String bend question

1

Working on Blues string bending. Can’t seem to bend E string a fulltone up without my fingers slipping beneath the B string. When I do push into B and G string, I can’t seem to get the note all the way in tune (experiencing a flat seagull).

Just a normal part of the process, or am I missing something in the technique?

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2

Electric or acoustic?

Usually your catching the othr strings on your finger as you bend up, your using the bottom 3rd of your pad for the actual string and the rest for the others, and try muting with your the thumb etc so you dont hear those others

Is getting the note an issue with this or just cant bend far enough? If so what strings?

3

Electric, using a light gage strings (don’t remember the brand).

I can’t seem to bend far enough, but when I do get the bend far, the B string is literally on top of my fretting finger (sitting on the nail). That doesn’t seem right.

4

Have you watched Justin’s lesson ? As I am sure he covers this, sounds like your fingers are not flat enough.

5

“light” is 10 by the standard jargon. I prefer 9 or 8 myself, and I don’t have weak hands.

The lessons Justin has should be your primary rosource. Here are some things that seem appropriate for your description of the problem:

  • use more than one finger to bend. I cannot bend a 10 with just finger 3.
  • yes, a full bend will run into the next string and a little of the the one above that.
  • the strings should bunch up together, not slip above or below your main bending
    finger. Are you pressing down too hard or too vertical to the fretboard?
  • be sure to rotate the forearm+wrist, not flex the fingers - watch the videos. :slight_smile:
6

Yup. I’m in BLIM2 working my way through.

7

Probably pressing too hard. Thanks. Will continue to adjust to find it.

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8

Here is what my bend looks like viewing down the strings. a very slight moverment of the second string up. The adjacent string is against my finger tip.

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9

My first two thoughts are [1] technique - including hand and finger position and [2] guitar action and setup.

It is a little difficult to make it out from the photograph, due to camera angle - it seems your fingers are arriving at the string to bend almost parallel with the frets rather than angling in from a hand position behind the fretted note.

Here is a screenshot of Justin bending the B string a whole tone.

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Here is a screenshot of Justin bending the E string a whole tone.

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Both taken from this Technique lesson: https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/string-bending-technique-te-106

RE: your action and setup. If the action is high then it is very easy for your finger(s), on a bend, to slip underneath the thicker strings. If you apply too much downward pressure, you are creating the effect of a high action too - and pressing your notes sharp in the process.

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10

I’m actually working on this currently and although mostly achieving clean Full & 1/ 2 bends, on electric 10s, I just cannot get rid of those pesky seagulls … it sounds like I am playing near a land-fill site … :thinking: