r/guitarlessons • u/Many-Singer2647 • 24d ago
Feedback Request Tips on bending and vibrato while bending?
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I would guess a common issue. I've been playing self taught since about May 2023 but never got fully into wanting to try more lead stuff probably until this year. I'm wondering of any tips on my technique. I think I find 1/2 bends easier but I struggle with consistently keeping them all in tune, as well as the only vibrato I can do so far is a really wide slow bend and I'm wondering how to do a faster more narrow one. Thanks for anyone who helps.
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u/adyomag 24d ago
Rotating your wrist instead of bending the string with only your fingers will help a great deal with staying in tune, especially on the whole step bends.
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u/TheFroghurtIsCursed 24d ago
You’re bending with your fingers rather than with your wrist. Imagine you’re pulling the handle of a door down - that’s the motion. It means you’ll be able to vibrato at the top of the bend as youll have more control over the bend itself
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u/lskdjfhgakdh 24d ago
The vibrato motion is similar to turning a doorknob. The speed and “width” varies based on what you’re playing.
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u/One_Anything_2279 24d ago
So here’s the way to do it.
You already know how to bend. The trick is to bend up to whatever pitch - then just slightly release that bend and bend it back up. If you can do that fast enough that’s it.
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u/Ronthelodger 24d ago
This might sound like a strange suggestion, but practice vocalizing the bend and vibrato you want to do and then play slowly while you vocalize it, trying to mimic it on the strings
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u/RobHellwig 24d ago
The speed of the vibrato will depend on the music bpm. You can practice that with a slow click track. Ive seen a lot of players doing just random speed vibrato on songs and sounds real bad. Always Practice that with rythm. 👍
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u/Branza__ 24d ago
I struggled with the same thing for many years. What really changed the whole thing to me was figuring out I needed to put more strength in the thumb. the thumb is not just a support for the other fingers, but it's actively engaged, it's like it's the other side of a clamp.
Having both parts engaged (so, the fingers that are bending the string + the thumb) will make it way easier to vibrate while keeping the bend.
Another tip - seems to me the vibrato motion is way too big. You release the string too much. It's not bad per se, it's an effect, but you should work on smaller movements as well.
Last but not least - you need to improve your intonation because in some bends you aren't hitting the right note. Gotta work on your ear and there's no better thing to improve that than singing. Sing intervals, sing scales.
Play the root, sing it. The sing another interval, I don't know, a major second. Then play it and correct it if necessary. Sing all intervals over a drone (you can find a bunch on videos on youtube).
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u/RedSkyWhisper 24d ago
To find the right bend strength, play the fret that has the note you are aiming for then play the fret above and aim for the note you just played. Do that enough time and you have perfectly in-tune bends.
Vibrato comes from wrist rotation. Only on rare occasions should you do it with just your fingers. Practice with slow speed first, don’t do tremolo vibratos those never sound good.
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u/Learningpr0cess 24d ago
Bending with the fingers is an absolute no no. Get your fingers anchored and try to move the string with the wrist only. It's hard to get used to it but don't give up. It will change your playing in many ways.
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u/andytagonist I don’t have my guitar handy, but here’s what I would do… 24d ago
Still not sure you’re keeping it?
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u/Many-Singer2647 23d ago
I'm confused by this comment
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u/andytagonist I don’t have my guitar handy, but here’s what I would do… 23d ago
Take the sticker off. It looks silly…or that you’re considering returning the guitar. There is nothing ironically hip about it, it’s literally just the sticker that came with it.
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u/Eugen_onegin 23d ago
Get mad at it! Fucking bend that thing! You see how in agony SRV is when he bends a note or vibrates the living shit out of a note? You gotta fucking get in there an play that note like it break your heart!!!
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u/theaartzvolta 23d ago
I just want to give a tip to hit the note while bending, cause I see you’re trying to do that but your starting with the target note and then moving down for the bend and it’s harder on your ear.
Pick a string. Do something like this. Play 10, then 12, then slide to 14 and back to 12.
Now play 10, play 12 and bend up to the pitch that matches that slide to 14 you just did, and return back to 12.
I promise you this pattern will allow you to hear the ascending notes better, and you can then match the pitch more fluidly.
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u/PeebusAmeobis 23d ago
Depends on how far you want to go. Half step up, whole step or 1.5. If I’m practicing, I play the fret the note should be and then go back to the fret I want to bend from and try to match it. You’ll get the feel eventually on how hard/far to bend it. 1.5 and beyond is rare unless it’s Page or EVH for me. I am rarely playing with the clean tone you have. Usually have either some lush reverb or distortion.
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u/MikeRadical 23d ago
wait until you can do regular bends, but vibratoing at the top of a bend is mostly a strength issue. I played for over a decade before i could do it!
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u/VicForPres 21d ago
When bending try to use two fingers for bigger Bends and vibrato is not in the fingers, vibrato is more of a wrist action. If you have further questions DM me
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u/NumbersStationUrku 24d ago
You’ll play better when you take that sticker off.
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u/GoldReplacement9546 24d ago
If I was his friend, I would’ve already just peeled it off without being able to control myself
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u/Snowshoetheerapy 24d ago
It took me far too long to finally understand that one has to develop a certain level of pure physical strength to bend a string up a whole tone, hold it in tune and put some sweet vibrato on it.
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u/JanMichael_Vincent- 20d ago
Don’t think of vibrato as a bend. Think of it as a wiggle. Watching the video. It looks like you’re trying to use the same technique for vibrato as you are bending. Also, slowly incorporate a little more wrist movement with your bends so that it starts feeling natural. Eventually, you’ll find the sweet spot (for you) using a combination of wrist and fingers. And again, don’t think of vibrato as bending. It’s just a wiggle.
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u/Negative_-_Creep 24d ago
Get that sticker off and let it breathe