how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

[PVFan]

not vibrato, just bending

and, pull down or push up, and for which strings/positions/fingers ?

if it's something you don't think about, think about it for a second

I love bending a note to an interval of another, usually a third, which I hit when the first one gets to the correct pitch.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

Yes. I do all the above depending on the bend, location, and part in the song. One of the clips I posted recently begins with a half stepmbend that I play with my forefinger. In another clip you'll see me use all four fingers to force the bend.

It depends.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

I bend with whatever finger I'm using at the time, but now that I think about it ... not so much with the pinky. I bend D through E up every time, A usually down, and the fat E always down.

My most common bend would be to a major 2nd.

 

[Baltar]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

I caught myself to use my ringfinger mainly for bendings. always up (except A and E (where i use middle finger most))

 

[jeremy]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

ill bend up on the E, down on the low E and either way on the others. for A and B you can really only go a half step in one direction before you run out of fingerboard but it does have a different sound going that way.

ill only bend half steps with my index finger or pinky
up to whole steps with my middle finger or ring finger
anything more than that is the ring finger supported by the middle finger. its hard to get 2 step + bends with out using multiple fingers

 

[GoDrex]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

usually just the ring finger - half step or whole step - usually not more, but sometimes. I'm kind of wimpy.

 

[Ball&Chain]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

I always bend up on the B&E and down on the low E&A for obvious reasons, but it varies on other strings. I dont know that I favor any finger for bending except I dont use the pinky for it. I think I have a tendancy to bend down when using the first finger, mostly up when using the second and probably split when using the 3rd.

 

[lpmarshall]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

Higher strings go up, lower strings go down (3 up and 3 down). As for which finger, commonly it's my ring finger. But I also use my middle and index finger quite often.

I really boils down to what note I'm going to hit next after a bend. That is more of a major factor of which finger I'm using. That being said, it pretty much comes naturally and I don't really think about it.

 

[sosomething]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

How much: Lots.

Down or up?: Both.

Which fingers?: All of them.

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

I bend using mainly the 3rd finger (ring finger). But sometimes I use the 2nd finger too (middle finger)

I only bend the 3 high strings (high E,B,G) upward (towards the low E string).

And I bend the D, A, and E downward (towards the high E).


I bend a whole step up the most, followed by semitone, followed by minor 3rd. I never bend more than that - because that might snap the string.


I really want to put together free lesson videos for people on every single technique, but alas, no time. I want them to be nice videos, and won't settle for crappy quality.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

I use the first, third and second on occasion, mostly the third. Not so much the pinky, but once in a while it comes into play.

I bend the high e and b strings up, and down for the most part on the g. That gives me much better control of the vibrato than if I bend it up. All other lower strings are bent down, too.

I bend down with the first finger when I'm going to resolve to another finger one string lower.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

Lower three strings are pulls, higher three strings are pushes, any of the first three fingers are fair game (my pinky almost never bends anything). I usually bend up about a step, occasionally half or one and a half steps.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

No need to bend strings, my piano has a Floyd.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

The middle finger. Mostly downwards except the last string. I bend sometimes 1/4, sometimes 2/4, sometimes a whole note, or even more. It depends what I want to express. Please note that I played Scalloped boards. More range, easier bending!

 

[PVFan]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

No need to bend strings, my piano has a Floyd.

JLL bends the strings on a piano with his great balls o' fire

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

I love bending a note to an interval of another, usually a third, which I hit when the first one gets to the correct pitch.

Ah. I've just realised. You mean guitars strings. I thought you meant bending bass strings. :naughty:

 

[tone4days]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

much like jeremy described

although i have realized that i have gotten sloppy with my pitch on bends - usually flat ... i need to shed for accuracy ... sloppy pitch is entirely too third rate for what i aspire to

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

If you bend at the waist and use your legs a bit, it will help your back more.

 

[PVFan]

Re: how much do you bend, and how, like what fingers and stuff?

playing last night it hit me how much I'm bending all the time, with every finger, and how much vibrato I use. I'm ridiculous. Sometimes I go into a Blackmorish run; all trills and neo-noodling with no bending--bends strictly prohibited here. Most of the time, even with riffing and chording I'm bending something. Crazy kid. If I was on Futurama I'd be Leela. Wait!!! I mean Bender.