Bending Accuracy Guide
Bending makes the guitar sing like a voice — but an out-of-tune bend sounds worse than a wrong note. The goal is always to reach a specific target pitch.
Rules for accurate bends
- Hear the target first: if you bend string 3 at fret 7, play fret 9 first.
- Support fingers: bending with finger 3? Put fingers 1 and 2 behind it on the same string and push together.
- Power from the wrist: don't push with the finger — rotate the wrist like turning a door handle. The thumb can hook over the neck for leverage.
- Start slow: reach the target slowly (half a second), check by ear, then speed up.
- Mute the neighbours: the underside of the bending finger and your picking hand keep other strings quiet.
| Type | Notation | Amount | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half step | b½ | 1 fret | Subtle colours like ♭3 → 3 in minor |
| Whole step | b / full | 2 frets | Most common; 4 → 5 or ♭7 → R |
| Step and a half | b1½ | 3 frets | Dramatic, on thin strings |
| Microtonal | ¼ | Quarter tone | The blues "curl": nudging the ♭3 toward the 3 |
| Pre-bend | pb | — | Bend silently, then pick and release |
Vibrato Mechanics
Vibrato is a guitarist's signature. There are two main methods:
| Wrist vibrato (rock/blues) | Finger vibrato (classical) | |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | String moves up-down (bend direction); the wrist rotates | Finger rocks along the string's length |
| Effect | Wide, obvious pitch change | Subtle, elegant; ideal on nylon |
| Thumb | Hooked over the neck as a pivot | Behind the neck, free |
| Masters | B.B. King, Zakk Wylde, Gilmour | Classical and jazz players |
- Control width (how far you bend) and speed (how often) separately.
- Practise vibrato to a metronome: at 60 BPM, eighth-note, then triplet, then 16th-note oscillations.
- Bend + vibrato: reach the target fully first, then add vibrato — it should never dip below the target.
Speed Mechanics & Pick Slanting
Speed comes from efficient motion, not muscle. The biggest problem is usually the pick getting "trapped" between strings when changing strings.
Escape angles and pick slanting
Tilt the pick slightly (e.g. a downward slant) and one stroke direction "escapes" above the strings, clearing the way to the next string.
| Approach | Rule | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Downward slant (DWPS) | Upstrokes escape the string | Even number of notes per string, then change |
| Upward slant (UWPS) | Downstrokes escape the string | Riffs that skip strings on downstrokes |
| Economy picking | Keep the same direction across a string change (a mini sweep) | Fast for odd notes per string (3NPS) |
| Directional picking | Always pick toward the next string at a change | Least motion; hardest to apply |
Economy picking: the stroke direction (D/U) carries through string changes.
e|---------------5-8-5---------------| B|---------5-6-8-------8-6-5---------| G|-5-6-7-------------------------7-6-| D|-----------------------------------| A|-----------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------| D U D D U D D U D U U D U U D U
Speed ladder: find the tempo where a pattern is perfectly clean. Play there 3 minutes, then 3 minutes at +10 BPM (stretching), then 2 minutes back at the start tempo. Raise the start tempo 2–4 BPM per day.