In this lesson, we'll take a look at different types of bends that you can use in your rock playing. Using bends in a tasteful way can really make your playing stand out by giving it a nice fluid feel.

Bends are achieved by fretting a note and picking it, and while it's still ringing, you either push the string up towards your head or pull it down towards your toes. The extra tension on the string causes the note to rise in pitch. The amount of bend depends on how much you push or pull the string. In this lesson, we'll cover bends that raise the pitch either 1 fret (also known as a half step), or 2 frets (also known as a whole step).

FULL Step Bends

  We're going to play a G Major Scale starting at the 2nd string @ 8th fret.

Now we'll incorporate some bends into the G Scale. We'll start by playing an ascending scale.

And now a descending scale

Half Step Bends

A half step is one fret on the guitar.  So when you play a half step bend, the end note should sound like the note 1 fret higher that where you are bending.  There are 2 common ways to notate a bend.  The first way (fig 1a) shows that you will play the note on the 3rd string 8th fret, then bend the 3rd string 7th fret up until it sounds like the 8th fret (the 8 that is in the parentheses) The second way (fig 1b) is the same just with and upward arrow and 1/2 written to indicate that you want to bend up a half step.

 Fig 1 a                                 Fig 1 b

                                                           GETTING A GRIP ON BENDS

Perhaps the most common bend is to bend a note that is 2 frets below the key of the piece up to the tonic. In this lesson, all the examples are in A, and draw mostly from the A minor pentatonic scale in 5th position. To play this bend in A, we play the G located on the 2nd string, 8th fret, and bend it up two frets to the A, which is the key of the piece. In the example, the basic bend is shown, along with a few variations so that you can hear it in context.

Another extremely common bend is to bend the 4th degree of the scale up 2 frets to the 5th degree. In the key of A, this means bending the D (4th degree) up to the E (5th degree). This is shown in the example below where the D on the 3rd string, 7th fret, is being bent up to the E at the 9th fret. Some variations on this theme are given so that you can hear it in different contexts.

So far, the first two bends that we've covered have been 2 fret bends. Now let's take a look at a 1 fret bend. In this case, we are bending the 2nd scale degree up to the flatted third. In the key of A, this means bending the B (2nd degree) up to the C (b3 scale degree). This is shown in the example below where the B on the 1st string, 7th fret, is being bent up to the C at the 8th fret. Some variations on this theme are given so that you can hear it in different contexts.

Similarly, we can use a 1 fret bend to raise the 6th scale degree up to the flatted 7th. In the key of A, this means bending the F# (6th degree) up to the G (b7 degree). This is shown in the example below where the F# on the 2nd string, 7th fret, is being bent up to the G at the 8th fret. Some variations on this theme are given so that you can hear it in different contexts.

 Hope these lessons have helped you.Next week we would look into warm-ups and more complex drills.Take care.

Kiran Roy

(Founder/Owner/Lead Guitar Instructor)

Guitar Hall - Guitar Academy & Boutique

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 Complex bends by Kiran Roy is a part of a comprehensive instructional module at Guitar Hall that covers more technique exercises. These drills will help you build more hand strength, dexterity, develop good hand position, economy of motion, and of course speed. Practice is the key to becoming a better guitarist, and these exercises should become an integral part of your practice routine.