Bends and vibrato

A bend raises a note's pitch by pushing the string across the fret, and vibrato gives a held note life. Together they are the most expressive tools of lead guitar. The challenge is accuracy: a bend that lands flat or sharp sounds wrong, so you will check every bend against a fretted target.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Bend a note a whole tone up to the pitch of the note two frets higher.
• Release a bend smoothly back to the starting pitch.
• Add vibrato to a held note at a steady speed.

A bend pushes the string sideways across the fret to raise its pitch. A whole-tone bend raises it by two frets' worth: the bent note should match the note two frets higher.

Check your bends. An out-of-tune bend sounds wrong. Always play the target note first (fret 9 on the 3rd string), then bend fret 7 until it matches.

Technique.

• Use two or three fingers on the string. Your ring finger bends, your index and middle fingers support behind it.
• Rotate your forearm like turning a doorknob, rather than pushing with the finger.
• Thumb over the neck can help, or behind for a classic grip. Choose what feels stable.
• Bend towards the middle of the neck so the string stays on it: push up on the 1st to 3rd strings, pull down on the 4th to 6th.

Vibrato is a regular oscillation in pitch on a held note. Fret the note and bend it up and release it in a steady rhythm. The motion comes from the forearm, not just the finger. Vibrato speed and width are a matter of taste, and a lot of what makes a player recognisable.

Match the target.

1. Play fret 9 on the 3rd string and listen. Sing or hum the pitch.
2. Put your ring finger on fret 7, with the middle and index fingers behind it on frets 6 and 5.
3. Pick the note and push up, rotating your forearm, until the pitch matches the one you just heard.
4. Release slowly back to fret 7's pitch.

Vibrato. Hold fret 7, bend it slightly up and back down in a regular rhythm. Start slow and wide, so you can feel the movement, then make it faster and narrower.

Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.

• 1.Match the target

  5 min · 50 → 60 BPM

  1. On the 3rd string, play fret 9. This is the target pitch.
  2. Play fret 7, then bend it up until it matches fret 9.
  3. Use your ring finger on the string, with the index and middle fingers behind it on frets 6 and 5 for support.
  4. Repeat five times, alternating the target and the bend.

  You have it when

  • The bent note matches the target pitch at least 7 of 10 times.
  I practised this one

• 2.Bend and release

  4 min · 50 → 60 BPM

  1. Pick fret 7 on the 3rd string and bend it up to the target.
  2. Hold it for two beats, then release slowly to the starting pitch.
  3. Keep the pick hand quiet: do not pick again.

  You have it when

  • The release comes back to the starting pitch without a wobble.
  I practised this one

• 3.Vibrato at three speeds

  4 min

  1. Hold fret 7 on the 3rd string. Bend it up a small amount, then release, repeatedly: a slow, wide vibrato.
  2. Do it at a medium speed.
  3. Do it at a fast speed with a narrower bend.
  4. Rotate your forearm, as if turning a doorknob, rather than moving only the finger.

  You have it when

  • The vibrato is steady at three different speeds.
  I practised this one

Bends are slow. Practise at 50 BPM, one bend per bar, holding the note. Accuracy matters far more than speed.

• Bending with one finger. Use two or three fingers on the string to share the force.
• Bending flat. Always check against the target note two frets higher.
• Pushing the string off the fretboard. Bend towards the middle of the neck so the string stays on it: push up (towards the ceiling) on the 1st to 3rd strings, and pull down (towards the floor) on the 4th to 6th strings.

A bend with vibrato at the end of a pentatonic phrase is a signature lead sound. You will use it in the call-and-response lesson to give a phrase its ending.

Try it in: 12-bar blues in A.

Short version (10 minutes)

Do 'Match the target' on the 3rd string for five minutes.

Standard version (about 30 minutes)

Do all three exercises, then add a bend with vibrato at the end of the box 1 staircase riff.

• A whole-tone bend matches the note two frets higher.
• Use several fingers and rotate the forearm.
• Release smoothly to the starting pitch.
• Vibrato is a steady oscillation, rotated from the forearm.

You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:

• I can bend a note up to match a target pitch.
• I can release a bend smoothly.
• I can add vibrato to a held note at a steady speed.