Blues Licks (Section 1: Bends)

What is the easiest and yet most overlooked technique used during a
solo? What is the most basic place to start with any solo? A single note is
the most basic ingredient to any solo, and on the guitar, it is what one
can do with that single note on a string that is the most overlooked
technique: bending.
Bending makes one note another—it makes one note many others—it
makes the pitch rise and fall, it changes harmony, and it fills space in a
solo. It is the single most creative thing to be done on one string on the
guitar because it can make multiple pitches 1) seamless, 2) varied in
timbre (quality of sound), and 3) create dynamics (something reserved
mostly for the right hand).

Timbre is the quality of a sound; in other words, a trumpet and a guitar sound different
because they have different timbres—the notes they play sound different. Bending a string
changes the string timbre unlike the monotony of continuously picking a note.
Dynamics are the highs and lows of a piece of music. Excitement and release as well and
loud and soft are dynamics. Bending gives the left hand the power to make this happen
whereas the right hand always has this power depending on how the string is picked.

Types of Bends and exercises:

Standard Bends: ½ step 1 whole step

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The Pre-Bend: Note is bent before picking then released.

This can be a variety of steps. It takes the place of whammy bar.
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The Trill: String is bent wildly making various above pitches.
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Double stop section:
Double stops are playing two notes at once. This adds harmonization
between a master note (the note emphasized the most) and a slave note
(the one hanging on for the road and providing an intervallic harmony).
All of these examples have to do with two strings played together.

Harmony is when two or more notes are played together or sound together for a given
amount of time. This is like two people singing together at different pitches. Sometimes it
sounds good, sometimes it doesn’t.

Intervallic means that we are concerned with intervals, or the spaces between two notes.
The relationship to those spaces makes different harmonies sound good or bad.

Grace Note Bend: A grace or ghost note is a note played quickly to the
point of almost not being noticed. This mimics a lap steel sound.
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The Slow Bend: This can be played with one string, but with two the
actual speed is better measured by the dissonance made between the
notes. When bending two strings, they tend to bend at different rates
causing more dissonance when bent together.
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|-------7------ -------------|------8--------------------------------|
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The Unison Bend: This allows you to match a pitch between two strings.
Notice the difference between the 2nd and 3rd strings and all other string
combinations (smaller fret distance to match up to).
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|-----8-------- ---------|---------5--------------------------------|
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String Stopping Section: It is important, especially in concern with
rhythm, to be able to stop the sound from a string bent or not with both
hands. This can be a powerful technique.

Left Hand Mute: The Left hand stops the string or strings with a finger
(pinky).

Right hand Mute:

Blocking: The right hand stops the strings near the bridge by laying the
palm against the strings vibrating. This is probably the fasting way to
mute since it doesn’t make the left hand work harder than it already is.

Wedge: The string that needs to be stopped is wedged between pick and
middle finger to stop it. With two strings, one can be stopped with pick
fingers, the other with the middle , index or pinky. This technique can be
greatly enhanced by studying hybrid picking, or picking that involves
using a pick and using the other 3 free fingers to fingerpick with.

Without too much detail on this technique, here is an exercise to practice

it.

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|--------3----- -------2----------1---------0-------------------------|
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|--0-------------0----------0---------0-------------------------------|
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Pik) M R P…………………………………………………

Future sections Include:

Harmonics Counterpoint Triple Stops

Triads Forms Right Hand involvement

Pentatonics Scales Chromaticism

Voicings Voice Leading Guide Tones

Lap Steel Technique Hammer on/ Pulloffs Legato

Triad sus embellishments Cadences Cliches