingers for vibrato while bending the string. Other than these exceptions, i use 1 finger for bends all the time. If you use 1 finger to bend it is also less likely that you will touch the adjacent strings, thus reduce the the unwanted noise.

 

[Vaiyen]

Hmm... When I do bend with heavy distortion...
I always get unwanted noise coming from... example...
I bend first string, will touch second string...
So when I un-bend... the sound came out...

Its good that you're aware of it. Alot of guitar players aren't.

Sometimes a little string noise is cool because it fits the music but its better when you are able to control when you want it to surface in your solo.

You just have to learn to mute the strings you want to keep quiet. You have a couple options. Your right hand can do it. Or for example if I am bending with my ring finger, I use my middle and index to support the bend but I push my middle finger just a little higher so it mutes ths string above it.

I think Clapton does kind of the same thing.

Also, alot of distortion doesn't make you sound heavier. If fact, because of the higher gain, it makes things like string noise, louder and harder to get rid of.

I would lay of a little of the gain and you will see that not only will your playing sound more clean, your tone will still be as heavy as it was.

OR,
your action is too low. Raise your action to the point where the string you're bending can slide under the adjacent string, thus minimising contact between strings. I can never bend with very low action.

 

[dhalif]

i use 3 fingers to do it..

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

well i suppose u could use 1 finger to bend... but u'd need to force a lot of strength... which may affect speed picking if u're doing bends in the middle of it... rapid bends with 3 fingers are easy... rapid bends with 1 is er... :?

 

[ac88]

You just have to learn to mute the strings you want to keep quiet. You have a couple options. Your right hand can do it. Or for example if I am bending with my ring finger, I use my middle and index to support the bend but I push my middle finger just a little higher so it mutes ths string above it.

erm Luke, can explain the part on "pushing my middle finger higher to move the string above it" ?

is the middle finger used in the string bending
or isit off the bending string but muting the next string? cuz if im using both 'my middle and index to support the bend', then how to 'push the middle finger a little higher'? or maybe you could show a picture or something?

im having this problem of accidently ringing the next string after a bend, and would really like to solve this problem... wheehehe, Luke, help me!!

 

[ac88]

You just have to learn to mute the strings you want to keep quiet. You have a couple options. Your right hand can do it. Or for example if I am bending with my ring finger, I use my middle and index to support the bend but I push my middle finger just a little higher so it mutes ths string above it.

erm Luke, can explain the part on "pushing my middle finger higher to move the string above it" ?

is the middle finger used in the string bending
or isit off the bending string but muting the next string? cuz if im using both 'my middle and index to support the bend', then how to 'push the middle finger a little higher'? or maybe you could show a picture or something?

im having this problem of accidently ringing the next string after a bend, and would really like to solve this problem... wheehehe, Luke, help me!!

 

[Creeping_Deth]

How far should I bend and not overbend? My friends encourage me to bend as hard as I can but wont that be overbending?

 

[Vaiyen]

you should bend till where your ears tell you to stop.