Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocky Dijohn
I am working on John Fahey's "On Doing and Evil Deed Blues" and there comes a measure with a string bend that I cannot quite pull off.
The idea is to use the first finger to fret the 1st string at the 5th fret, while using the second finger to fret the 2nd string at the 6th fret BUT also bend it up a half tone (i.e. sound as if it were the note at the 7th fret).
I can do bends elsewhere on the neck that work out just fine, for example when I might use the third finger to bend a note, but I can give it an "assist" by also deploying the second finger along with it.
No such "support" option in the situation I have described.
I use light gauge strings already and do not want to change to extra light (someone might pull my Man-Card).
Suggestions please on what to do. Just hang in there until my second finger had enough strength to pull if off? Drink a beer beforehand?
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This is a really common bend in blues, like when playing in E, doing what you described, but just moving it up two frets (fretting the b on the first string, and bending from g to g# on the second string). What makes this even more challenging is, again when playing in E, you want to use your index finger on the 5th string (to get the octave E and do an alternating bass), and also do what you described using the middle and ring fingers - so now it’s the ring finger that has to do that bend. (Another John Fahey example would be “Last Steam Engine Train”, where this is pretty much the defining lick for the song, and is repeated many times.)
There are no tricks here. Practice is the only way to get this. And yes, it will hurt until you get the callouses and strength to do it. Another possibility is that you could look at lowering tension by tuning down or by going to lighter strings. This is done so much in blues that it’s worthwhile having a guitar (or two) set up to support it.