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You know how to play a few chords, but what's next? TG's beginner guitar lessons are here to walk you through the essentials. Here we look at string bends.

Target notes

Open the 'Bending to hit a target note' tab (Right-click to download)

Pushing a string up or pulling it down raises the pitch of the note you're playing. This is called string bending. The technique can be used to create singing, vocal-like phrases that other instruments find difficult to recreate.

You'll know when to bend a string when you see a 'BU' (bend up) symbol in the tab. You'll also notice two numbers: the first number is the fret you'll bend from; the second number is the 'target note' or the note you want the bend note to sound the same as.

Beginner guitar lessons string bends bending to hit a target note

Tip: Play the target note before attempting the bend. This will make it easier to hit the right note. Be warned: this will take a few attempts to get right!

Reinforce your bends

Open the 'String-bending lick' tab (Right-click to download)

You may have noticed that string bending can be pretty tough' It takes a little while to master (so be patient), but using your other fingers to your bending finger out will make it easier to hit target notes. You could also follow the greats like Jimi Hendrix and use your thumb to get extra leverage when you're executing string bends.

Beginner guitar lessons string bends string-bending lick

Tip: This simple lick bends a note up and then you release the bend back to its starting position. Note: the release actually makes the lick easier to play.

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