Originally Posted by: gplayer33Here is my dilema. I am having some difficulties trying to bend strings. My instructor has been helping me but I am looking for some additional tips. I am learning blues guitar and have moved into the introduction into bending notes. I am using two fingers (middle and ring) to bend upwards but they catch the string above it and I have to mute that string with my index finger. Sometimes even that doesn't work and I end up sounding the string above when coming back down. Does anyone have any tips to maybe get past this or is it normal to sound the string above a little when doing this. I just want a clean sound.

Thanks in advance

Depends on your string action. If you have a higher action, you may slip under the adjacent strings. That's ok so long as you don't mind a little wear on your finger nails and lower knuckles.

If you have lower action, when you bend strings, the others should move along with you. If you are bending the 'G' string up, you would see the D string touch your leading bend (ring) finger top and move upwards with your bend. Since the D string was not picked, it will be noiseless. It just moves along with the bend.

Remember that the goal of a good bend (by the rules) is to get to either the next whole or half step of the scale you're playing so that your bend ends in the next note of the scale. I've said that to get good bending down, if it doesn't already come naturally, to first ring out the next note higher in the scale from the fret you are going to bend from. Then see of you can bend to the note you just heard. Do it a bit like a practice drill. It helps you hear what's right... It also may help you get rid of all the string ringing problems you are having since you will likely not be 'over-bending' which I'm guessing might be part of your issue.

Once you get the 'right' way down, then you can go all Buddy Guy bend crazy....