String Bending

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Beginner Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: Hey there and welcome to this tutorial on String Bending technique! I personally feel that this particular technique is often neglected by guitarists even though it is something which can help your musicianship immeasurably. Approached in the right way, it can transform the way you approach phrasing and really help to improve your aural skills. Employing t...

Media Length: 3:33

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Beginner Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: Ok, here we have three similar examples which start with a semi-tone bend followed by a tone bend. We will use A minor pentatonic for these examples. We will also be using the third finger for these bends so make sure to impliment the left hand positioning we discussed in the introduction video. Make sure that you are in control over the string bends and ma...

Media Length: 2:14

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: Let's take things a step further by doing a minor 3rd bend (3 frets). This does require a little more strength from the left hand and may require some work to get the intonation spot on. Remember to play these examples with the target pitches so that you can hear the pitch that you will need to achieve with your string bending.

Media Length: 1:26

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: With the following examples we will be performing the bends with the index finger and as a result we will not be able to use any idle fingers to help us to bend the string. This does present a challenge certainly if you have never tried this technique before so remember to use the wrist and not the finger to move the string. I do encourage you to take these...

Media Length: 1:43

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: In this example we will be moving sequentially through the scale of A minor pentatonic but keeping it all within the confines of one string: the g string. Due to the nature of the pentatonic scale, we will be required to use a mixture of whole tone bends and minor third bends as discussed in the previous lesson. What you can also do is use each respective f...

Media Length: 1:16

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: This example is slightly different than the previous examples in that we will be required to sustain other notes whilst performing the string bends at the same time. We have a mixture of semi-tone and tone bends coupled with changes between the second and fourth fingers for the bends. This will undoubtably feel a little bit unusual at first but will pay off ...

Media Length: 1:24

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Instructor: Rick Graham Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Any Style

Excerpt: This final example is a short but deceptively awkward lick to get right. The challenge is in targeting the correct successive pitch while releasing the string. It will be essential for you to play the fretted target notes before you actually try the lick so that you can make a mental note of the correct pitches and remember to be as critical as you can rega...

Media Length: 1:24