The Guitar Player's Resource
Finishing off a guitar solo with a bend sounds great and is also fun to do. But many find this hard to accomplish and that their hands are never relaxed enough for it.
It is usually after you play an arpeggio or scale that you will find bends the most challenging to play (however, those are not the only times). This has nothing to do with your bending skills, as you probably find that you can play a bend on its own with no problems. It is when you try to play a quick line before that when it is the toughest.
If you would like to test this for yourself, check out the first video below and try to play the lick at 00:30. If you have no issues with this, then that's awesome! Feel free to go on with your day!
If it does pose an issue for you, or if you find you just can't do it at all, then watch the video to see two examples of exercises you can use to start incorporating bends more fluidly into your playing.
As with anything you play on the guitar, always be aware of the excess tension you feel. I know this doesn't always feel like the easiest thing to do, but it is important if you are hoping for a long and healthy playing experience. (i.e. if you do not want to f$%* up your hands...)
If you have issues with this and are not sure how to remedy it, I have a video on easy ways you can work to eliminate this problem.
Tommaso Zillio is a professional prog rock/metal guitarist and composer based in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Tommaso is currently working on an instrumental CD, and an instructional series on fretboard visualization and exotic scales. He is your go-to guy for any and all music theory-related questions.
