Blues curl
A short, quick bend, usually less than a semitone, that adds a vocal wobble to a note without changing its nominal pitch.
Also called a micro-bend, the curl borrows the blue note from the vocal and harmonica traditions, where the pitch sits between the frets rather than exactly on them. On guitar it is made by pushing the string briefly and returning, so the listener hears a curl of pitch rather than a full bend. Because the movement is small it can be used on almost any note in a blues or country line, and it is one of the quickest ways to make a static pentatonic phrase sound sung.
Example: A slow blues note that wavers slightly sharp and back down, never reaching the next semitone, is played with a blues curl.
See also
Related
- PageBend
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley
- PageAd-Rock
- ReferenceCircle of fifths