Gilmour's bends are slow and deliberate. You can hear the note travel up, and it always arrives exactly in tune. That control is what makes a few notes sound like a melody rather than a lick.
We're in B minor pentatonic at the 7th fret. Both bends are whole steps: D to E on the G string (fret 7 to the pitch of fret 9) and A to B on the B string (fret 10 to the pitch of fret 12).
How to do it
- Play the reference note first, hear it, then bend to match it.
- Bend with your ring finger, backed by middle and index. Push from the wrist, as if turning a door handle, not just from the fingertips.
- Take your time on the way up: aim for the pitch to arrive near the end of the note, not instantly.
- Add a slow, narrow vibrato only once the bend has arrived.
The most common mistake is overshooting and then correcting, which sounds sour. Bend slower and stop as soon as you match.
Tone: a clean-ish amp with a smooth overdrive or fuzz, the neck pickup, and a touch of delay (around 400-500 ms, a few repeats) to fill the space. Pick a little softer than you think; let the sustain do the work.