Bending the strings? Notes?

Hi guys,

If you bend the string up while playing a note, what does this do to the note you are playing?

For example, if I bent the D note on the E string what note would I be playing? Is it the same only on a different octave or what? Or is it just an effect? Thanks for your help.

Thanks
Tom

Bending the string effectively shortens the string, raising the pitch-- so you will be playing some note higher than the one you are fretting. There are reasonable limits to this, based on string flexibility and the physical size of the fretboard. If you bent that D, you might get it up to Eb or even E.

Bent notes are unique because you aren't limited by the frets. In regular fretting, you'd be playing either D or Eb. With bending, you can play something *between* D and Eb.

Irish Uke Tom said:

Hi guys,

If you bend the string up while playing a note, what does this do to the note you are playing?

For example, if I bent the D note on the E string what note would I be playing? Is it the same only on a different octave or what? Or is it just an effect? Thanks for your help.

Thanks
Tom

Click to expand...

Generally you bend the note for effect, not to play another note.

Irish Uke Tom said:

Hi guys,

If you bend the string up while playing a note, what does this do to the note you are playing?

For example, if I bent the D note on the E string what note would I be playing? Is it the same only on a different octave or what? Or is it just an effect? Thanks for your help.

Thanks
Tom

Click to expand...

Effectively you are bending the note to a another note. Blues and Rock players do this a LOT. The two better strings to bend on a Uke will be the 1 and 2 strings. Simply because you can bend up more ,as their is more fretboard available(altho' likewise you could bend your D note down (physically down of course).

The better place to bend is beyond the middle of the fretboard ,around the 5 to 7 fret and upwards position,simply because there is more flexibility in the strings at this point and you can get more bend.

Typically a bend can be used for effect by hitting the note one semitone under what you want and then bend to the note. Say a Db to an E or even a whole tone (or more if you can do it )it gives a bluesy sound , which is the genre i most associate with bending ,Country and Western employs the use of bends as well.....I wait with intrest to see whether the Classical Buffs will point out where Bends come in (though I don't doubt that they do) and i suppose Flamenco must use bends as well....so probably ....most genres will have bends ....but in my experience mostly Blues,Rock and Countree.

Master benders were the late great BB King, SRV and the currently extant Carlos Santana. Chuck Berry ,another fantastic and above all Accurate bender....there is a lovely film of him giving Keef R of the rolling Stones grief because his bends are sloppy.....

I don't know of any pro Uke benders, though I suppose Manitoba Hal must do.

I have been string bending a lot this week in Southern Rock Season on SOTU 190...but I do bend quite a bit anyway....not a pro though....lol

Uuer HippieGuy, the amazing Brad Bordessa, with the answers. Check his channel...amazing tutorials.

much easier with a steel string , easy on my baritone electric.

That video helped a lot! I was doing it purely with my fingers - never thought of using my wrist to provide the strength!
Never heard of Brad Bordessa, but I'll definitely be checking out his videos.
Thanks Coolkayaker1

I think I mentioned the middle of the fretboard....

Wrist rotation is "one" way but note.

He still extends his fingers,you will note. That is where the accuracy for the pitch comes from. The more fingers you put behind the string the easier it is ,for crying out loud they are only nylon strings.

Still I clearly know sweet fanny adams.:uhoh::biglaugh:

I'm used to it on UU by now....Start of with a bad rep and you NEVER lose it do you ...?


Oh, here's an idea to try. Stick your tuner on the headstock and then end at various points where you know the name of the note and see what you get and how much you pressure you need to apply to get half ,quarter or full bends.... (quarter notes probably will just make the "needle" move a bit)

Cheers:cheers:

My absolute favorite uke song with string bends throughout, but especially starting at 1:50 minutes.

Just a couple of guys noodling at a beachside table.