How to Bend Strings on an Electric Guitar

Bent string melodies are part of many genres of music. People think of this style as a "rock" style because the bent notes were used a lot in the old glam-rock of the '80s, but bent notes can contribute to softer melodies as well. Learning to bend the notes is just a matter of being able to hear tones and learning a little technique.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Find a guitar with "good action." If you're going to be bending strings, it's critical to make sure your guitar is built for it. Electric guitars are generally okay for bending strings, but the looser the strings, the better, and you can't improve the guitar's action by tuning down, it all depends on how the guitar is built. Try moving the strings around to determine if they are too brittle for note-bending.

2. Choose the note you want to bend to. Practice hearing the difference between a half-step and a whole step by playing a note, then advancing your finger 1 fret, and then 2 frets. Figure out which note you want to bend to.

3. Put your finger firmly on the beginning note to start.

4. Make a good, solid, unencumbered hit on the string with your right hand. If you want to be able to hear the note bending, the note has to continue to sound as the tone rises. Another thing you can do is keep picking the string as you bend for a different, rhythmic sound.

5. Listen as the tone of the string "climbs" up to the desired half-step or whole step, then stop bending and keep the string in that position for a moment. If you want to resolve on the higher note, put your right hand over the string to dampen the sound, then let go of the string with your left. If you want to hear the tone going back down to the original note, just slowly go back down to regular string position with your left.