Bending
- Thread starter ColD
- Start date
Accurate bending is all about three things really:
1) Listening
2) Strength
3) Technique
Number 2 there is easy enough if you remember to support your bending finger wherever possible. So, If you're bending with your ring finger, make sure your index and middle fingers are pushed in behind it to provide support.
For Number 3, make sure you're not bending just your fingers..that won't really work and is a common mistake. The motion needs to come by using your forearm muscles and rotating your wrist...imagine turning a door knob..that kind of action.
And finally, the hardest of the 3, Listening....you have to get used to having the target note you're bending to firmly lodged in your ear/brain. A good way to practice this is to play the note you want to bend to..say A on the G string at the 14th fret (this is the easiest area of the guitar to bend on due to the string tension, so start off by practising here)..play that A note, listen to it..sing it out loud a few times..get it so you know what that note sounds like.....and then go down to the 12 fret on the G string and using the technique described above, push up until your ear senses you have reached your destination.
It's also really helpful to record yourself doing this..it keeps you honest.
Rinse and repeat. For many months/years.
I know Mark has some really good vids on this, hunt them out, or I'm sure he'll post them here.
1) Listening
2) Strength
3) Technique
Number 2 there is easy enough if you remember to support your bending finger wherever possible. So, If you're bending with your ring finger, make sure your index and middle fingers are pushed in behind it to provide support.
For Number 3, make sure you're not bending just your fingers..that won't really work and is a common mistake. The motion needs to come by using your forearm muscles and rotating your wrist...imagine turning a door knob..that kind of action.
And finally, the hardest of the 3, Listening....you have to get used to having the target note you're bending to firmly lodged in your ear/brain. A good way to practice this is to play the note you want to bend to..say A on the G string at the 14th fret (this is the easiest area of the guitar to bend on due to the string tension, so start off by practising here)..play that A note, listen to it..sing it out loud a few times..get it so you know what that note sounds like.....and then go down to the 12 fret on the G string and using the technique described above, push up until your ear senses you have reached your destination.
It's also really helpful to record yourself doing this..it keeps you honest.
Rinse and repeat. For many months/years.
I know Mark has some really good vids on this, hunt them out, or I'm sure he'll post them here.
paulskirocks
Blue Zone Compliant
More distortion, reverb, and delay? It may still sound like a howling cat, but it will sound like you meant it...
