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Hi, How are you doing?

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Justin here.

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Welcome to IM-144.

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In which we are going 
to be checking out String Bending.

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Now, String Bending is 
a very very cool technique

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used a lot in Rock, and also Blues

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but it's unfortunately 
an electric guitar only technique.

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Those of you who only have an acoustic guitar,

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please feel free to watch the video

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and maybe try doing it

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but you will probably find it very difficult

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and I don't want you to hurt your hands.

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So maybe you might want to
leave this lesson

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until you have an electric guitar.

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The most important thing
when you learn String Bending

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is making sure 
that you get your technique right.

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Many people start trying 
to do String Bending

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by using their fingers

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and that just doesn't work.

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You really have to use your 
"Wrist" and your "Arm."

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So, let's get into a close up

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and I will go ahead and show you


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exactly how 
to perform this technique.

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The first note we are going 
to be bending

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is the note D.

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So, I would like you 
to start by putting your

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Third Finger down in the Seventh Fret,
of the Third String.

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Now, the first rule of String Bending
is that you

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always use more than
one finger, where possible.

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So, your Third Finger is down here.

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That's the one that's going 
to be dong the String Bending.

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So we are going to support that one, 
with the Second Finger

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back behind it, in the Sixth Fret.

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It doesn't really matter where
in the fret it goes.

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It can go right up the the fret,

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even if it snuck into the Seventh Fret

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that wouldn't be too bad.

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But, try and keep it back 
in the Sixth Fret, if you can.

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Now the second rule is that

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you are going to 
be using your "Hand and "Arm"

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and not your fingers.

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Now this is really important.

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It's probably the most common mistake 
that people make when they

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are learning to do String Bending.

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So, what you are not going to do is:

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do not keep 
your fingers square to the fret,

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while trying to push up,

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like this.

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It's really difficult.

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Difficult to hold, difficult to control

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and it is generally just bad.

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So, don't do that.

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The whole idea here,

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what you should be doing
is using your "Wrist"

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to create the Bend.

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You can see that 
my fingers are actually "locked"

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And that I'm using the motion of
my Arm and Wrist

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to push the string up.

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And this is the motion.

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Now what you will
most likely find is that

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it is very awkward to start off with,

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to try and get 
this Wrist movement happening.

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And for a little while
you will be struggling

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and you will be going like this

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moving your fingers 
and trying to figure it out.

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You will grip it incorrectly

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but then one day you will do it

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and it will be really easy.

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And when you get that one, 
and it's really easy,

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you will know that you are doing it right.

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Because it's always that feeling.

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Now, probably the easiest way 
to think of it

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is that if you hold your hand out -

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you can see that my fingers are 
now pointing toward the camera -

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if I just, now press my palm,

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up against the neck,

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similar to pivoting it.

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Pivoting here,

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where the edge of First Finger,


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actually touching on the neck.

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And when you are doing 
your String Bending

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you will find that part 
of your finger, right where it joins the hand,

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will be actually touching the guitar neck

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because that is your pivot point.

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Now you can see,

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if I fold my hand,

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it looks like a "L" shape.

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Then I put it in the same place.

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If I make the same movement

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you can see that the fingers
seem to be pushing across the strings.

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Now, of coarse, 


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it really doesn't look like that

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when you are doing bending

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but that's just to give you the idea.

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The idea of levering against here.

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Against that part of 
the guitar neck.

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That's the movement that 
you are after.

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And you will find that when 
you get that,

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bending becomes really simple.

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So, let's go back.

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Put your Third Finger and Second Finger
in the Seventh Fret and Sixth Fret, respectively

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and try pushing up.

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You might even want to

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put your First Finger down
in the Fifth Fret as well.

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But see if you can get that feeling, 
of your arm doing it.

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The fingers you can see are locked into place.

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They are not moving at all.

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They are solid.

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It wouldn't matter how I move my hand,

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my fingers should stay the same.

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And once holding the guitar neck,

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That's how they move.

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It's this motion here.

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It does take a little bit of practise.

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Don't worry if you don't get it
correct immediately.

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Just see if you 
can keep doing that motion

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and when you find it getting easy

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you will probably know 
that you are doing it correct.

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Now, the next really important rule - number three:

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It is, "Know where you are bending to,"

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because in String Bending,
it is possible to play really horrible

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after two notes.

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So what we are going to start off doing,
is learning a little exercise

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to help you get your "bends" in-tune.

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So what were are going to start of with is
playing this note at the

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Seventh Fret, 
Third String, with our Third Finger.

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. . .

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Then we are going to move our hand up one fret

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and play the Eight Fret
of the same string.

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. . .

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Then we are going to move back 
to the Seventh Fret

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and play it again

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. . .

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And then try and bend it to the sound,

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to the pitch of that note at the Eight Fret

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. . .

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So again we go

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Seventh Fret

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. . .

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Eight Fret

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. . .

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Seventh Fret

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. . .

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Bend

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. . .

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Now, don't be putting 
any vibrato on as yet.

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Just try and get your bend 
to the accurate pitch.

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It should feel quite easy.

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It's only a semi-tone bend.

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You could probably do it 
with your fingers the wrong way

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and get away with it.

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But it should feel extremely easy
if you are doing the technique correctly.

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Let's go again:

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Seventh Fret

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. . .

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Eight Fret

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. . .

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Seventh Fret

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. . .

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Bend

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. . .

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So it's a little four note sequence.

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. . .

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. . .

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Now, you want to
practise that a little bit first.

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This is called a Semi-Tone Bend

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Because we are just bending one fret.

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. . .

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But we can also bend a whole tone,
which is two frets.

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In which case we would play the

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Seventh Fret

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. . .

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Ninth Fret

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. . .

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back to the 
Seventh Fret

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. . .

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and bend a tone

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. . .

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. . .

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Like I said, "Absolutely no vibrato."

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Make sure that you get the bend
really nicely in-tuned.

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. . .

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Now, once you feel comfortable with that, 
the Semi-Tone

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. . .

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and the Tone.

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. . .

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Then you might want to try it 
on the Second String.

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Same frets as before are acceptable.

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. . .

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. . .

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and then a Tone

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. . .

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And then finally on the thinnest string

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. . .

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. . .

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and a Tone

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. . .

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. . .

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Some of you may have noticed

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that all of the bends
I was doing

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were going up

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and you've never heard them 
come down.

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And the reason for all that is

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I was muting all
of the strings with, my picking hand.

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So, as soon as I performed the bend

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(plays)

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The picking hand touches the strings

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then I release the bend.

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That way you avoid
the "Seagull Effect".

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for example (plays)

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Sometimes it sounds "cool",
but most times it is not desirable .

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So, try and get into the habit of 
when you are doing

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your bending practice,

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that you go (plays)

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. . .

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with this hand

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Mute

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Relax the bend,
then you can move to the next note.

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. . .

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Here touches the strings.

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It's the outside of the palm

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here

223
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that does the string dampening

224
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just to ensure that the
note sounds properly

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. . .

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stop, and relax

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Otherwise, you get (plays)

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And often that sound (plays)
doesn't really sound cool.

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It can be used to good effect later on

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but it's not probably something 
that you would want to start off learning.

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Make sure that you
grasps the Palm Muting

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because it will really make
your bends sound a lot better.

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Now, as well as getting
your technique right,

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the other really important thing is

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making sure that you, "bend the right note"

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So what I want to do now is go through 
the Minor Pentatonic Scale

237
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and the Blues Hybrid Scale

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and show you which are
the "cool" notes to bend, and why.

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So we are just going to be looking 
at the thinnest three strings.

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Because they are the ones 
that we most commonly bend on.

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It is possible to bend
on these thicker ones

242
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but it's not what you want 
to start off with.

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So, starting off we have
the A Minor Pentatonic Scale

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on the thinnest three strings, 
and the Fifth Fret

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. . .

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Now, if we look at this
top note that we were playing

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this is the note C.

248
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And regularly, 
you will probably find that

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you are playing that
with your little finger.

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. . .

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But with String Bending,
we never ever do it with our little finger.

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There are a couple of exceptions

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but 99% of guitar players, 
bend with their Third Finger.

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It's a lot stronger.

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The little finger is too short 
and too weak

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and doesn't give you a good bend.

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So, get into the habit of using 
your Third Finger for the bend.

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Even if it means 
that you have to re-finger the scale.

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But you have already learned that,

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"It is not important, what fingers play
the notes for the scale."

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So we can use Third Finger (plays)

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for all of those notes.

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. . .

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00:09:47,296 --> 00:09:49,090
If you don't believe me,
check out Eric Clapton.

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00:09:49,090 --> 00:09:51,157
Watch some videos
of guitar players you like

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00:09:51,157 --> 00:09:52,500
and notice that

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00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:57,905
99 times out of 100,
they will be using their Third Finger for the bend.

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00:09:57,905 --> 00:09:59,090
Now, this top note here:

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00:09:59,090 --> 00:10:01,572
This note can be bent One Tone

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00:10:01,572 --> 00:10:02,607
which is Two Frets.

271
00:10:02,607 --> 00:10:07,255
. . .

272
00:10:07,255 --> 00:10:08,839
Now we haven't done the next scale pattern

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00:10:08,839 --> 00:10:09,839
but this note, D


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00:10:09,839 --> 00:10:12,272
is the next note is note in 
the A Minor Pentatonic Scale

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00:10:12,272 --> 00:10:13,982
if we start moving up the neck.

276
00:10:13,982 --> 00:10:17,017
So that's why this note 
must be bent a Tone.

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00:10:17,017 --> 00:10:18,400
Bending a Semi-Tone to here:

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00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,716
This isn't a good scale note. 
As it tends to sound sour.

279
00:10:21,716 --> 00:10:23,465
So, if you are going to bend 
the Eight Fret

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00:10:23,465 --> 00:10:25,484
Make sure you bend it One Tone.

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00:10:25,484 --> 00:10:26,482
It's worth practising.

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00:10:26,482 --> 00:10:30,649
. . .

283
00:10:31,049 --> 00:10:35,615
. . .

284
00:10:35,615 --> 00:10:37,298
Now also on the thinnest string;

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00:10:37,298 --> 00:10:39,299
you will remember from our Hybrid Scale

286
00:10:39,299 --> 00:10:44,815
. . .

287
00:10:44,815 --> 00:10:45,399
We've got here

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00:10:45,399 --> 00:10:46,493
the Seventh Fret.

289
00:10:46,493 --> 00:10:48,259
Now the next note up in the scale

290
00:10:48,259 --> 00:10:49,981
. . .

291
00:10:49,981 --> 00:10:50,858
was the Eight Fret.

292
00:10:50,858 --> 00:10:53,293
So what you want to 
practise off the Seventh Fret

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00:10:53,293 --> 00:10:54,641
is a Semi-Tone bend.

294
00:10:54,641 --> 00:10:55,693
It's a one step bend.

295
00:10:55,693 --> 00:10:57,266
you would practise the following (plays)

296
00:10:57,266 --> 00:11:04,409
. . .

297
00:11:04,409 --> 00:11:06,100
So, for the Eight Fret,
it should be a Tone.

298
00:11:06,100 --> 00:11:09,817
. . .

299
00:11:09,817 --> 00:11:11,858
And for the Seventh Fret, 
it should be a Semi-Tone.

300
00:11:11,858 --> 00:11:15,942
. . .

301
00:11:15,942 --> 00:11:19,576
Now, exactly the same thing happens
on the Second String

302
00:11:19,576 --> 00:11:20,359
This note here:

303
00:11:20,359 --> 00:11:20,959
The note G.

304
00:11:20,959 --> 00:11:21,963
Bends up a Tone.

305
00:11:21,963 --> 00:11:23,604
. . .

306
00:11:23,604 --> 00:11:24,136
which is

307
00:11:24,136 --> 00:11:24,869
(plays)

308
00:11:24,869 --> 00:11:25,707
the same as that note actually.

309
00:11:25,707 --> 00:11:30,137
. . .

310
00:11:30,137 --> 00:11:31,835
So we have our Tone off the Eight Fret.

311
00:11:31,835 --> 00:11:34,569
. . .

312
00:11:34,569 --> 00:11:36,252
And then we've got a Semi-Tone off the Seventh Fret.

313
00:11:36,252 --> 00:11:38,152
. . .

314
00:11:38,152 --> 00:11:38,920
Because it's bending to that note

315
00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:53,679
. . .

316
00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:55,829
And it's exactly the same 
on the Third String.

317
00:11:55,829 --> 00:11:59,679
. . .

318
00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,846
On the Third String, 
it's just slightly different, in that

319
00:12:02,846 --> 00:12:05,208
on the Seventh Fret,
we can bend a Tone

320
00:12:05,208 --> 00:12:09,846
. . .

321
00:12:09,846 --> 00:12:10,797
because it bends to this note

322
00:12:10,797 --> 00:12:11,662
which is the note E.

323
00:12:11,662 --> 00:12:15,496
. . .

324
00:12:15,496 --> 00:12:16,796
You can hear that it's the same note.

325
00:12:16,796 --> 00:12:17,296
E

326
00:12:17,296 --> 00:12:20,512
(plays and hums)

327
00:12:20,512 --> 00:12:22,129
You can even play them both at the
same time, if you like.

328
00:12:22,129 --> 00:12:25,131
. . .

329
00:12:25,131 --> 00:12:28,805
So, it's important from 
the Seventh Fret on the Third String,

330
00:12:28,805 --> 00:12:30,396
you can bend a Tone.

331
00:12:30,396 --> 00:12:32,912
The difference is that you can also bend a Semi-Tone.

332
00:12:32,912 --> 00:12:34,046
. . .

333
00:12:34,046 --> 00:12:34,896
Because you've got the "Blue"

334
00:12:34,896 --> 00:12:38,597
. . .

335
00:12:38,597 --> 00:12:42,280
So here from the Seventh Fret 
you can bend a Tone

336
00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,530
or a Semi-Tone.

337
00:12:44,530 --> 00:12:45,847
So you should practice a Tone.

338
00:12:45,847 --> 00:12:53,439
. . .

339
00:12:53,439 --> 00:12:54,549
or a Semi-Tone.

340
00:12:54,549 --> 00:13:01,745
. . .

341
00:13:01,745 --> 00:13:03,496
Now what I would recommend 
that you start doing is

342
00:13:03,496 --> 00:13:06,973
exploring all of those bends
when you improvise.

343
00:13:06,973 --> 00:13:08,157
If you put a backing track on,

344
00:13:08,157 --> 00:13:11,091
just start to experiment with all of those
different things.

345
00:13:11,091 --> 00:13:12,022
You've got the bend

346
00:13:12,022 --> 00:13:27,621
. . .

347
00:13:27,621 --> 00:13:29,385
Lot's of fun!

348
00:13:30,739 --> 00:13:32,145
Practising your bending technique

349
00:13:32,145 --> 00:13:34,706
and making sure that you've got 
the technique exactly right

350
00:13:34,706 --> 00:13:35,622
is very important.

351
00:13:35,622 --> 00:13:37,222
But also very important

352
00:13:37,222 --> 00:13:40,389
is listening to the original Blues Masters,
do their string bending

353
00:13:40,389 --> 00:13:44,117
so you know what it is
that your string bending, should sound like.

354
00:13:44,117 --> 00:13:47,098
Now, probably my favourite string bender 
of all time is

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00:13:47,098 --> 00:13:48,200
Albert King

356
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:49,698
He's got a wonderful string bend.

357
00:13:49,698 --> 00:13:51,735
He does them really slow, 
and really fast.

358
00:13:51,735 --> 00:13:53,850
Lots of vibrato; no vibrato.

359
00:13:53,850 --> 00:13:55,550
So if you do not have any Albert King,

360
00:13:55,550 --> 00:13:57,843
I would highly recommend that you get
either his album:

361
00:13:57,843 --> 00:14:01,310
"King Albert" or "Born Under a Bad Sun"

362
00:14:01,310 --> 00:14:04,575
Both of those albums have loads and loads of fantastic guitar playing

363
00:14:04,575 --> 00:14:06,795
and are also a really good source of getting

364
00:14:06,795 --> 00:14:08,351
traditional blues licks.

365
00:14:08,351 --> 00:14:12,076
And listening to what 
really good string bending sounds like.

366
00:14:12,076 --> 00:14:15,760
So the first thing that you should be doing is practising the exercise:

367
00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:17,627
So playing a note (plays)

368
00:14:17,627 --> 00:14:19,476
Playing it a semi-tone higher (plays)

369
00:14:19,476 --> 00:14:20,794
Back (plays)

370
00:14:20,794 --> 00:14:23,294
and then doing the bend (plays)

371
00:14:23,294 --> 00:14:25,993
That's to really help make sure that you get you pitching good -

372
00:14:25,993 --> 00:14:27,159
that you are bending in-tune.

373
00:14:27,159 --> 00:14:30,869
. . .

374
00:14:30,869 --> 00:14:31,569
and a tone

375
00:14:31,569 --> 00:14:34,970
. . .

376
00:14:34,970 --> 00:14:38,304
So, practise that 
on all three of the thinner strings.

377
00:14:38,304 --> 00:14:39,404
That's exercise one.

378
00:14:39,404 --> 00:14:40,571
It's really really important,

379
00:14:40,571 --> 00:14:42,403
and it's one that you should 
do for a little while until

380
00:14:42,403 --> 00:14:46,629
you feel totally confident 
that you've got your bending in-tune.

381
00:14:46,629 --> 00:14:47,913
Once you've conquered that,

382
00:14:47,913 --> 00:14:49,167
the next really important thing

383
00:14:49,167 --> 00:14:50,744
is to actually put it into practise.

384
00:14:50,744 --> 00:14:52,196
So, put a backing track on

385
00:14:52,196 --> 00:14:55,357
and just jam along;
experimenting with your string bending.

386
00:14:55,357 --> 00:14:58,573
You'll find that it brings a whole life 
to your guitar playing

387
00:14:58,573 --> 00:15:00,506
that you might not have discovered before.

388
00:15:00,506 --> 00:15:05,400
When you are improvising, 
it just gives something really expressive.

389
00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,633
There's something magical about string bending once you get it

390
00:15:07,633 --> 00:15:10,060
but it doesn't really have 
that magical feeling

391
00:15:10,060 --> 00:15:12,332
until you have gotten the technique correct.

392
00:15:12,332 --> 00:15:13,899
So, plenty of practise on the technique.

393
00:15:13,899 --> 00:15:15,161
Then plenty of practise using it

394
00:15:15,161 --> 00:15:17,412
and I will see you for another lesson 
some time really soon.

395
00:15:17,412 --> 00:15:18,393
take care of yourself.

396
00:15:18,393 --> 00:15:18,985
bye