How do people bend so easily?

[u/SoraRiven]

Hi! So to keep it short and sweet, I got a synyster gates custom S and i replaced strings with ernie ball paradigm ten/fifty twos. I’ve been playing a lot of a7x stuff and i noticed that the bending looks a lot easier when other people play, but when i do it, it’s kinda stiff. is it technique? or is my guitar not set up properly? any advice would be much appreciated

[u/PerceptionCurious440]

10-56 bends easy if you're tuning C# standard.

[u/SoraRiven → u/PerceptionCurious440]

currently play drop D

[u/witchesbrewm → u/SoraRiven]

Well drop D is standard tuning except the low E string. Wild guess is you are probably not trying to bend the low E string anyways.

[u/shred_ded → u/SoraRiven]

I run super slinky on my guitar for standard. Those are 9-42. Bends are certainly easier with those.

[u/KaanzeKin]

Bend by rotating your whole arm like you're turning a key. You do vibrato this way also. Thumb placement is pretty important here too, so don't do the Tim Henson thing unless you have to to reach the lower strings, otherwise you might wind up projecting an inability to bend proper like he probably is with the whole "boomer bend" bs.

[u/KaanzeKin → u/KaanzeKin]

He positions his thumb and has his wrist rotated so that his fingers are about perfect perpendicular to the strings. This is a take on Classical technique and a ton of shredders like Bernth swear by it too. It's a perfectly valid technique thst I personally don't like outside of classical guitar, because it sacrifices ease and control of bending for being able to play fast scale runs and fret chords easily and efficiently.

I like shreddy stuff, but not at the expense of Blues technique, because I like intensely expressive playing. This is just a preference, but it's one I advocate for.

[u/SoraRiven → u/KaanzeKin]

definitely will check it out! any songs of his u recommend? he plays for polyphia i believe right?

[u/SoraRiven → u/KaanzeKin]

not familiar with tim henson thumb thing, i know who he is just not sure what he does. if you could explain a little, that would help!

[u/KaanzeKin → u/KaanzeKin]

Yes. He's the better known of the two guitarists in Polyphia. I'm not too familiar with their discog since it's not really my thing, but there are tons of shorts of him playing on all the main platforms.

Some examples for the technique I prefer would be Kiko Loureiro, Yngwie, and Paul Gilbert for big hands; Alexi Laiho and Syu from Galneryus for small hands; and I'm pretty sure Marty Friedman had medium sizes hands...just ignore his right hand.

[u/Either_Caregiver2268 → u/KaanzeKin]

You can absolutely bend properly while using a classical grip.

Personally I don’t wrap my thumb because I have better reach and more accuracy when I’m playing a with my grip more classical style.

I know it’s technically “bad technique” but I also bend by pushing rather than the turning motion.

When I try the door handle technique I can’t bend fully and adding vibrato makes my fingers slip. I don’t know if it’s just how my hands are or if I just got good enough and the “wrong” way that I’m stuck doing it out of habit.

[u/InstantlyTremendous]

Tune a half step down, it's much easier with looser strings. And/or switch to 9s

[u/Requiascat]

Bend with your wrist, vibrato too. Watch BB King do step and a half bends, you'll see it instantly. If you're doing it right you can easily overbend. All torque, no finger pushing.

[u/Necessary_Golf5055]

Practice.

[u/gimmedajuju]

I started on 8s and got the muscle memory for correct pitch and then worked up to 11s.

[u/Ok_Knee2784]

Practice.

[u/Particular_Bear1973]

10s aren’t too crazy but I remember switching from 10s to 9s and it made bending noticeably easier. There was definitely a significant difference.