Amarillo By Morning - String Bending

Hi Mike

You teach so well. Than k you. I have pretty well got all of the parts sorted. Just trying to develop my string bending technique. You have as part of a lead solo in the song a art where there is string bending. It sounds so great but I am not as good at it as I would like to admit.

Are there any tips to developing the string bending section of this solo?

Once again Mike, thank you for the instructional videos.

Regards
geokar

Hi, maybe I can help a little.
When string bending, there are several things you have to work on:
1. It's about hitting (or getting to) a note that is higher on the scale than the fretted position. So, first thing you have to do is listen and decide which note you are trying to reach (1/2 tone higher, 1 tone(= 2 frets) higher, or even higher). So first thing you could practice on is in hitting the note on the fret eg 1/2 tone higher (= 1 fret) and compare that pitch with the bend you are making. Do that in different positions on the neck and learn to hear when you hit the right bended note.
2. Learning to bend is a great way to develop rock and blues tones, but also to train your ear. Bending makes it also possible to play eg 1/4 tone higher... things you can't do on a piano!
3. Next thing: is it a bended note that comes down? bc that's also a possibility. This is more difficult, bc you have to start with the bended note (directly in the correct position) and then bring it down to the "normal" note on the same fret position.
4. If the note goes up or down during the bend : work on different speeds of bending. You can have a solo that goes quite fast, but achieve great tones by sometimes slowly climbing up in the bend (eg. SRV style).
5. Listen to the bend and try to apply vibrato. This may be difficult. Also try to use vibrato on different parts of the bended note (whole note, beginning, end (=sounds cool!),...)
6. A "guitartrick" : try bending a note slowly on the B string (eg. the G note= 8th fret) and let the tone climb slowly to A (a full note bend). But just before you reach the A, release the B string (don't let it ring) and play the A on the E string (= 5th fret) .... and you hear some SRV! Try this slowly, and you will have a great time.

Hope I helped you with this. Maybe this is info you already knew?

Marc

Thanks Marc for chiming in ... those are all great concepts to explore.

I definitely would spend the most time using Marc's first suggestion, by choosing a target note (for example, a D#note, 4th fret of the B string) -- play it, and then grab the 6th fret of the G string and bend up to it so both pitches are in tune. (This would be a full step bend -- going from a C# to a D#).

Do this repeatedly to start to feel how much to bend the G string up so that it is in tune with the actual target note.

The bend that happens in the solo of Amarillo is in this same spot, but it is harder to hear whether you are in tune, because you are playing an F# note at the 7th fret of the B string with it (instead of the same note at the 4th fret).

So try this similar exercise- play the 8th fret of the G string with the 7th fret of the B string. Study the sound of those 2 notes -- now try the bending lick again and when you bend up, try to get to the same "in tune" sound that you just heard by picking those 2 notes at the same time.

Practice these little exercises often, and eventually you will get more and more familiar with the sound you are going for, and the amount of force you'll need to bend the note on the G string to get it in tune.

Hope this helps ... be sure to let me know how it goes!!

Mike