Mastering Micro-Bends: Soulful Blues Guitar Solos
By Marty Music
Blues Guitar Techniques: Micro Bends, String Bending, and Vibrato
Micro Bends
Micro bends are small, subtle bends that add expression and nuance to your playing. They're often used to create a bluesy, expressive tone. Practice these by bending the string only a fraction of a step, focusing on precision and control. Listen carefully to the pitch and aim for accuracy.
String Bending
String bending involves bending a string up to a specific pitch. This technique is fundamental to blues guitar and allows for expressive phrasing and melodic embellishments. Focus on developing even, controlled bends, ensuring you hit the target pitch accurately and smoothly. Practice bending to different intervals (whole steps, half steps, etc.)
Vibrato
Vibrato is a rapid, subtle variation in pitch, adding warmth and expressiveness to sustained notes. It's achieved by rocking the string back and forth with your fretting finger. Experiment with different vibrato speeds and depths to find what suits your style. A good vibrato is smooth and controlled, not shaky or erratic.
Putting it Together
Combining micro bends, string bends, and vibrato allows you to create expressive and soulful blues phrases. Practice incorporating these techniques into your solos and improvisations over blues backing tracks in the key of C minor pentatonic. Listen to blues guitar masters like Eric Clapton for inspiration and to develop your ear.
Technique
micro bends, string bending, vibrato
Musical Theory
C minor pentatonic scale, blues scale
Style
blues
Duration
13:00 min
Views
10147
