Hi,
I am not sure if I have explained this particularly well, but I am hoping someone will be able to help me. I use tab and occasionally I see BU above the tab showing 9(11). I think this means finger on fret 9, pick the string and bend up two notes to the same sound as fret 11. Can anyone confirm that I have this right?
Secondly, if I see BD above the tab showing (9), immediately following the above, does it mean pick fret 9 bend up to the sound of 11, and bend back down to 9, without picking a second time or should I be picking the string twice?
BU BD
-----9(11) (9)----- Like this
Very grateful if someone could help. As I am beginning to pick a few solos, I am seeing this occasionally, and not yet sure if I have got it right.
Thanks in anticipation.
Brilliant site - respect to all.
Geoff
Yes, you are right. You must play the note on fret 9 and bend a whole tone up and return to the orignal note without picking the string again.
Unfortunately there is not a standard notation for bends in tablatures so you will also find other symbols like slashes (/) to go up and backslashes () to go down and many more.
Nuno,
Many thanks for clearing that up - back to my practice.
regards
Personally, I think "BU" and "BD" are silly notations.
Either one gets you to the desired pitch. As a general rule, I tell my students to bend toward the center of the fretboard (up on the first three strings, down on the three bass strings), but that's to avoid running off the fretboard on a big bend.
There is NO difference in sound. Because the sound is the same, many other factors should determine which way you bend on a specific passage... just a few that come to mind: are you holding other notes during the bend? (if so, it's usually best to bend away from the held strings). Are you bending a note in a low position? (the tension is higher there, so you might choose one over the other for reasons of leverage) What do you have to play next? (it's usually a bad idea to be moving away from your next note - it leads to excess motion)
Everyone is built a little differently - our fingers have different diameters, our fingers are different lengths, our hands have different strengths. And we all use different gear, too. Don't stress over how THEY did it - figure out the best way for YOU to do it.
Just my two cents.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Thanks - I am practising a solo, so no other strings when doing the bend.
These little tips help a lot - thanks all.
Cheers
Geoff
