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What's the secret to bending strings?

If you watch any great guitarist play, they make it look easy. But that's only because they have put in the thousands of hours of practice that it takes.

Here's a few tips on string bending:

Always wrap your thumb around the neck when you bend strings. This is contrary to "classical technique" but string bending is a modern electric guitar technique so if you're stuck on following the rules, this is the time to bend them.

Your thumb will serve as an anchor and pivot point when you are bending. Have a look at some videos of the great guitarists and watch how they do it.

The most common mistake amateur guitarists make when they try to bend strings is that they push with their fingers. That is not the way to do it. Your fingers' job is to keep the string pressed to the fret. The bending motion comes entirely from rotating the wrist.

Here's how to get the hang of it:

Find a door with a knob. Open the door with your fretting hand. Guess what? The motion you just made is exactly the right motion for bending strings. Do it a few more times and pay attention to how it feels.

Now, go back to your guitar. Bring your hand up to the neck and remember to wrap your thumb around. Relax your arm. Practice making the doorknob motion using your thumb as a pivot point and anchor.

After you've gone through the motions, start trying to bend fretted notes. The easiest note to start with is the 12th fret on the B string. Don't go for anything over a half step to start. Practice slowly, and try to hold the bent notes as long as you can to build up stamina.

If you can get the hang of bending, you will be able to add some of the most expressive sounds to your guitar vocabulary.

Scott Anderson is a guitarist, teacher, and writer.

http://teammethodguitar.weebly.com

// posted by lhtbx @ 7:38 AM