What you’ll learn
- Tune half-step and whole-step bends.
- Support the bend with more than one finger.
- Use controlled vibrato.
Before you practice
Play the target pitch first at another fret. Bend the starting note until it matches.
Use two or three fingers together when possible and let the wrist help. Using one fingertip alone can be tiring and unstable.
Vibrato is a controlled variation in pitch. Begin with narrow, slow movements and keep them steady.
Lesson exercise
- Compare the seventh-fret pitch with a bend from the fifth fret.
- Hold the bend on pitch for two seconds.
- Practice vibrato in quarter notes and then eighth notes.