By Jackie Don Loe
~ Bending The Blues ~
String bending is essential to blues guitar and defines the varied
nature
of a players character. The intervals between the notes on the guitar can be bent from a
half step up to a perfect fourth. Each note of the pentatonic scale can be bent to reach
the next note in the scale.
The following example shows how to bend the notes in a G minor pentatonic
scale and keep it within the scale pattern.
Start by fretting the B-string on the 11th fret (Bb) and listen to how it sounds. Then
fret the 8th fret and bend the note one and a half steps to the exact same pitch as the Bb
note. The next two positions only bend one whole step each, the Bb to the C and the C to
the D respectively. Then fret the 18th fret (F) for the sound of the note, slide down to
the 15th fret (D) and bend one and a half steps up. Follow the chart and you will see that
you wind up on the root note (G).
|
FRET # |
BEND |
STEP |
NOTE |
|
08th fret |
1-1/2 |
root to b3rd |
G to Bb |
|
11th fret |
1 |
b3rd to 4th |
Bb to C |
|
13th fret |
1 |
4th to 5th |
C to D |
|
15th fret |
1-1/2 |
5th to 7th |
D to F |
|
18th fret |
1 |
7th to root |
F to G |
You can also bend just a half step starting on the 13th fret and
bend up to the flattened 5th (Db) the "blue note" as well as bending from the
15th fret (D) up a whole step to the sixth (E) for a cool sound. You can achieve endless
patterns of expression as a soloist by also mixing the 'in between' bends such as the
quarter and three quarter bends.
- Jackie Don Loe -
Guitar
Workshop Archive
