Bend

Pushing a fretted string sideways across the fretboard to raise its pitch, the technique that gives the guitar its vocal quality.

The string's tension is what sets pitch, so displacing it sideways tightens it and the note rises. To bend in tune you must arrive at a target pitch, which is either another note of the scale or a specific interval, and the ear judges you instantly. Heavy strings and high action make bending physically harder, while a shorter scale and lighter strings make it easier; most players bend with wrist rotation and support from the forearm rather than with the fingers alone.

Example: bending the third string of a G chord up a whole tone and holding it gives the suspended, singing sound that defines a lot of blues and southern rock.

Bend

See also