String bending

[Cosmo Valdemar]

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?

[EliasMooseblaster]

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?

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[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

[Sammers]

[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!

[EliasMooseblaster]

[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!

[BigRedX]

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.

[dmccombe7]

Down on the E A D and up on the G.
Usually prefer to pull down on G strings but not on bass

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[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...

[T-Bay]

+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.

[xgsjx]

[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.

[steantval]

Leave the string bending to the guitarist's, next thing will be that bassist's will looking to play six string basses !!

[Dad3353]

... and pedals..! Whatever next..!

[Funky Dunky]

[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.

[ped]

I bend mine sideways

[charic]

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1508277591' post='3391116']
I bend mine sideways
[/quote]

I twist the string to change the pitch

[Dood]

[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.

[xgsjx]

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.

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1508245453' post='3390791']


Polite
[/quote]
Politely correct

[rogerstodge]

I ain't got the energy to bend em

[Elfrasho]

[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!

[thepurpleblob]

String bending? There's something else I don't know how to do...

[TimR]

I bend mine up to make them sharp and down to make them flat.