String Bending Basics v2 (Guitar Lesson TE-005) How to play

[Colourwolf93]

Thank you! =]



[6Atrum6Muerte6]

I can play songs by Destruction, Sodom, and Death yet I cant bend properly!!! Its been a year and I still don't quite fully understand the correct way to bend and vibrato..........

[JammahDude97]

1:20 my whole room was shakin o.o

[Tcrumpen]

@treysyt no it doens't matter, the pitch will just change, up is higher, down is lower, just make sure you play in key and tune like he says ;-)

[itsnowful]

good teacher ¡¡¡¡¡

[click5rox12]

which songs would you recomend transcribing?

[gigagrif]

I find it impossible to bend without straightening my fingers....please help!! :(

[macman8680]

Hint: If you do aso practise 1 finger bends and vibrato you build strength/stamina.

[mycurse333]

i really dont have a problem hitting notes and or bending to to different notes. My issue i need to work on is once ive got a bend im trying to work on using vibrato during the bend or while the bend is being done........Make sence? any one have some info on a vid or advice hit me up

[JBspode3]

dude I couldn't find the pdf

[BuddhaMaster84]

What do I do when a tab simply shows (b9)

I cannot bend out of nothing, right?

Or is this a chord or a dead-bend or what?

Please help me if you know and PM

[JimThayer]

Very good lessons. Justin is a natural instructor. Clear and concise in this lesson and in his other lesson videos. Thank you.

[PublicFail]

my boss extra bass headphones seem to pick up some funky basslines in this video backround

[lumyingluo]

really helpful^^

[colbsta777]

i was bending the string totally the wrong way x( very helpful videos

[RidirichdFlann]

I'm a new bassist, do bass players bend much like guitarists? I haven't seen it done much

[killmekurzundgut]

Great lesson, have seen so much stuff from you and you really helped me improving, thanks a lot - you are a gifted and very sympathatic teacher ;-)

[LuciferScreamVoice]

I can't do it right? Shall I cut off my nails?

[LessonNumber1]

if anyone here is a cobra starship fan, he sounds like guy ripley :] hahaha

[mielenkintoista]

love ur lessons! u're amazing!!

thanks so much for the video!!!

[ShirmyJay]

@Skyuss666 Lol good joke

[Amazongrassmonster]

all this time i've been bending just using the muscles in my fingers and i was starting to wondere why i was no good at them. thanks for this video!

[MrBrownismyname]

when i bend , my fingers always touch the ones above it and makes unwanted sounds.

[YoussefFishere]

@MrBrownismyname Same issue.

[oranjjjggg]

@MrBrownismyname try using the heel of your picking hand to mute the strings. You can also try to mute strings using the index finger of your bending hand and mute the strings with that while youre doing the bend

[Suppesnerk]

I'm bend now.

[FishieJoseph]

Hello, and good morning. Excellent lesson, except my only problem is, when I bend a string, my fingers end up below the strings above the string I'm trying to bend, and I end up accidently strumming another string. What do I do?

[fallios]

@FishieJoseph practice?

[Blatouch96]

@FishieJoseph i have the same problem, i have small fingers so i'm putting them under that second string but i think that's a mistake...

[PinkAsKitty]

@FishieJoseph I don't know if it help you after such a long time, but try to set the finger in a right angle to the fretboard. Now your fingers didn't slide below the next string and you didn't hit the string, when you release the bend.

[ACDCaddicted]

@FishieJoseph Probably just press the string harder. And try to fret the string with your finger coming from below it rather then putting them right on the string!

[iceapple94]

@FishieJoseph that happens to me a lot when i started practice too but dont worry just push ur fingers up straight and dont push ur finger much into the neck of the guitar u know what i mean? just keep practicing and soon enough u will get used to it and it will be very easy :D

cheers

[rrrajiv1234567890]

@FishieJoseph Seriously irritating when tht happens!

[Grosvener39Terttu]

@FishieJoseph u just need a better grip

[ntprofman]

Terrific, as usual--very helpful!

[mush01]

I have a question. I'm a guitar newbie and trying to bend strings properly, but I keep having a problem with the other strings bunching up and getting in the way. I've worked out how to mute them so that doesn't cause horrible, horrible sounds, but it still feels seems very ungainly; is this normal, or am I doing it wrong?

[FlexiiSaiir]

lol seagull sound

[TheBallingurl]

aha! I always wondered why I sucked at bending lol best teacher ever:D

[olivermoenster]

go listen to BB King . the king string bender !

[larry2506]

Excellent lessons: very easy to understand.  Thanks.

[MissusFingerBottom]

a question: does this work well on classical/acoustic guitars too?

[Chesterguillermo]

@MissusFingerBottom ,no, ive tried...

[MissusFingerBottom]

@Chesterguillermo thanks, I thought it was just me.

[SuiOni]

@MissusFingerBottom it works with steel strings...

so if you acoustic guitar has steel strings not nylon ones it should work.. but i think on an e-guitar it sounds much better ;)

[razavana]

@MissusFingerBottom well, kinda, but doest sound as good, u try it too!

[MissusFingerBottom]

@razavana I tried but I can't hear the bending part... it's like there's no effect.

[razavana]

@MissusFingerBottom it kinda works for me, but i hit the note kinda hard and pull it a pretty long way, try exagerating it

[MissusFingerBottom]

@razavana I drag it as far as I dare, I'm just worried that the string would snap. Also my finger is kind of caught under the other strings above if I drag it a lot.

[eyrewalk]

@MissusFingerBottom not easilly

[classicnylon1]

@MissusFingerBottom

Yes, it only takes a lot, lot more practice. Start at the B-string. Try to bend the 12th to the 14th fret. Once you got that, try to bend the 11th fret to the 13th etc. etc. Till you're at the 7th to the 9th or so. Then start to try the same procedure on the G- string.

It's also, if possible, maybe easier to start on a electric, so you get the feeling in your hand and then move to the acoustic.

Just remember it's a pretty tough one on the acoustic, but don't give up! :)

[MissusFingerBottom]

@classicnylon1 is it normal that I can't hear the string bending at all initially? my finger is getting cramped!

[classicnylon1]

@MissusFingerBottom You're probably using your muscles in your fingers to bend it, and that's wrong and you should hear the bending. At first, before bending, hit the note you want, let it ring for a second, and then slowly start the bend. Make sure you keep hearing a nice note going up. And a bend should come from your hand, not the fingers. Watch the vid, you'll see he moves his fingers, because he is moving his hand, wrist and upper (or lower) arm. Hope it works, ask again if needed

[classicnylon1]

@MissusFingerBottom OH! And keep an eye out for your thumb, it should be over the top of your neck, and with the thumb, by moving along it will go away from the body, touching the neck and putting pressure on the neck so you'll get some extra power in your hand for the bend :)

[MissusFingerBottom]

@classicnylon1 my fingers are too short, i'm using a guitar that's too big for me and i can't hook my thumb over the neck lol

[classicnylon1]

@MissusFingerBottom Oh hahaha, ok, well then there are two things you can do...Get a smaller guitar, or get your surgeon to enhance your finger lenght.....Seeing that it is cheaper to get a smaller guitar...I'd personally go for the first option ;) Or if you are still growing (seeing I do not know what your age is) just wait a bit till your hands grown big enough and practice on some other guitar stuff ;) (are you playing spanish guitar?? Cause a steelstring has a smaller neck)

[MissusFingerBottom]

@classicnylon1 i'm using a classical guitar and I have stopped growing haha. I like the guitar I am using because bigger guitars seem to have richer sound, I have another smaller one and the sound isn't as nice. But yeah I'll look for another guitar that is more suitable for me!

[grarosting]

@MissusFingerBottom y

[anonymusneo]

@MissusFingerBottom anything that works on electric , except tremelo lol . works on acoustic too . i practice bends and other techniques on acoustic first . cause its hard and when i shift on electric it feels like hot knife through butter :) .. ahh sweetness :rolleyes: yum

[ronziiii]

@MissusFingerBottom i guess no

[fankyfashionmonkey]

@MissusFingerBottom

it just might

[TheHermann17]

@MissusFingerBottom It won't work adequately. Yes, you can bend it, and yes, you'll get a similar sound, but you can only make it one vox higher.

[Dedalusalley]

Hi Justin, my name is Pietro Guarracino and I'm a guitarist from Florence, Italy. I started playing guitar 15 years ago and I work with music, but I have a very strange problem with bending. They're one of my favorite techniques on electric guitar but it seems I have very weak calluses because if I practice for more than 45 minutes/one hour a song or phrases with lots of bending the skin on my fingers brakes and it hurts like hell. What can I do to make my calluses grow stronger? thanx p.

[Legolas946]

@Dedalusalley

hey, some points:

- you push to hard on the strings

- use (if possible) more fingers to bend the string(s)

- install new strings on your guitar which are thinner :)

[qwerly45]

Rub surgical spirit on them but only on unbroken skin or you will know anout it.

[mygad]

Exactly what I was looking for, very clear and understandable - Thanks Justin. (Whose CD available on iTunes is awesome by the way)

[JohnTheodo]

At the high E string Im causing the prob as you at 4:53.

[perlabeckham]

there's no muscles on the fingers...i'm just saying

[brenoakiy]

@perlabeckham of course there are!

how do you move 'em?

[Wiseman501]

@brenoakiy lol. The muscles in your forearms are connected through tendons. Your forearm isn't moveable, so what are those muscles used for? Hmm... Fingers and wrist. :]

[talon1956]

Thanks very much. This was very helpful.

[katanaguitar24]

That was a really usefull guitar lesson!!!NOTICE= it is a bit more difficult to bend a string on an acoustic but the sound that makes when you bend it is the same as it would have been on an electric guitar....Anyway,thanks Justin!!!

[SgtSkidoosh]

BB King regularly bends 3 semi's, you can see him do it in his instructional vid. The low e-string nearly pushes 5th into the 6th. That dudes got some muscle in those fingers.

[pimpboygaz]

when looking at tab music what does it mean if the tabs says E-----2b3r2

[Commiteee]

@pimpboygaz It means bend the second note on the E string up a Semi Tone (one fret) and bring it down to it's original tone. R mean ring. So bend up, bring it back down, and let the note ring out

[21Placebo]

ive got sum ernie ball strings light and ive bent it even with two hands and it will not go a whole tone...help me!

[Ch1nGFuX2]

5.43

Horny face.

[RMN505]

@MedicoreProductions That's right, my nail does grab the string. But I've sort of solved that problem by muting the upper strings that i'm not bending with the palm of my right hand.

[bjorn20995]

When i try to bend a note, i put my fingers under the other strings, as an example; i bend the 12 fret on the b string to the 14th fret, my fingers are going under the g string, its difficult to hold them over the other string...

[RadDawson7]

Thanks, pity I just tuned my acoustic today and don't feel like risking putting it out of tune again.

[Joeykm1972]

I've noticed that when I bend strings a full tone, I have to retune the guitar after the song finishes because it goes out of tune. Are there special strings that prevent that?

[zraw0]

@Joeykm1972

What you need is some lubrication in the nut and possibly the bridge, too.

Try a graphite based one, i heard its the best.

(What actually happens is that when you bend a string, the higher tension pulls the string through the nut, and when you release, it won't go back because it's stuck in there. If you apply lubrication, it will go back.)

[coffebob]

@zraw0 put a small amount of vaseline in the holes of the nut,where the strings run thru.next get a sharp pencil and rub it in the vaseline in the nut untill it goes back.bobs your aunty,graphite lube.this works i use this metod myself.also lube up the underside of the string trees,where the strings run through,as it is pointless lubing only the nut.hope this helps!!peace

[LfunkeyA]

@Joeykm1972

when you change your strings, stretch (pull) each one several times (watch justin's lesson on changing strings), that makes sure that your strings stay in tune better, even after bends,

[yoyopy]

thanks so much...i really need to make better bendings

[thejesman]

Pretty good. But my biggest problem as a guitar player is that I always accidently hit the string above the one I'm bending, and it buzzes and makes it sound messy. What's a good way to mute those strings?

[theguitarrist]

@thejesman use the inside part of your right hand called the Thenor and use if as a leverage for the rest of your right hand

[DasDickeDing]

@thejesman Pick upwards and mute the string above with the pick.

that works in most cases

[RMN505]

@thejesman i'm having the same problem. the upper string somehow always ends up under my fingernail and creates a buzz when i let go

[ComradeRama]

Solid lesson.

[at90percent]

This is good info if you want to play any Pink Floyd.

[SteelSkin667]

Trying to bend more than three or four semitones up isn't a very good idea, I found it the hard way. I broke my string yesterday because I tried to do a three tones bend. The ball end of the string popped off.

[juanbestu]

@SteelSkin667 For a second I thought that you wrote a bend 3 or four tones up. I was like how the hell do you do that, getting your first string to your sixth string xD

[SteelSkin667]

@juanbestu I'm pretty sure it would work, if strings were made out of adamantium.

[juanbestu]

@SteelSkin667 I dunno much about adamantium strings (not even if they exist) but for the type of alloy it is then the strings aren't probably cheap :P

P.S If they are please enlighten me

[LP0FireBird0LP]

Good lesson. Thanks.

[hambright1010]

You sound like youre from London!!!

[RadomirNokia2]

tnx a lot man :D :D

[quixoticelixer7]

@lukgru

You need to learn how to palm mute and mute with your fretting hand as well. Learning this skill is crucial if You're serious about playing though it might seem a little hard and awkward at the very beginning. Type 'muting unwanted noise' and watch two top videos (David Taub from rockongoodpeople and FreepowerUG). Cheers;)

[boxingin]

Those are two of the greatest lessons on guitar here. I prefer Freepower's but Dave's is killer too.

[lukgru]

i have some problem with bending: when i e.g. bend G-string, that my fingers touch thicker strings, i can't bend G-string back without other strings plaing. Even if i do this very carefully and slowly, they sound. BTW sorry for my english ;P

[evocon]

same problem here -.-

[frankkalani]

what does it mean on a tab when it says

8b9b8

id bend the it on the 8th then bend it on the 9th and then play the eight regularly?

[PhilHindle1]

on tabs it doesnt have to be so specific, if your playing a song that you can listen to, just listen to that part and see how its played, but if i was to see that i'd bend the 8th up to the 9th and then back down (a seagul sound as Justin says)

[jdenicholls]

Fret the note at 8th fret, bend it up so to 9 and back to 8 and let the string ring throughout

[1q2s3c4r5g6n7u8k9]

it means play the 8th bend it until it sounds like the 9th then release the bend back onto the 8th

[RadomirNokia2]

yea think so :)

[luizfelipels7]

my problem about bending is not the tuning.. but i ring other strings when doing it... what should i do ?? =(

[egonzalezgb]

make sure the guitar is calibrated, also practice.

[maximsguitarworkshop]

this is a bending lesson for beginners to improve the control over bending

v=WJblMXFcbQ4

[CoDsick]

When I bend a string uppot and is on the way down I always hitting another string so.If I bend the E string (uppot) on the seccon band I always hiting G string .. what am I doing wrong?

btw good lesson ;D

[puuuuuuch]

Great lesson =]

[DDSnags]

The problem I have with bending sometimes is that when I bend up, the string on top of the one I'm bending can sound out when I am actually going for that "Segal" sound. That is, sometimes I want the note to come back down to the root.

[hxecute]

Are you trying this on an electric? Your action may be too high.

[DDSnags]

Ai, I'm trying it on an electric and hm, my guitar did not too long come back from getting an adjustment, I'll try playing around with the action on the guitar, thanks.

[DDSnags]

I reckon my action is actually too low*, you're right, because the strings actually get caught up under my fingernails when I'm releasing the bend and they twang out. I'm going to have to play around with it.

[SebastianKillerQueen]

I actually bend with my pinky and my anular

[DarthKazi]

You are using 11's on your high e, btw. Don't use 11's unless all you do is rhythm playing.

Use 9's or hybrid sets where the upper 3 strings are light and the lower 3 are heavier.

[MrUptonLew]

No affence, there are no muscular tissue in your hand. :)

[MovieLover4123]

No offense but if you are going to insult somebody, you should spell the words right.

[mikesomething]

@MovieLover4123 nobody gives a fuck about spelling, its the internet not school, stop being a cunt, GTFO the net

[xstevie666]

@mikesomething Yep, You've got to love those spelling nazis - The last line of defence for the online fuckwit who is clearly losing the argument.

[MJRSylvester]

No offense but there ARE muscles in your hand. They are adductor pollicis, abductor digiti minimi brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, opponens pollicis, etc.

[DarthKazi]

Bullshit. There are several groups of muscles in the hands.

It's called Gray's Anatomy. Get a copy.

[sonunshaan]

Is it wrong to bend strings on acoustic guitar? I mean will it damage any strings?

[cobracarg]

no... it is ok to bend with any guitar.... damaging the strings occurs just by playing the guitar.... strumming, for example, damages the strings.....

[sonunshaan]

thanks m8! =D

[ratherbighat]

i cant see what is going on with the quality

[blackdea297]

okay, so i've got a question. Pretty sure it's my crappy guitar, but just wanted to make sure. Do you know of a way to keep the strings from losing their pitch when you do a bend? I've kind of disowned them as each time they lost almost a full step when I try to practice bending.

[ToddIH]

most likely either your strings are brand new and haven't really been put on properly (they need to be stretched out a bit once they're on the guitar as they come rather slack. Or you could just have crappy tuners.

[blackdea297]

Well it's a Washburn X10, not really the greatest in the world. but they were new strings and they haven't really been dropping as much.

[k33jin]

hey just one question is it wrong to bend the strings with 1 finger?i realise i been bending it with 1 finger instead of 3 and i though it was just preferences,help me out ya? thanks!

[dancechick007]

This helped a lot! Thanks!

[powerslash2]

You're lessons are good, but they are a bit long (as I'm a not a beginner anymore). Most of times I skip the explanations and watch the excercises.

P.S.: You look different :P

[4a5a6a1a2a3a]

i have the same guitar

[colourfulchaos]

I wish you were my guitar teacher...

thanks, i've learnt so much!

[Danklin24]

You're an excellent teacher

[Hakvin]

You are a great teacher

[MusicalRelease]

What is a release bend, in the middle of learning this tune by The Toadies...but cant get this release bend thing down...

[Danklin24]

I release bend i believe is when you just release the string after you bend it to the desired tone. In other words you dont bring it back down, just let it drop.

[Drknoble]

Hey Justin I've got a Question, first of all thank you for all of your wonderful videos. I've been playing guitar since late August 09. I wanted to become familiar with Blues guitar so I began watching your blues guitar lessons on string bending. After just a few hours of practicing my E string #1 broke and I had to change it.

My Question is- What do I need to do in order to practice string bending on my acoustic guitar without breaking the strings? Thank you so much in advance

[jerronimo3000]

you don't bend on an acoustic. it's really not meant for it. it probably felt really hard to do. you don't really need string bending until you have an electric.

[Drknoble]

Jerronimo3000 thanks for the advice, But ive seen Justin string bend on his acoustic before in his videos. DO u know if it has to do with the type of strings?

[jerronimo3000]

If you have nylon strings they would be much more likely to break. pretty much all types of nickel wound strings are the same. it could be the gauge of string you have. I've experienced multiple breaks on low gauge strings. I recommend getting 9 gauge string for the high E. As your fingers get tougher you should move it up to 10 or 11. right now i use 10 gauge. hope that helped.

[Drknoble]

Thanks alot, Im gonna try that

[cobracarg]

I always bend my nylon strings... they never break on me...I play live shows too

[galaxyrock]

You DO bend on an acoustic, if the song calls for it. Have you ever seen any acoustic Blues musicians? String bending on an acoustic is more difficult, but plenty of people do it. Light gauge strings help.

[RedFireBlaze31]

Thanks Justin, you are the man!!!

[metalfiredope]

God yeah I have a bad habit where I always bend down! I'm a terrible person!!!

[glendi92]

I used to bend using nails all the time. Now I'm using fingertips. I guess this is the right technique, right?

However on higher frets on high strings, it seems bending with nails is much better :x! What to do?

[niox20]

glendi: how the hell do you bend with nails? :-) sounds painful to me and in no way right ^^

[glendi92]

lol, I didn't explain it right. I meant the string above the one you are bending. Justin is moving that string as well using his fingertips. I do it with my fingernails which means my fingertips are fretting the current string I'm playing.

Just like this guy: watch?v=bDPnlMvxg30

[nickringer]

I'm tempted to sometimes. Actually it hurts way less than using my fingertips, but it's less controlled (if you slip off you'll pick that string again with your nail)

[xXHevionXx]

1:18???

[bertd111]

Ok this might be a stupid question but do all guitar players in rock bands etc bend in tune?? To me half of these bands don't!! Is it just a select few who get it right?? Answers would be helpful!! Cheers!!

[thivous]

i usually play with my thumb behind the neck, so i have to specially bring it up for bends? then bring it down again when i'm doing chords?

[ganzathewow]

keep clicking 1:18

[mink787]

help me!! i have a carvin dc127, and for some crazy reason the string tension is ridiculously tight! Ive tried changing the action but the guitar just buzzes out before i can get to a decent tension. It is not the strings, and Its not my playing because i can one step vibrato bend on my acoustic, and when i play my friends guitar im bending like beckham(u get the idea). But if anyone has any suggestions of how i can fix this problem, please let me know!

[nilkman]

uhm i dont no what a carvin dc127 is but i have and ibanez rg, and i for mine i screw off the lid on the back of my guitar and lossen or tighten the springs depending on what i need to do, so maybe try losening ur springs.

Hope this helps

[Feeleeppo87]

that would help for sure, if you have two-way bridge you can adjust the tension the way you like:) done some of that depending on what you want to play, for playing riffs greater tension is better, but for playing solos strings that are a bit loose are way better:) especially for bending vibrato:)

[GuitarGuy0008]

I have a problem, when I make a bend and try to push the adjacent string out of the way, It slips under my finger and when I return to the original note, the string snaps from underneath and sounds out :P I usually just bend underneath the string above, any suggestions?

[rishabhjain89]

try bending it from the tip of your fingers! that will solve the problem!and with practice ull do it

tc

[donZabol]

This is the most difficult technic on guitar. Not sweeping like many thinks. There is not much guitarist that bends really well, always to point with a sweet sound.

[enrealidad]

pretty good tutorial :D

[SnoopPog]

the sustain on that strat is awful!

[sonicccccc]

Exactly. I just bought a Strat for 80$ (not even sure from what manufacturer it's from, T&B or something) and the sustain is like on this video, even worse. It's killing me :)

[line6peavey]

you bought an 80 dollar name guitar and are shocked that the sustain sucks?

[FryLock42000001]

yeah cause theyre for blues, even though I play metal on mine, it still sounds good with quick sharp bends.

[slickmagic]

what happens if you just use one finger? does it really matter?

[LucaTurilli89]

It's a lot better and it is hard to do a mistake this way. One finger bend sounds not so clean/good ;).

[slickmagic]

ahh, ok thx, its just harder to learn now cus i always did it like 1 finger, ill learn, im kinda already getting the hang of it. thanx again

[jmel93]

also it's best to try get in the habit of 2 finger bending because you use your other finger to make the bend stronger, seriously try doing a full bend on the second fret of the g string with one finger and it will be hard if your fingers aren't strong.

not as smooth and its harder to do