“Okay, so I’m not an idiot, I’ve worked out what string bending involves, but, tell me, why bother?”
Well, those pesky frets can make things sound a bit lumpy sometimes as there’s a definite point where one note changes to another (ie, as you change frets). Bending the string allows a smooth movement between pitches, which can give your playing a much more vocal, expressive sound.
“So where can I hear this lyrical sound in action?”
David Gilmour is one of the greatest string benders of all time, blues legend Buddy Guy is pretty ferocious and for total out-of-this-world stuff check out Guthrie Govan.
“Guitar geniuses aside, where do I start?”
The basic idea is simple. You’re going to push the string up or pull it down to raise its…