Which way do you bend?

[g_len89]

If you dont understand what I mean or you think I'm talking about something else... I'm refering to whether you pull the strings down towards the G string or push them up towards the E string, personally I pull the down on the E and A and push up on the D and G, but I've seen plenty of people do just one or the other for all the strings so... Which way do you bend?

[Vic Winters]

Down for all except G.

[trasser]

Yes, down for all except G. Actually, what I normally do, is that i bend both ways on the same note

[slapslappopslap]

owhatever is easiest for your fingers, obviously up on the g, unless you have a six, but like everything on bass, its personal preference. me, i bend up all except e...

[iamlowsound]

I don't really bend on bass, but on guitar I bend the E,A and D down (toward the high E) and the G, B and e up (toward the low E). I do this because I do a lot of large bends. But I have this one riff that I play where I fret the 8th fret on the B string and bend it toward the high E, that is the only time that I do it different that I can think of.

lowsound

[daffy]

Down except G like many others, but that's an overall impression, not a hard and fast rule. A lot depends on where I have just come from on the fretboard.

[BillyB_from_LZ]

I bend which ever way feels best at the time. I will bend the G string down if I'm after the note that occurs when the string rolls off the edge of the fingerboard.

You should see what Michael Manring will do to a G string...it goes inches below the fingerboard...

[j-bass-kreep]

due to the arch on my fingerboard I bend the G string up , the D string down , the A string up and the E string I never bend it ..

[JimmyM]

Sorry, but pulling the strings toward the G is wrong, and I'll tell you why...When you pull down toward the G to bend, you bend your fingers in a way that allows you no further control, while pushing up keeps your finger in a strong position and allows you to retain control. If you want to bend a note and add some further vibrato to it, for example, your finger is in a much better position to do it if it's more extended, and if you bend toward the G, your finger will be less extended.

Plus you simply have more power if you use the strength of your whole wrist to bend notes. The wrist will work to strengthen your fingers if you push toward the E, but it will weaken your fingers if you pull toward the G. That's simple physics. So if you pull toward the G, stop it!

[K2000]

I usually pull down. I feel like I have more strength and more control in that direction. It's easy for me to rythmically pull/relax, over and over again (vibrato effect). Pushing repeatedly in this manner is harder and I feel like I have less control of the string (when I pull, the string feels 'trapped' and more under control). I can also bend farther, when I pull. When I push, I can barely bend a half-step sometimes.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but that's how I usually seem to do it.

I think you usually have more pulling strength with your fingers, than pushing strength. You could probably hang from your fingertips, but I doubt you could support your full body weight for long, pushing with your fingertips.

[Alec W. Conway]

Down for all except the smallest string (G on a 4-5, C on a 6)

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Sorry, but pulling the strings toward the G is wrong, and I'll tell you why...When you pull down toward the G to bend, you bend your fingers in a way that allows you no further control, while pushing up keeps your finger in a strong position and allows you to retain control. If you want to bend a note and add some further vibrato to it, for example, your finger is in a much better position to do it if it's more extended, and if you bend toward the G, your finger will be less extended.

Plus you simply have more power if you use the strength of your whole wrist to bend notes. The wrist will work to strengthen your fingers if you push toward the E, but it will weaken your fingers if you pull toward the G. That's simple physics. So if you pull toward the G, stop it!

I don't follow your "simple physics" explanation for pulling towards G leading to the weakening of the fingers. Pushing uses the wrist, yes, which you can strengthen. Pulling uses the same muscles you already spent time developing to push the strings down. Those same muscles in your right hand play the strings. They aren't going to get any weaker if you use them to bend the strings, and they should already be stronger as it is. Your theory is flawed.

My fingers - already strengthened in the pulling direction - have no trouble controlling the string. I can retain control in a bend, add vibrato - whatever you want me to do. That's just about the strongest most controlled muscle in my hand, and you want me to not use it?!?

I hope this is all a communication issue and something is being mis-represented.

[JimmyM]

My theory is NOT flawed, nor is it a theory. It's fact. I have been to several guitar clinics, and the one thing that really good guitarists who have a strong background in technique agree on is that the secret to good bending and vibrato is in the wrist and forearm. In all my life, I can't recall seeing one top-notch lead guitarist pulling the strings toward the G (or high E in their case). And from seeing a couple clinics and asking questions, I found out that there is a reason. Every single one of them pushes the string, using their forearm and wrist to help out the fingers and make their vibratos stronger. Pulling takes the strength of the forearm and wrist away from the fingers.

Jeff, you can do what you want, but you might want to go check out some really good guitarists and see which way they all bend. I didn't just make this stuff up by myself, you know.

[Jiggybass]

I push up, except for E, I pull that one down, or else it pops off the board, and makes a really, really horrendous sound

[g_len89]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

My theory is NOT flawed, nor is it a theory. It's fact. I have been to several guitar clinics, and the one thing that really good guitarists who have a strong background in technique agree on is that the secret to good bending and vibrato is in the wrist and forearm. In all my life, I can't recall seeing one top-notch lead guitarist pulling the strings toward the G (or high E in their case). And from seeing a couple clinics and asking questions, I found out that there is a reason. Every single one of them pushes the string, using their forearm and wrist to help out the fingers and make their vibratos stronger. Pulling takes the strength of the forearm and wrist away from the fingers.

Jeff, you can do what you want, but you might want to go check out some really good guitarists and see which way they all bend. I didn't just make this stuff up by myself, you know.

So you push up on the E string?

I've actually done a couple of solos on the G string by pulling it off the fretboard and having the string just touch the fret wires. If you play and gradually pull it further off, you can hear the note rising with a weird sound. I used that and added some wah and flanger to the mix and it doesn't turn out too bad after practicing it and getting the technique right. Its sort of like playing a fretless for the first time except its going across and down the side of the fretboard instead of along it

[JimmyM]

No I don't push up on the E string, Mr. Wisenheimer. I don't even bend the E. :P

That's a rather odd technique, but kind of cool. You should post a vid of it on Youtube, then we can all steal it.

[K2000]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

My theory is NOT flawed, nor is it a theory. It's fact. I have been to several guitar clinics, and the one thing that really good guitarists who have a strong background in technique agree on is that the secret to good bending and vibrato is in the wrist and forearm. In all my life, I can't recall seeing one top-notch lead guitarist pulling the strings toward the G (or high E in their case). And from seeing a couple clinics and asking questions, I found out that there is a reason. Every single one of them pushes the string, using their forearm and wrist to help out the fingers and make their vibratos stronger. Pulling takes the strength of the forearm and wrist away from the fingers.

Jeff, you can do what you want, but you might want to go check out some really good guitarists and see which way they all bend. I didn't just make this stuff up by myself, you know.

Guitar is a completely different instrument. I've been playing bass for (forever) and started playing guitar about two years ago. I assumed that a lot of techniques would carry over, one to the other. Uh, not really.

Just like upright bass and electric are different instruments which call for different techniques...

You are correct, "finger vibrato" is a no-no on guitar. But vibrato and bends are two different things. The original post asked about bending. A finger bend on guitar or bass is fine. And bass necks are bigger and the strings are too heavy to vibrato using a guitar technique, IMO. Maybe I'm wrong about that, though.

If you vibrato using your wrist (or have an example of someone else doing it) please post it. For most guys, finger vibrato on bass will be wider action (easier to hear) and easier to play. For subtle vibrato, wrist vibrato is fine. In a band situation you probably wont hear it though.

I would love to see some examples of "wrist" vibrato on bass, if there are any. I'm here to learn.

BTW I didn't think your reasoning for why finger bends are wrong for bass, really held any water.

[fatfinger]

I bend down , its just out of habit... and tight underware didnt help.

[2 Fingers McGee]

Not much of a bendin' man myself, but bending it downwards definitely feels more natural.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by K2000

Guitar is a completely different instrument. I've been playing bass for (forever) and started playing guitar about two years ago. I assumed that a lot of techniques would carry over, one to the other. Uh, not really.

Just like upright bass and electric are different instruments which call for different techniques...

You are correct, "finger vibrato" is a no-no on guitar. But vibrato and bends are two different things. The original post asked about bending. A finger bend on guitar or bass is fine. And bass necks are bigger and the strings are too heavy to vibrato using a guitar technique, IMO. Maybe I'm wrong about that, though.

If you vibrato using your wrist (or have an example of someone else doing it) please post it. For most guys, finger vibrato on bass will be wider action (easier to hear) and easier to play. For subtle vibrato, wrist vibrato is fine. In a band situation you probably wont hear it though.

I would love to see some examples of "wrist" vibrato on bass, if there are any. I'm here to learn.

BTW I didn't think your reasoning for why finger bends are wrong for bass, really held any water.

Whatever.