Hi,
When you're bending a string, I know you're supposed to use the motion of your forearm and not your fingers, and you're supposed to pivot and rock. Which direction though?
Obviously, if I rock downward, as though I were turning my palm away from me, I have a lot more range of motion. If I rock upward, well, my arm just doesn't turn very far that way, and I end up using my fingers to stretch the string. On videos though, it definitely looks like the players are bending upwards. Which is it?
"There's no easy ways man," he said. "You gotta learn the hard parts for yourself."
Downward bends can be done with a pivot of the wrist and forearm... upward bends are done with the fingers - but upward bends rarely use the finger muscles alone; they often use more than one finger for support, and the muscles of the palm rather than just the finger.
There are exceptions depending on context. One that comes to mind is the CSNY tune "Find the Cost of Freedom" which has a sixth string bend (which has to go down, or you leave the fretboard!). I do that one with strictly finger bending.
The description "pivot and rock" sounds more like you're describing a vibrato effect, though - the one B.B. King uses, sometimes called 'butterfly vibrato'. I don't recall seeing that done with an upward bend.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Thanks, that's the clear response I was hoping for. Now you're saying that it's ok to use my fingers some for an upward bend as long as I'm supporting them with each other (ie two and three finger bends) and some arm movement? I don't want to injure my fingers, as I'd read can happen if you use them for bends.
"There's no easy ways man," he said. "You gotta learn the hard parts for yourself."
