String Bending on Bass Guitar

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In this lesson we're going to look at the bending of strings on bass guitar. String bends can be pretty tough on bass because of the increased string gauges but they are possible and lots of players like Billy Sheehan, Geezer Butler and Cliff Burton have used them to good effect in both solos and bass lines
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[@klisher]

good stuff. no one else is covering this. cheers

[@abrahamjavier1420]

I realize I am kinda off topic but does anyone know of a good site to stream new series online?

[@juliozayd7514]

@Abraham Javier Flixportal =)

[@abrahamjavier1420]

thanks, signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there =) I appreciate it !

[@juliozayd7514]

@Abraham Javier you are welcome :)

[@johnfollis2357]

Update. So normally I would use the ring finger for bending and vibrato with the middle and index fingers behind it to help bolster the strength. But now I have learned to use the pinkie to fret the note while using all other three fingers to bolster it. And to be honest, I don't have my fingers completely lined up in the previous frets all the time. Some times they are all kind of bunched up together. That's how for me I can gain more control over my bends and vibrato. But while using three fingers to for bends and vibrato helps a lot, using all four fingers has really made a world of difference. And also as a side note, if you tap on bass, just think of your picking as another fretting hand. So it will be tricky at first, but try bending and vibrato with your tapping hand as well.

[@scottiepaterson2872]

Can't say thanks enough for posting this one (and all the videos you have). So helpful!

[@kabutoid]

I was trying to play John Mayer's Gravity intro on bass which has sick bends. Then I stumbled this video which is exactly what I needed, I wanted to be able to bend on the 14th fret on the G string, and you showed me how. Thanks for the enlightenment!

[@johnstilljohn3181]

Just what I was looking for - brilliant...! Just need to practice, now...

[@Frege-13]

I don't know if I'm doing something wrong r just not strong enough to reach a whole step, but I can't seem to do it. Any tips?

[@anartist8087]

pain

[@Kobalt2772]

Are you pushing it back the other strings?

[@finleyhobbs8821]

How do you bend a first fret top string

[@773Spair]

You can if you have enough strength or have light enough strings. If you can, you'll have to rotate your wrist some because the length of the string your fingers are on will be diagonal to the fretboard due to most of the give coming from the bridge side of the string.

[@elynnzhao7422]

pull it down, the rest are the same

[@johnfollis2357]

Flea bends strings as well. So does Mark King. And Markus Miller.

[@THESONICSPEEDDEMON]

Does the thickness of the string affect how far I can bend? I tried bending the 19th feet of the g string to make the sound of the 21st but I can only go up one fret. I’m too scared to break the string lol

[@heygek2769]

lighter gauges (lower tension strings) bend easier, don't be scared to break your strings, a good string can bend 3 frets higher without breaking

[@datutturugang666]

i usually plat drop c, bending the e string is amazing

[@rhinoschneider9698]

Hey Mark, a little off topic here but i couldn't figure out how to message you via talkingbass ;P. So I'm working through your simple steps to sight reading course right now and am really making great progress with it. Do you know when your going to release the next volume? I plan to audition for music college (I'm from Germany) next spring (2018) and basically have to learn sight reading from scratch right now. Your course is awesome! Do you have any advice regarding concentration issues? I'm trying really hard to learn it quickly and on multiple occassions I cannot play anything right in the evening and the next morning I find it incredibly easy and play through it without mistakes. Should I take more breaks between reading sheets? I find that doing sports in between really helps to sort of "reset" my brain. Sorry to ask now but I just missed your live stream it seems :D.

[@NMJuan]

What are the lights on the pickups?

[@josh_ari]

That's so he can see in the dark when he has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night

[@markbass354]

much thanks Mark '

[@supa.scoopa]

ugh. my fingers are weak

[@773Spair]

Do your D2 and A1 strings go off the edge of the fretboard of your bass if you try to perform a full-step bend around the 12th fret, even if you bend the D2 string up or the A1 string down?

[@johnganda]

can the strings break with this technique? I fear my string will break. is that just in my head or is it a possibility?

[@bigmanerror]

Depends very much what strings are you using. If you're using like ernieball or daddario its not gon brake easily and the string type is also a thing that you should look. If you want your easy bends i will recommend ernieballs hybrid slinky strings.

[@johnganda]

@@bigmanerror thanks. I'll take that into consideration

[@bigmanerror]

What strings are using?

[@j.c1574]

I had a guitarst say to me that “ You have to bend/shake your whole hand when playing not just your fingers” and I find that the biggest bullshit ever. You just yank those bass strings up and down while grabbing your bass tight 😀

[@sushilghimire1713]

Great Vid

[@elespantaviejas-ly4mb]

i dont struggle with the bending, just reading the amount of it 😭

[@xxXthekevXxx]

Can anyone give me tips? I've begun to learn bass (starting on a 6-string) and the same note that you've (apparently easily) bent to a minor third above is impossible to bend even a whole-note. I assume this is because the strings on a 6- are closer together. I bend, then quickly run into the two strings above and they stop me from going any further to reach the whole-note bend. I've played guitar for a decade and can bend easily all over the fretboard down to the first fret, so it's not a matter of lack of knowledge how.

[@johnfollis2357]

I have the same problem on my 6-string bass as well. Its because the strings are closer together and when you are dealing with thick strings that are closer together, you are going to run into issues. The same is true on 5-string bass as well but not as bad. I use Elixir Nanoweb Coded Stainless Steel Round Wound Strings. From Low B to high C, the gages are: .135 or .130 I can't remember which one it is, .105, .85, .65, .45, and .32. And on my 4-string it is the same exact gages minus the low B and High C. But that seems to help a bit. So you can try different strings and see if that works for you. But I think you are just going to have to deal with the fact that on a five or six string bass, the strings are closer and you simply can't bend as much as you can on a four string. And a guitar is different because the strings are very thin in comparison to a bass. I use lots of bending and vibrato in my bass lines loads when I'm playing in church. And sometimes when I play notes in the high register, I will sometimes add bends and vibrato to make them sing out more.