A whole-step bend pushes the string up until it sounds two frets higher. Here you work in A minor pentatonic, 5th position: the 7th fret on the G string bends up to E, the 8th fret on the B string up to A, and the 8th fret on the high e up to D.
Play the reference note first, then bend until you match it. Use three fingers: the ring finger frets the note, with the middle and index behind it on the same string, all pushing together. The power comes from rotating your wrist, like turning a door handle, not from squeezing with the fingers. Push the G and B strings up toward the ceiling; you can push the e string up too, but don't let it slip off the fretboard.
A good bend sounds like a singer sliding into a note and stopping dead on it. The most common mistake is stopping short, a little flat. Bends that go sharp are almost as common.
The last exercise repeats the reference bends in E minor pentatonic at the 12th position, where the strings feel looser and bend more easily.
How to practice
- Check every bend with a tuner for the first week.
- Keep the reference note in your ear: if in doubt, play it again.
- In the phrase, hold each bend steady for its full length before you move on.