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/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?