Cosmo Valdemar 845 Posted October 17, 2017 Do you push up toward your chin or pull toward your feet? I've always pulled down toward my feet when bending, except on the G of course. Never had any problems. Now I'm starting to muck about on guitar I'm being told I bend the wrong way. Have I been doing it wrong all these years? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EliasMooseblaster 858 Posted October 17, 2017 Hmm... E and A, I tend to pull down towards the floor; D and G I push up towards the ceiling. I've always thought it was a question of which direction gave me more fretboard to push/pull across! Frankly, if you're hitting the right pitches with your bends, who gives a monkey's? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cosmo Valdemar 845 Posted October 17, 2017 [quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1508245190' post='3390785'] Frankly, if you're hitting the right pitches with your bends, who gives a monkey's? [/quote] Polite Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sammers 119 Posted October 17, 2017 [quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1508245190' post='3390785'] Hmm... E and A, I tend to pull down towards the floor; D and G I push up towards the ceiling. I've always thought it was a question of which direction gave me more fretboard to push/pull across! Frankly, if you're hitting the right pitches with your bends, who gives a monkey's? [/quote] That's the nail on the head really. Kinda makes sense to bend towards the middle of the fretboard as they'll be more room but I don't think it really matters either way. I've never given this a thought though, I didn't even realise there was a "wrong" way to some people! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EliasMooseblaster 858 Posted October 17, 2017 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1508245453' post='3390791'] Polite [/quote] I'm told I have a way with words! It just strikes me as a little odd that there should be a "wrong" direction to bend - if your bends are on pitch, and you're not accidentally dragging the string off the top or bottom of the board then that would seem to be the "right" direction to me. That said, if you know somebody who can explain why one or t'other way is wrong, I'd be very interested to hear their reasoning! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigRedX 2,481 Posted October 17, 2017 So what is the wrong way? You can't bend all the strings the same way, because the ones at the edges will drop of the fingerboard if you bend them towards the edge rather than away. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dmccombe7 4,455 Posted October 17, 2017 Down on the E A D and up on the G. Usually prefer to pull down on G strings but not on bass Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cosmo Valdemar 845 Posted October 17, 2017 [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1508251215' post='3390855'] Down on the E A D and up on the G. Usually prefer to pull down on G strings but not on bass [/quote] That's how I've always done it. Watching various youtube clips it does seem that the accepted method is to push up... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T-Bay 1,873 Posted October 17, 2017 +1 it just seems very natural that way, 'accepted way', hmmm lots of accepted ways for all sorts of things, never worried me too much if I am honest. It works for me, I'm happy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xgsjx 2,365 Posted October 17, 2017 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1508251807' post='3390862'] Watching various youtube clips it does seem that the accepted method is to push up... [/quote] Don't you mean there's lots of videos of people doing it wrong? If someone told me I was bending the string the wrong way, I'd tell them that their fx pedals are in the wrong order. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steantval 1,885 Posted October 17, 2017 Leave the string bending to the guitarist's, next thing will be that bassist's will looking to play six string basses !! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dad3353 7,574 Posted October 17, 2017 ... and pedals..! Whatever next..! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Funky Dunky 0 Posted October 17, 2017 [quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1508245190' post='3390785'] Hmm... E and A, I tend to pull down towards the floor; D and G I push up towards the ceiling. I've always thought it was a question of which direction gave me more fretboard to push/pull across! Frankly, if you're hitting the right pitches with your bends, who gives a monkey's? [/quote] So much this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ped 6,288 Posted October 17, 2017 I bend mine sideways Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charic 342 Posted October 19, 2017 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1508277591' post='3391116'] I bend mine sideways [/quote] I twist the string to change the pitch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dood 1,523 Posted October 19, 2017 [quote name='ped' timestamp='1508277591' post='3391116'] I bend mine sideways [/quote] [quote name='charic' timestamp='1508402100' post='3391898'] I twist the string to change the pitch [/quote] Chuck Norris just tells mine to bend. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xgsjx 2,365 Posted October 19, 2017 It really depends on what string you're coming from. It makes sense to bend the strings nearest the fretboard edge away from the edge, but for the other strings, the only thing you need to take into account is what string you're coming from, what string you'll be going to & the bend hits the right note. For example, if you're playing the A string & want to bend a note on the D string, then it makes sense to bend the string away from the A string. Then if you're playing the G string & want to bend a note on the D string, it makes sense to bend the string towards the A string. Though this depends on where your next note is going to be. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rogerstodge 69 Posted October 19, 2017 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1508245453' post='3390791'] Polite [/quote] Politely correct Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rogerstodge 69 Posted October 19, 2017 I ain't got the energy to bend em Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elfrasho 163 Posted October 23, 2017 [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1508251215' post='3390855'] Down on the E A D and up on the G. [/quote] I hadn't realised until now bit that's how I do it. I think it's just you're fingers naturally want to grip down the way but with the g there's just not enough neck to bend into, so I need to bend up the way. Certainly not been a conscious decision! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thepurpleblob 195 Posted October 23, 2017 String bending? There's something else I don't know how to do... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimR 1,873 Posted October 23, 2017 I bend mine up to make them sharp and down to make them flat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites