Bending & Vibrato
Two of the most expressive tools in lead guitar don't come from which notes you play, but from what you do to the pitch of a single note after you play it.
Bending: pushing a note sharp
A bend is pushing (or sometimes pulling) a fretted string sideways across the neck while it rings, which stretches the string slightly and raises its pitch. Guitarists usually bend up to a specific target — a half-step bend matches the pitch one fret higher, a whole-step bend matches two frets higher — using the target note in their ear as the goal to bend toward.
Vibrato: a wobble, not a wave
Where a bend moves the pitch to a new place and holds it, vibrato is a small, repeating oscillation around the original pitch — usually created by rocking the fretting finger back and forth, or (on some strings) a tiny repeated bend-and-release. It's what turns a flat, static note into something that sounds alive, closer to a singer's voice than a fixed pitch.
Common questions
What is a string bend on guitar?
Pushing or pulling a fretted string sideways while it rings, stretching it to raise the pitch, often up to a specific target note.
What is vibrato on guitar?
A small, controlled, repeating pitch oscillation on a sustained note, adding a warm, vocal-like character.
What is a whole-step bend?
A bend that raises pitch by two frets' worth (a whole tone) — matching the note two frets higher on the same string.
Should vibrato be fast or slow?
It depends on style and taste — blues and rock often use wider, slower vibrato; some lead styles use faster, narrower vibrato.
Practice expressive lead playing
Melody Monkey's backing tracks give you space to phrase bends and vibrato over real chord progressions.
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