Lesson request
- Thread starter ColD
- Start date
Welcome! 
I'm assuming you play electric guitar with light/medium gauge strings.
I would start on the G string at the 12th fret (string tension here is easier to deal with), with the aim of bending up to the A note heard at the 14th fret.
1) Fret the A note at the 14th fret and play it a few times listening carefully to the pitch. Sing it out loud, keep that pitch in your head!
2) Now, fret the G note at the 12 fret with your ring finger and supported by your index and middle finger, push the string up till you get to the A note. When you think you've got it, keep playing the bent note, and sing it out loud!. Then release the bend and check against the 14th fret A note to see how close you got. This will probably take a lot of practice. When you're comfortable, move on to other strings and fretboard locations. Be careful not to hurt yourself!..it's easily done, so take your time and warm up by shaking your hands out and by playing what you normally play for at least 10 minutes before trying this type of focussed exercise.
I'm sure that others will chip in, but I did it by learning guitar solo's I liked note for note and then trying exercises as described above to improve my accuracy. Learning solo's note for note also taught me about the different types of vibrato that players typically add to bent notes.
I'm assuming you play electric guitar with light/medium gauge strings.
I would start on the G string at the 12th fret (string tension here is easier to deal with), with the aim of bending up to the A note heard at the 14th fret.
1) Fret the A note at the 14th fret and play it a few times listening carefully to the pitch. Sing it out loud, keep that pitch in your head!
2) Now, fret the G note at the 12 fret with your ring finger and supported by your index and middle finger, push the string up till you get to the A note. When you think you've got it, keep playing the bent note, and sing it out loud!. Then release the bend and check against the 14th fret A note to see how close you got. This will probably take a lot of practice. When you're comfortable, move on to other strings and fretboard locations. Be careful not to hurt yourself!..it's easily done, so take your time and warm up by shaking your hands out and by playing what you normally play for at least 10 minutes before trying this type of focussed exercise.
I'm sure that others will chip in, but I did it by learning guitar solo's I liked note for note and then trying exercises as described above to improve my accuracy. Learning solo's note for note also taught me about the different types of vibrato that players typically add to bent notes.
Last edited:
John Watt
Banned
What about more than just one note, presumably for lead parts?
Start right away with three finger tips, bending an open A chord to the next fret, maybe two.
If you're going to get into bending strings, you should be building up your finger strength,
so you can bend those chords too. That puts you in the post-Hendrix era.
It's nice for imitation steel and violin effects.
You could also practice a minor chord, barred or not, and use one finger to bend a note.
My favorite Jimi playing chords and bending notes is the final chord of the verse in "Little Wing".
He's playing a D on the bass E, and using an open G chord formation, suspends the inline triad,
and picks a note on the middle triad string, bending it, and moving it back and forth with the other string.
I love playing like that. I feel like I'm jamming with myself.
Start right away with three finger tips, bending an open A chord to the next fret, maybe two.
If you're going to get into bending strings, you should be building up your finger strength,
so you can bend those chords too. That puts you in the post-Hendrix era.
It's nice for imitation steel and violin effects.
You could also practice a minor chord, barred or not, and use one finger to bend a note.
My favorite Jimi playing chords and bending notes is the final chord of the verse in "Little Wing".
He's playing a D on the bass E, and using an open G chord formation, suspends the inline triad,
and picks a note on the middle triad string, bending it, and moving it back and forth with the other string.
I love playing like that. I feel like I'm jamming with myself.
ColD
WannaBe
TA Guys this is all good stuff. With the hearing it, I think I'm not pushing it far enough and quite often fouling on the other strings, should I damp those I'm not playing with? Really appreciating the feedback. Also lovin' that the dudes that are teaching me are across the globe. MUSIC food for the soul and apparently universal. CHEERS.
Hey there! Give this one a try: http://markweinguitarlessons.com/fo...nding-quot-In-Time-quot-and-quot-In-Tune-quot
