Hey all, I just finished the basic series at Justin Sandercoe's site and am starting the blues course now. The first part of the series introduces bends. I'm having problems getting them right, and my fingers are very sore after practicing them. I always practice at least 45 mins every day,usually more, for about 4 months so far, so my callouses are formed pretty well, so I was surprised when they were that sore. Will it get easier once my fingers toughen up more? I can do a semi-tone ok, but the ones that involve a full tone give me trouble.
Are you supporting the bend with other fingers, or just using one finger to shove the string around?
Are you performing the bend by rotating the arm or just pushing with the fingers?
All these things contribute to making bends tricky, and if you're practising bends for 45 minutes a day then you're going to get sore fingers whatever happens.
Your fingers will toughen up; four months is not a long time playing.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
but the ones that involve a full tone give me trouble
...and they will. Don't be discouraged by the shredding of the fingers. I will caution you to not overdo it while learning the technique. You can over-practice and put your hands out of commission for a couple days. Just concentrate on the note you're trying to achieve. Try bending with a strobe or digital tuner engaged. You can see what note you're hitting visually. BUT, don't make this a replacement for using your ears. You need to train them to hear that target note before you go there. It will help. Try recording your playing with your phone, voice recorder, or whatever. You need to be able hear what's working and what's not. also, playing to a rhythm track of any sort will help you hear when you hit the note.
hope it helps, good luck. Sandercoe is awesome! He probably already mentioned some of this stuff.
Are you supporting the bend with other fingers, or just using one finger to shove the string around?
Are you performing the bend by rotating the arm or just pushing with the fingers?
All these things contribute to making bends tricky, and if you're practising bends for 45 minutes a day then you're going to get sore fingers whatever happens.
Your fingers will toughen up; four months is not a long time playing.
Alan, I'm using my first, second and third fingers for the bends. With just one finger it's way too hard. Also, I'm doing it by rotating my arm, not just my fingers. I try to find a pivot point on the neck that I can visualize and try to use that as a point to rotate from. I practiced bends for 45 mins only one time :) I meant to say I always practice at least 45 mins every day in reference to forming the callouses before I started working on bends.
Sandercoe is awesome! He probably already mentioned some of this stuff.
Yes he is. I wish I had found him years ago and I think I may have stuck with it :)
Alan, I'm using my first, second and third fingers for the bends. With just one finger it's way too hard. Also, I'm doing it by rotating my arm, not just my fingers. I try to find a pivot point on the neck that I can visualize and try to use that as a point to rotate from. I practiced bends for 45 mins only one time :) I meant to say I always practice at least 45 mins every day in reference to forming the callouses before I started working on bends.
You're on the right track. It is only a matter of time before fingers toughen up, arm muscles get good at doing those bends and it all starts to come together. Keep working at it and let us know how it's going.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Great, just wanted to make sure I was on the right track. Thanks!
You might like to try light guitar strings - you never stated what gauge you use. I use 9's, I find them almost ridiculously easy to bend. Heavier strings are harder to bend easily....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I moved up to 10's about a month ago. I'm learning blues and was experimenting with heavier strings for a more chunky sound. Maybe I'll go back to 9's until I get more comfortable with the technique.
You might like to try light guitar strings - you never stated what gauge you use. I use 9's, I find them almost ridiculously easy to bend. Heavier strings are harder to bend easily....
:D :D :D
Vic
I was using 10's until I broke a string today, so I put on a new set and went with 9's and wow, what a difference! I was struggling so much before I changed to get a full tone bend. I expected a little difference but I'm very pleasantly surprised at the difference.
