Bends & vibrato the voice of the guitar
A bend pushes the string across the fret until it sounds a higher note; vibrato shakes a held note around its pitch. They are what make a pentatonic line sound like a guitar and not a keyboard — and both are only good when they land in tune. The licks here sit in the A minor pentatonic box at fret 5 from Scales.
Path: Legato · this page · Blues · Improv
TAB: 8b10 = fret 8, bent until it sounds like fret 10.
r = release back down. ~ = vibrato.
Lesson 1 · Hear the target first
Play fret 10 on the B string, then fret 8 and push it up until it matches. Ring finger on the string, middle and index behind it on the same string helping — three fingers push, one does not. Push toward the ceiling on the B and G strings.
e|----------- B|-10--8b10-- G|----------- D|----------- A|----------- E|-----------
Lesson 2 · Whole-step bend on the G string
The most used bend in rock and blues: G string fret 7 (D) up to the pitch of fret 9 (E). Thumb over the top of the neck gives you something to squeeze against.
e|--------- B|--------- G|-9--7b9-- D|--------- A|--------- E|---------
Lesson 3 · Half-step bend
One fret’s worth. B string fret 5 (E) up to F — a small, vocal move. Easy to overshoot; stop the moment it matches fret 6.
e|--------- B|-6--5b6-- G|--------- D|--------- A|--------- E|---------
Lesson 4 · Bend and release
Bend up, hold, and let it back down to the fretted pitch without lifting off. The release has to land as exactly as the bend.
e|-------- B|-------- G|-7b9r7-- D|-------- A|-------- E|--------
Lesson 5 · Unison bend
Hold B string fret 5 (E) with the index, bend G string fret 7 up to the same E with the ring finger, and pick both. You hear the two pitches beat until the bend arrives — an intonation check built into the lick.
e|------ B|-5---- G|-7b9-- D|------ A|------ E|------
Lesson 6 · Vibrato
Pivot from the wrist, not the finger: the thumb or the base of the index is the hinge and the fretting finger rocks the string up and back. Keep it in time — two wobbles per beat at 70 BPM is a good start. Narrow and fast reads as tense; wide and slow as vocal.
e|---------- B|-8~~~~~~-- G|---------- D|---------- A|---------- E|----------
Lesson 7 · Bend, then vibrato at the top
The singer’s long note: bend to pitch first, then add vibrato by easing the bend down and back up a little. Never shake below the target.
e|---------- B|---------- G|-7b9~~~~-- D|---------- A|---------- E|----------
Lesson 8 · A phrase
Everything in one line, original to this room: down the box, bend and release on G, finish on the A with vibrato.
e|-5--------------------- B|----8--5--------------- G|----------7b9r7-------- D|-----------------7~~~-- A|----------------------- E|-----------------------
Next: put this over a twelve-bar on Blues.
Ready when
Move on when all of these are true on a normal day, not your best one:
- A whole-step bend on the G and B strings matches the target fret every time you check it.
- A bend and release lands back on the fretted pitch, not under it.
- Your vibrato stays even and in time for four beats on any string.