Learn about bending strings for deeper expression
In this Gibson App video lesson, Irene Ketikidi introduces the bend and release technique, using semitone and whole-tone bends. When approaching phrasing with this in mind, you’ll find opportunities to decorate melodic lines with soulful expression.
Adding bending to your playing will also challenge you to develop a better ear as you must push the string to the correct pitch, sometimes with artistic license (such as a blue note), to get the intonation you’re after. It’s one of the most delightful idiomatic aspects of playing guitar versus, say, a piano or a synth without a pitch-bend wheel.
Jeff Beck was a master at finding interesting places in a phrase to bend a note, and then he’d often introduce vibrato with the whammy bar, which imparted an exotic microtonal flair to many of his lines. Check out his cover of Nitin Sawhney’s “Nadia” for examples of this effect. As you can hear in the original recording, the main melody is realized with vocals, and Beck’s expressive note bending faithfully emulates this quality.
Did players really use banjo strings to create their own lighter string gauge sets for easier note bending?
Yes, in the not-too-distant past, some players began mixing banjo and guitar strings to get a lighter gauge because the typical wound G string of the vintage era was fighting back a bit too much. This switcharoo allowed them to bend notes more easily and shaped the fluid, vocal-like quality that became a hallmark of modern guitar styles.
When guitar strings became readily available in thinner gauged sets, bending notes as a stylistic staple took off, and now it’s a common part of most guitar genres. Thankfully, there’s a world of string gauge choices out there now for not only bending preferences but also for tone and feel.
If you’ve been following the Kirk Fletcher lessons we’ve published recently, go back and toss in some creative string bending into those ideas, particularly the turnarounds. You may discover that it’s one of the quickest ways to make a stock lick your own.
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