Slides, bends, and vibrato are expressive techniques: a slide moves a finger along a string to a new fret, a bend pushes the string sideways to raise the pitch, and vibrato is a rapid, small pitch oscillation that makes a note sing. Together they make the guitar sound like a voice, with expression and feeling.
What are slides, bends, and vibrato on guitar?
Slides, bends, and vibrato are expressive techniques: a slide moves a finger along a string to a new fret, so the pitch glides from one note to another, a bend pushes the string sideways to raise the pitch, by a semitone or a whole tone, and vibrato is a rapid, small pitch oscillation, that makes a note sing, with a wavering pitch. Together they make the guitar sound like a voice, with expression and feeling, because the notes are not just played, they are shaped, and the shaping is the expression. The slide is the simplest: the finger stays on the string, and moves along it, to a new fret, and the pitch glides, smoothly, from the old note to the new note, without a break. The bend is harder: the finger pushes the string sideways, across the fretboard, and the pitch rises, by a semitone for a half-step bend, or by two semitones for a whole-step bend, and the bend must be in tune, or the note will be flat or sharp. The vibrato is the hardest: the finger rocks the string, rapidly, back and forth, and the pitch oscillates, up and down, by a small amount, and the note sings, with a wavering pitch, like a singer's voice. The C major guitar chord and the G major guitar chord are the chords most players first slide, bend, and vibrato on, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How slides, bends, and vibrato work
A slide works by keeping the finger on the string, and moving it along the string, to a new fret, so the string stays pressed down, and the pitch changes, smoothly, from the old note to the new note, without a break, and the slide is written as / in tablature, for a slide up, and \ for a slide down. A bend works by pushing the string sideways, across the fretboard, so the string is stretched, and the pitch rises, and the bend is measured in semitones: a half-step bend raises the pitch by one semitone, and a whole-step bend raises it by two semitones, and the bend must be in tune, so the player must listen, and push the string until the pitch matches the target note. Vibrato works by rocking the string, rapidly, back and forth, with the finger, so the pitch oscillates, up and down, by a small amount, usually a quarter tone or less, and the oscillation is rapid, about five to seven times per second, and the note sings, with a wavering pitch. The vibrato is made by the wrist, not by the finger, because the wrist rocks, and the finger follows, and the rocking is the vibrato, and the finger is the contact, and the wrist is the engine. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the techniques are built on, and the fretboard note finder shows the notes at any fret.
Worked example — a slide, a bend, and vibrato on the 1st string. Play the 1st string at the 5th fret, which is A, and slide to the 8th fret, which is C, keeping the finger on the string, and moving it along, so the pitch glides, smoothly, from A to C, without a break, and the slide is written as 5/8 in tablature. Now bend the 1st string at the 8th fret, which is C, pushing the string sideways, until the pitch rises to D, a whole tone higher, two semitones, and the bend is a whole-step bend, and the note is D, in tune, because the player listened, and pushed until the pitch matched. Now add vibrato, rocking the wrist, rapidly, back and forth, so the pitch oscillates, up and down, by a small amount, and the note sings, with a wavering pitch, like a voice, and the three techniques together make the guitar expressive. The I–V–vi–IV progression in C major is a good progression to practise the techniques with.
How to practise slides, bends, and vibrato
Practise slides, bends, and vibrato slowly, one at a time, until each is in tune and the note sings, and then combine them, so the guitar sounds like a voice.
- Practise a slide on the 1st string, from the 5th fret to the 8th fret, keeping the finger on the string, and moving it along, so the pitch glides smoothly, from A to C.
- Practise a bend on the 1st string, at the 8th fret, pushing the string sideways, until the pitch rises a whole tone, to D, and checking the pitch with the guitar tuner.
- Practise vibrato on the 1st string, at the 8th fret, rocking the wrist, rapidly, back and forth, so the pitch oscillates, and the note sings.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major and add a slide, a bend, or vibrato to the melody, on the 1st string, and listen for the guitar to sound expressive.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the techniques are clean at the current tempo.
Common mistakes
- Bending out of tune — A bend that is not in tune will sound flat or sharp, because the pitch does not match the target note, and the listener will hear it, and the note will sound wrong. Listen for the target note, and push the string until the pitch matches, and the bend will be in tune.
- Sliding too fast — A slide that is too fast will sound like a jump, not a glide, because the pitch changes too quickly, and the ear does not hear the glide. Slide slowly, keeping the finger on the string, and let the pitch glide, smoothly, from the old note to the new note.
- Vibrato that is too wide or too fast — A vibrato that is too wide will sound out of tune, because the pitch oscillates too far, and a vibrato that is too fast will sound nervous, because the oscillation is too rapid. Rock the wrist, slowly and evenly, about five to seven times per second, and the vibrato will sing.
Quick reference
This table shows the three expressive techniques, with what each one does and the tab symbol for it, so you can see them side by side and learn them one at a time. The slide glides, the bend raises, and the vibrato sings, and together they make the guitar expressive.
| Technique | What it does | Tab symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Slide | Glides from one note to another | / or \ |
| Bend | Raises the pitch, half or whole step | b |
| Vibrato | Oscillates the pitch, makes the note sing | ~ |
Use the table to practise the techniques: slide slowly, bend in tune, and vibrato evenly, and listen for the guitar to sound like a voice, with expression and feeling. When you can slide, bend, and vibrato cleanly, on any string, you can make the guitar sing, and the playing will be expressive.
Frequently asked questions
What are slides, bends, and vibrato on guitar?
Slides move a finger along a string to a new fret, bends push the string sideways to raise the pitch, and vibrato is a rapid, small pitch oscillation that makes a note sing. Together they make the guitar sound like a voice, with expression and feeling.
How do I bend a string in tune?
Listen for the target note, and push the string sideways, until the pitch matches the target, and check it with a tuner, or by playing the target note on another string, and comparing the two, until the bend is in tune.
What is the difference between a half-step bend and a whole-step bend?
A half-step bend raises the pitch by one semitone, and a whole-step bend raises it by two semitones, so a half-step bend on C makes C#, and a whole-step bend on C makes D, and the bend is measured in semitones.
How do I play vibrato?
Rock the wrist, rapidly, back and forth, so the pitch oscillates, up and down, by a small amount, about five to seven times per second, and the note sings, with a wavering pitch, like a singer's voice.
Can I slide, bend, and vibrato on any string?
Yes. Slides, bends, and vibrato work on any string, and on any fret, because they are techniques, not chords, and the notes are the frets, and the fingers are the tools, and the playing is the same, on every string.