Hi all,

I just learned how to bend the string on electric guitar.. and i am a little suspicious whether i am doing correctly or not
U see, whenever I tried to bend the string(e.g 3rd string) up(horizontally), the immediate string on top of it(e.g 4th string) sort of come out(vertically), and slide to my finger nails because when i bend it, the force from my fingers are sort of downwards.
I tried to search youtube, but the video are too hazy to see carefully.
So, is my technique correct? Will i spoil the string on top

Thanks sifus

Lowering your action would help. Basically, you just have to practise your finger positioning when bending. Used to happen to me to, so I just sat down and analysed how I could overcome it.

studies the guitar.. faced the same problem =)

lowering the action will do it i think =D

Also, are you bending with one or two fingers?

I am bending with 3 fingers.
I realize when i bend, my fingers are pointing downwards.. Maybe I should press it more parallel to the fret?

This post has been edited by fun_feng: Oct 8 2008, 11:59 PM

how u press ur fingers on the string should be the same for fretting or bending.
so again, go back to the basics on how to fret the strings properly first.

3 fingers?

here is something i did.

leave bending to only 2 of your fingers. ur middle and ring finger.
use the index finger to barre across strings but don't fret it (especially those strings that is going to slide on your nails, no need to barre all strings).
that will control the action.

and with doing that u can attack the string more as you mute those other string with the barred index finger.

hope that helps

Hm... i fret/bend using the fingertips..
So when i bend, should the string slide a little to the flat part of the finger

depend on you i guess.
as long as you can hit the note.

like paul gilbert once said.
it's not always the technical thing .
but always the sound it produce.

here is a little exercise. slide up 1 fret, then try bend the string to sound exact 1 fret higher, then slide up to 2 fret, bend to exact notes, etc... go up the neck until u think the string can't be stretch anymore.

This post has been edited by ameerfirdaus: Oct 9 2008, 10:20 AM

the thing is, you need to learn how to mute the strings. example:

bending the B strings at the 8th fret to a full
- use only middle and ring finger to bend the string.
- at the same time use your index finger to mute and bend the G string above.
- this way, you'll be bending 2 strings, but only 1 string will make a sound.

the reason is, since you're bending to a full, you'll definitely need more space. by bending the string above the fretted note, you'll have more space and prevent that string from hitting your nails.

action? i think that depends mostly on players.

This post has been edited by zeroglyph: Oct 9 2008, 11:49 AM

Ok, i will certainly give it a try! Thanks!

wah didn't know got so many things to bending
i don't mute the strings with my index finger when i bend haha mostly use my picking hand's palm

that works too, but some part is harder to mute that way. especially on fast solos.

on fast solos, the bends are usually short right? i think that would be harder to mute the strings with the index finger barre lor...

yes plus if it consist many difficult unison bend, barring with the index is almost impossible as you always need to prepare that index finger.use your palm or make your bending finger more parallel after bending can also help if it works with you.

i would like to suggest hotel california for bending wise.
go see it's outro solo

well i guest it depends on the person then. i find it easier to let my right hand just concentrate on the picking and let the left fingers worry about bending.

hotel california? try november rain 1st solo. i believe it's not easy to mute with the palm on that solo as most of the bending is done on the B string. you could easily mute your playing string too.

like my earlier earlier post, i did mute with my index finger. it's just that sometimes it's hard for me to keep doing that especially when have to do the unison bend.

so tell me how you mute strings when it goes to unison bend.
i talk about hotel california cause it has very much part which consist of unison bends.
which could be tricky for me.

well unison is a different case. usually unison bending involved 2 adjacent string. yes, unison bending will most of the time occupy you index finger. just use the other free finger (middle or ring), still the same concept, just change the variable.

the reason is, bending requires more space vertically. you need a to use a free finger to bend any adjacent string that gets in the way of the bend, palm muting won't allow this. i'm no pro( (i didn't go to guitar school), but this is how i see the pros did it, and this is the way i find more convenient to do it. take my advice with a pitch of salt.

p/s: btw, when i say use the index finger, it was in an example.

This post has been edited by zeroglyph: Oct 10 2008, 11:58 AM

usually palm mute works after the bend...
not during the bend, coz surely it will mute the bent string

the general idea in this thread is really good though:

--> find ways to silent the strings that you're not playing.

This can be done with the fretting hand and/or the picking hand, with fingers that are idle. There are many ways to mute the open strings, but one has to work out the most easy way for himself. But it's definitely NOT natural, and it has to be practised a lot so it becomes automatic.

For example, I saw a video from Satriani (yeah, who else...?) about legato. He explains briefly how its fretting hand is acting as a "spider". The fretting hand doesn't do anything during a legato, so he actually uses those idle fingers to mute the strings that are below the string being used.

I tried to do that... it's so freaking hard !!

same problem..
hahaha..
i cut my fingernails so it wont slip into the fingernail....
i think making the finger more parallel to the fretboard can avoid it too..