This page will show you the correct techinques for bending strings and how different kinds of bends are shown in tablature. You will also see how to create effects using rising and falling notes.
When you use your left-hand fingers to push a string up, you raise the pitch of the note. This is a common technique in almost all styles of guitar. How you bend strings is important since correct technique is crucial to getting a good sound.
First, let's look at how not to bend strings.
Don't try to bend a string using only one finger. You don't bend strings by just pushing up with the fingers. This one-finger bending technique is very common with new players, and is one of the hardest habits to break.
If you watch good players bending strings, you will see that they all use the same hand posture. The photos below show the correct hand posture for bending strings.
Once you get the feel for this technique, it will involve muscles in your fingers, wrist and forearm. The weight and balance of the guitar are also factors.
Try bending the 3rd string at the 7th fret with your ring finger.
Place your Ring finger on the 7th fret of the 3rd (G) String.
Place your middle finger on the 6th fret, and your index finger on the 5th fret.4 Parts of a String Bend
String bends involve four separate steps. You can get different kinds of sounds depending on the order of these four steps. The paragraphs below describe the tab symbols used at this site. Tabs from other sources will use different symbols.
Pick Stroke - This can be either an up-stroke or a down-stroke. This can also be a finger-stroke in your right hand. The 'pick' symbol is sometimes left out of the tablature since it's implied every time there is a number in the tab.
Bend - This is where you bend the string, usually upward toward the ceiling. A bend is usually used to raise a note by the equivalent of 1 fret, or 2 frets. But you can also get 'microtonal' notes or 'blue' notes that occur in-between. The tablature symbol is an up-arrow with a '1' or '2' above it that tells you to bend the string until the note rises by 1 fret or 2 frets.
Release - With strings, what goes up must come down. The release is where you relax the bent string and allow it to straighten again. If a note is sounding as you release, you will hear the note fall in pitch. If the string is muted, you wont hear the note fall. The tablature symbol is a down-arrow with a letter 'R' above it.
Mute - This is where you stop the string from vibrating, and so stop the note. The 'mute' symbol is left out of the tablature if it is the last step, since muting is implied before you go to the next note. The tablature symbol is a dot with a letter 'M' above it.
There are several ways to mute a string:
with the pick
with the side of your right hand
with the fingers of your right hand
with the side of your thumb above the pick
by lifting your finger(s) off the fret(s)
by playing the next note
Common Combinations
Pick - Bend - Release - Mute
This combination gives you a note that rises and then falls.
Pick - Bend - Mute - Release
This combination gives you a note that rises, but doesn't fall.
Bend - Pick - Release - Mute
This combination gives you a falling note.
Bend - Pick - Bend - Mute - Release
This combination gives you a note that falls and then rises again.
You shouldn't try to bend strings on guitars with heavy strings. This can be bad for the guitar, but more importantly, it can put excess stress on your hands. It is possible to cause minor injury to your left hand if you use too much pressure, or if you don't use the correct technique.