Basic Bend

• Place the middle finger of your left hand on a string, at the fret you want to play. Pluck the string with your right hand, using a pick. As soon as the string begins to sound, push the string upward toward the bass strings on the neck. The note will sharpen; the further you push the string, the sharper the note sounds.
  
  

Flattening a Note

• To flatten a note by bending, place your finger on the string at the fret below the note you want to flatten. Bend the string first, and then pluck it. The result will be a note that is a semi-tone flatter than if you were playing the string at the next highest fret.
  
  

Wows and Flutters

• If you have a guitar with excellent sustain, you can create a "wow" effect by plucking the string and then bending and relaxing it several times. A slow bend-and-relax is a wow; fast, multiple wows produce a flutter. The longer you can get the note to sound, the more wows and flutters you can produce by bending.
  
  

Where to Bend

• While you can theoretically bend any string at any fret, most guitarists choose to bend strings toward the higher frets, where the action (the space between the string and the fretboard) is lowest. Because you don't need as much force to push these strings down, you have more strength to bend them out. Also, bending tends to be more difficult to do on the first and second strings (the low "E" and "A" strings) because any significant bend will push them off the fret board.
  
  

Getting a Better Bend

• If you're having difficulty bending strings as much as you'd like, try pressing your index and ring fingers on the upper sides of your middle finger, so you can use the force of all three fingers to push. It also helps to restring your guitar with light or extra-light strings, which are easier to bend.