bending, how many notes?

F#. You are right: a full step bend = two frets. A half step is one fret.

thanks :)

yeah. a bend is typically one interval. an interval is two frets.
it is like playing a scale. you notice that most of the notes are an interval (two frets apart). a bend is an interval, but with soul.
bends are where we have the chance to put feeling into things.

Usually on a tab, it'll tell you how far to bend a note - something like 12b14r12. That'd mean play the note at the 12th fret, bend until it sounds like you're playing the same string at the 14th fret, then release the bend so you're playing the note at the 12th fret again.

Bending's one of those skills you tend to develop automatically - after a while, your ear will tell you what's right. Playing at the higher frets, it's not uncommon for a guitarist to play one note and bend it 4 or even 5 semitones!

:D :D :D

Vic

You'll find that there are any number of different sized bends - from 1/4 tone to 1 1/2 or 2 tones (just look at some Jimi Hendrix for those). It depends on a lot of things - as dogbite says, it adds interest to the music. Listen to the Shadows Cavatina, it's liberally spiced with semi- and whole-tone bends.

Slowhand, are you German?

I rarely hear of the note "H." In America we normally call that "B," with the note a half step below it being "Bb" or "A#." I knew what you meant, though. Some on here might not, which is why I bring it up. Slightly different systems of notation.

No, im danish :D in here we use EADGHE.. ill just post it as B from now on when using english sites like this :)

Here I remember "standard tuning" (which I don't use very often) with this mnemonic:

Eat All Day, Get Big Easily.
:mrgreen:

i used this one ''Er alle danske guitarister helt ens'' means ''is all danish guitarplayers totally the same'' sounds better in danish tho :P

I expect it does. I used to have a young Danish friend, and it sounded mighty nice when she spoke Danish. Could've just been her, though. :wink:

Playing at the higher frets, it's not uncommon for a guitarist to play one note and bend it 4 or even 5 semitones!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I cringe at even trying that. Good Lord, I can't reasonably do a full step bend as of yet!

i actually avoid really big bends when i practice because they so often result in a bang, me jumping out of my skin, and the string no longer being there.

yeah. a bend is typically one interval. an interval is two frets.

An interval is a musical distance between two notes, it could be anything. What you're referring to is a second interval, which could be either minor (1 step) or major (2 steps), and for completenesssake the diminished 2nd (0 frets, the same as a unison interval) and augmented second (three frets, and the same as a minor third interval). A major/minor scale (or any of the seven modes) is a collection of second intervals stacked on top of each other. The only difference is some are minor 2nds (E-F and B-C for example, in the C-major scale) and the rest is a major 2nd interval.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I cringe at even trying that. Good Lord, I can't reasonably do a full step bend as of yet!

Well, Eric Clapton ain't a bodybuilder so it can't have much to do with strength I guess. ;) Try bending the 15th fret up two semitones, you'll find it much easier. That's why Eric's huge bends are always played high up the neck, it makes bending a piece of cake.

Or change to some really light strings like 9's