ICan't Bend my Strings!

[lp1holl]

So, I've been at this for almost a month (three weeks? idk) I feel like I'm starting to get this, and my fingers are limbering up and everything, I'm getting the theory, working on my hammer-ons and pull-offs, memorizing scales, learning new songs (I know its not blues, but I'm working on "Man of Constant Sorrow" from O' Brother Where Art Thou now).

Anyway, aside from all of of that, I can't bend a string! I mean, i can bend it, and I hear the pitch change, but it only sounds like the beginning of a terrible vibrato, it never changes the note and I can't bend up (like 7b8). I'm just at a loss as to how to really change the note. I play acoustic, if that has anything to do with it...I'm just at a loss guys. Any help would be nice. How do I bend a string?

[MojoJim]

It's really hard to do a bend on an acoustic guitar. I've been practicing guitar for a year and I can't do good bends on my acoustic.

When I first read that you should use two fingers to do a bend I thought that was unnecessary. Boy, was I wrong. I always use two fingers now for bends on my Strat. Even with that I'm not strong enough yet to do good bends on my acoustic.

Some of the more experienced players may have some better advice. I think there are other topics on the forum where this has been discussed. Maybe on the old forum.

Good luck!

[microtech]

Generally, you don't do many bends on an acoustic, and if you do, they are 1/2 steps. The heavy gauge strings (along with the higher tension they require) on acoustics make it VERY different than bending on an electric. If you don't even plan on buying an electric for awhile, you should try to play a friend's or go to a guitar shop and try it. You will be amazed how easy it will be to bend on an electric... whether or not you hit the correct note is a different story, and my problem.

[VikingBlues]

So much more difficult to do bends on an acoustic as MojoJim and microtech have said. Although I think after three weeks I was probably still struggling at just playing notes!

With the normal strings I had on my Tanglewood I would need a bionic hand and fingers to bend the sods. The situations a bit improved with the custom light 10-47s I put on it, but even then bending strings on the electrics is a stroll in the park by comparison. [Although as Microtech said hitting the right note is a pretty major complication - maybe it's like a stroll in the park on a tightrope wearing stilts?] Also if I do manage the bend on the acoustic the more limited sustain on the note makes the effect that I can get from the bend less effective.

Agree 100% with MojoJim about using more than one finger on the bends on an electric if possible - maybe even three fingers if it's a "biggie".

[Golfxzq]

lp1holl... here is a link (I hope!!) to an earlier thread in the archived version of this site which helped me a lot to understand more about string bending. Maybe it will be of some help to you too.

http://12bar.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2660