How to Bend a Guitar String

Here is a brief and simple explanation on how to properly perform half and full bends on guitar. Once perfected, it will be a much needed tool in your techniques for guitar playing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar

1. Place your finger on any fret on any string. Play the note.

2. Now place your finger one fret up the neck, which will be a semi tone higher. Play the note, and try to recall as vividly as you can that note in your mind.

3. Go back to the original fret, and as you pick the string use the tip of your finger to push the string towards your body. You will notice the pitch of the string goes up. So, knowing this, attempt to replicate the note a semi tone higher.

4. Repeat this process until you can accurately (without bending it too sharp or flat) bend up a semi tone. Once you are successful at this, move your finger up two frets instead of one this time -- this will give you a whole tone higher.

5. Now, attempt to bend the original fret up to that whole tone. It will take more effort on your fingers to bend the string twice as far to hit the note two frets up the neck. Keep doing this until you can accurately hit the whole tone without it falling flat or being sharp.

6. Once you have mastered this, attempt one half bend and one full bend on a pluck of the string. Do this by plucking the string, performing a half bend (semitone), releasing, and then performing a full bend (whole tone), and releasing. Practice this process and eventually you will become very adept at bending and will find yourself using it to reach notes in different ways!