STILL WHINNING OVER THE BENDS

Rue

Blues Newbie
I've been working on the bends  ever since SWS came out ...I'm seeing a small improvement , thanks to all the great  tips you 'll gave me ,    but I would certainly like to see a bit more progress.   I still review the input just to  stay on track.   

I'm really just whinning here ...I suppose I shouldn't be because I am improving on the bends ...just not as fast as I would like.   Just call me impatient.    :-/
 

wgabree

Blues Newbie
Remember - it's an athletic activity and the strength takes time to build up.  Also - you may see no progress for quite a while then suddenly, BAM!  you find yourself doing it.  It's quantum progress - not linear.   :cool:
 

tschurrbgu

Blues Newbie
probably been mentioned already, but this guy (Justin Sandercoe) has some interesting stuff on his site...
http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TE-005-StringBending.php
 
P

pornsuda

Guest
Hi Rue, I've gone back to square one to overhaul my bending technique. Keep breaking strings and wearing out
my frets!. It's early days, but I'm starting to use less effort in bending. See http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1281385673
  Why bending the thicker B and G strings is far easier than the thin E string is a complete mystery to me!!!
    Try different small adjustments to technique to see what helps you.
                      GI Blues.
 

Rue

Blues Newbie
I know you guys are right....Wayne I do notice more strength in my fingers and I have had that quantum experience in the past where it just comes together all at once after a long struggle.   I hope to get to that place sooner than later.   
tsch...thanks for that link ..all tips are appreciated.
GI Blues..the same adjustments that seem to work best are in the angle of my wrist , hand and fingers.   For sure I keep going over Griff's instructions...
It won't be long now !  Hopefully.. :-?
 
L

Lame_Pinkey

Guest
Are your strings too tight, too heavy, high action ? If so maybe lighter gauge strings & tune down to E flat might help then when you get the mechanics down you can tune back to E standard or stay in E flat - Jimi & SRV did !
You could then call yourself Jimi Rue Vaughan ;D

LP
 

Rue

Blues Newbie
JRV  huh ....lol   I like it ~   
LP...I know it's my technique with the position of my arm, wrist , hand and not always getting the right amount of pressure...other than that ...I'm making some small amount of progress.  ..I think .   :-/
 

Ray_UK

Blues Newbie
Hey Rue, I just looked at that link that tschurrbgu posted - I didn't get to the end even because about a third of the way in he shows this thing where the bend is made by twisting the wrist, not by pushing with the fingers. It's such a short bit I almost missed it, so I stopped the vid & gave it a go & I had an immediate improvement!

Definitely worth looking at again if that's not something you picked up on :)

And tschurrbgu... thank you!  [smiley=beer.gif]
 

Alexander Blue

Surfers Rule !!!
Hey Y'all,
   I have absolutely no idea why ... however ... bending strings has come fairly easy to me ... the first time I ever tried was just before SWS was completed ... I got ahold of a tab for "Purple Haze" and wanted to learn the first few measures 'cause like most of us I'm a Jimmi kinda guy  :) ...
   Maybe I'm doing it wrong ... don't think so though ... I hit the correct pitch I'm after ... and check this out ... I have yet to break a string and I practice bends EVERY day!
   Would like to hear from somebody experienced with bends ... am I doing something no one else is doing as a beginner or could it possibly be that I have a "knack" for string bending ? ...
                        Rather curious  :cool:
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
I think with bends it's really important to find the trick that works best for you. If you keep your thumb in the back of the neck (the classical way) you're not going to have any leverage to push the strings.

If it takes a little wrist/arm/shoulder motion to get the strings up there then go for it! Sometimes it takes your whole body just to make your pinky do one thing right. There's nothing wrong with that.

Don't be afraid to experiment a bit and listen to your body if it wants to bend or move a different way.

Griff
 

Cyberthrasher_706

Blues Newbie
Sometimes it takes your whole body just to make your pinky do one thing right. There's nothing wrong with that.

I think you can do a whole other course just on getting your pinky to act the way you want it to. That's why everyone I teach a few things to gets the lecture on using your pinky from the start.
 

Rue

Blues Newbie
Thanks for that Griff...you just comfirmed that I'm on track with  letting my body do what it seems to want to do.    I'm having to  work around old injuries /surgery to my left wrist and hand.   I'm making progress thanks to all your great teaching and help.   :)
 

kgarkie

Been living the blues.
Well, Rue, you could have this left pinky.  I can actually get it to work on somethings but those long stretches--forget it.  So, I use the index, middle and ring finger on my bends--just try and keep the pinky out of the danged way. 

You need to lose the death grip and use a twist of the wrist to get those bends. 
 

kgarkie

Been living the blues.
Mine's a slashed index finger that went straight through the top joint.

Ouch, and I thought I was Tim the toolman (let's see, 2 slices to the bone on the meaty part of the left thumb with a very sharp carving knife--I use a fork now to hold the meat, shoved the end of that thumb into a band saw--it did a nice clean job-- and my best trick I shoved a plate joiner (aka bisquit jointer) into that same place on the thumb where I sliced it with the carving knife).  Yes, I a dumba** at times.  After all that, the thumb still works. 
 

Cyberthrasher_706

Blues Newbie
Mine stopped about 2 or 3 mm before exiting out the other side, so I had a flapper. That's the one that has the nerve damage causing me to use my custom set of strings for blues that I mentioned in the other thread. I can do a lot of vibrato with it, but I'm sure it'd get pretty tired real quick if I had to do a lot of bends with it. Good thing it wasn't my ring finger.
 

Rue

Blues Newbie
Oh My Gosh !   you guys have gone through some really bad stuff.  Here's the good news ...we're all still playing   :D
We find ways to do it .
 
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