Guitar bends to pitch: whole and half steps in tune
A bent note after the fretted note it should reach, so you hear the target first: E at the G string's 9th fret, then D at the 7th bent a whole step up to it; A on the B string, then G bent up to A; C sharp, then C bent a half step to it. Bending in tune is what separates a singing blues or rock solo from a sour one, and the only way to learn it is to compare the bend with the real note.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 80 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 80 bpm
- Starts at
- 48 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Beginner
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Bend with three fingers on the string, the ring finger on the fret, and push from the wrist, not the fingertips.
Each bend is set up by the note it has to reach. Bar 1: E at the G string's 9th fret, then D at the 7th bent up a whole step to that same E. Bar 2: A at the B string's 10th fret, then G at the 8th bent up to A, and the high E string's A to finish the phrase.
Bar 3 has a half-step bend: C sharp at the high E's 9th fret, then C at the 8th bent a fret's worth, to C sharp. Bar 4 is a last whole-step bend from D to E, then E and a low A with vibrato.
The take check hears the bend's pitch, so it's a good judge: a bend that stops short shows up as a wrong note. Push the string towards the ceiling on the G string and towards the floor on the high E.
Mistakes to watch for
- Bending short of the pitch, the most common blues guitar fault: a whole step is two frets' worth.
- Bending with one finger alone; the ones behind it on the same string do most of the work.
- Letting the other strings ring or catching them under the bending finger.
- Overshooting the half-step bend because the hand is used to bending a whole step.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 48
- 52
- 56
- 60
- 64
- 68
- 72
- 76
- 80
That's 16 loops and about 4 minutes before you're playing at 80 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Bends to pitch?
The goal is 80 bpm in quarter notes, which is 1.3 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 48 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
How far should a whole-step bend go?
Two frets: the bent note should match the note two frets above. That's why this exercise plays that note first. A half step is one fret's worth, and a bend of a step and a half, three frets, comes later.
Why does my bend go out of tune?
Usually it's not pushed far enough, or the pitch wobbles while you hold it. Bend with three fingers, push from the wrist, and hold the bend still before letting go. Lighter strings make it easier, but the habit of checking against the target is what fixes it.
More rock and blues exercises
All 24 rock and blues exercises · Scales on the neck · Fretboard notes trainer · All 107 exercises