I’m at the end of grade 2 after 2 years learning guitar. I’m really taking it slow and trying to consolidate all the things I leant.
In a few of the song lessons I’m learning for consolidation, there are solos or intros that involved string bending. Other than the string bends, the solos are not that difficult, for example, the solo in the intro of Wish you were here, the intro to Before you accuse me, etc.
I know that Justin doesn’t deal with string bending in a lesson until Grade 4. I guess that there are so many other important fundamental things to learn first.
So my question is: Would it be worth me jumping ahead to the string bending lesson and put in some time learning to bend strings ate this stage in my learning? Or instead, I could just do a work around (or cheat) for the moment by sliding my finger up one or 2 frets instead of bending. With this second option, I would then leave string bending until the 4th grade and concentrate now on consolidating what I have learnt in grades 1 and 2.
I had mixed success with string bending. Justin says that one of the string bends in the solo of WYWH is very challenging on an acoustic (I’m playing electric) and I didn’t have too much difficulty with that bend, especially if I bend the string down rather than up. However, some of the other bends in that solo are too difficult for me, even though he suggests that they are quite easy bends.
I would say the earlier you strat to practice string bending the easier it will become. I would separate the bending practice from songs for now. I am doing the BLIM3 course currently running and even though I had been bending string for a while it was far from perfect and still needs more practice.
Firstly if you have an electric guitar, if it is strung with a standard set of tens, then rime to go to super slinky, high e being an 8 to start. Quite a few people on the course have had issues with bending practice most switch to 9’s or 8’s sets.
The best way to practice bends is to start around the 9th fret on 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings, for a full note bend first sound a string at 2 frets above and then bend at the 9th(or chosen fret. You want to hear the same pitch at the bend. If you immediately release the bend you will get what is commonly know as the seagull effect, to stop this mute with the plan of your plucking hand or with the side of thumb. Sometime you will want a seagull but mostly not.
So repeat the exercise above on all 3 strings. Then half bends, so the pitch you are aiming for is a fret above the one you are bending.
Curls or 1/4 bends are quick deviations off pitch up, and then release.
If you spend 5 minutes a day practicing bends at say fret 5 to 9 on the strings 1 -4 higher strings mainly you will gradually improve as finger strength a technique improves.
Watch this recent Live for BLIM JG & Seth Rosenbloom for the techniques, the bend stuff is early and vibrato is later, a great lesson and guitarist.
Bending is fundamental, so if you’re starting to come across it, you may as well jump to it.
And the good thing is, like many of JGs lessons, his bending lessons are first class. Get the technique right first; the ‘feel’ will likely take a little longer
All the best.
As suggested, I will start to learn string bending as a stand-alone exercise following Justin’s lesson and for the moment in the songs, I’ll just do a slide.
Thanks a lot Adrian for this advice. I’ll watch Juston’s lesson first, taking into account what you wrote and I’ll watch the JG & Seth Rosenbloom video too.
I am going through the same right now. I am Grade 2 trying to learn the solo from Every Rose Has Its Thorn and there are bends over 2 strings for example.
I bumped into many problems like strings in the way goes under bending finger, playing open string when releasing or just I am not able to bend to it is in nice pitch and sound good. I am pretty sure also my anchor thumb is not right too… doing this on Tele.
How do you go with this learning and did you find any special tip on your journey how to learn that properly?
I watched few videos and asked AI to help, but getting to JG Community seems like best idea.
Thank you
For fun ChatGPT reply how to avoid open string no to ring.
short nails , grab the string with flesh just under the tip of the fingers ,its in between the tip of the finger and the flat , keep the fingers straight to avoid catching the upper strings with nails
to know the pitch of the note your aiming , strum the note 2 frets higher of your bend ( same string ) if you bend in fret 8 then strum first the note in fret 10 to hear the sound you should reach
@Prof_Thunder so you dont follow any separated routine for this?
@GrumpyMac Thank you, my nails are always as short as they can be. Even for picking hand (fingerstyle preference).
I am gonna focus more for one step bends first, because two steps is just too much to keep in mind technique and pitch. Every Rose has two steps bends.
I am also watching some Justins videos about bending. Would be best to not stop me on my Grade 2 progress, but working on that separe.
Bending is a force applied by forearm and wrist rotation, not finger extension. If you do it correctly, your fretting fingers remain curled. The contact point is not the very tip. If your fingers go under the thicker strings you are probably flattening them out by extending them which is incorrect technique. You need to maintain a curl that will meet and move the thicker strings up along with the string you are bending.
Lay the fleshy outer part of your picking hand on the thicker strings (similar to palm muting) to dampen any noise they might make during the bend or after it is released.
Begin with semitone bends on the G string. Anywhere between frets 7 and 12.
Play the fretted note. Move your finger to play the target note.
Play the fretted note. Bend to the target note.
Repeat many, many times.
Your thumb needs to reach up and over the top of the neck. You can not bend properly if your thumb is behind. You need a to create two opposing grip points … your thumb curling over the top and the side of your index finger against the bottom. The side of your index finger
remains in contact and is the pivot point against which the rotation takes place.
ps
When I say rotation, think of the motion your hand undergoes when turning a rounded door handle to open a door.
When BLIM Unit 1 lands on Monday, you will have a 10 part lesson on string bending. Spend a lot of time with it. Bending is one of the absolute core skills of blues playing.
Well I followed Justin’s lesson on this and I sometimes practice the exercises he recommends but not religiously. I also practice the solo if WYWH and incorporate the bends.
I think the advice given here by Richard @Richard_close2u is the most solid and useful advice I’ve seen about bending and not making the other strings sound out and not going under the other strings and I’m going to follow that advice.
@Richard_close2u Thank you Richard for really detailed answers to my questions. Guess I took bigger bite with Every Rose than I am capable now.
I will deep dive into really slow sessions of bending aiming for the technique, than time or “musicness”. Will do this separe and keep working on Grade 2.
That knob example is really great and it immediately made me turn the hand like that.
@Prof_Thunder Thank you for honest reply and I totaly understand. The rule of more you know, the more you know how low you know… is real and if I should count every technique or something special that occur with every new song or thing… I would feel too overwhelming.
I am still fighting a little in my head with fact I paused my fingerstyle (my main) and focused for pick again in Grade 2, but I know this path is for “bigger good”.
@GrumpyMac Thank you for sharing. Really interesting video with really detailed views. This is really helping.
String bending is easy when you use the right technique - hard when you don’t.
Justin has a great string bending lesson in the Blues Lead Essentials module in Grade4.
The lesson in BLIM is a newer lesson in which he breaks it down a bit more but it’s the exact same technique. (As described by Richard ^^)
