Glec's Guide to Bending

In this guide I focus on bending only. I will describe: 1)how Rocksmith detects bends 2)how to push efficiently 3)how to figure out exactly where on the fretboard Rocksmith considers a one step or two step bend. If the community decides this is a good guide I will expand it to include other bending techniques such as compound and oblique bends, videos, and popular songs that provide good bending practice.

Introduction

Until recently, I was completely unable to execute one step bends and sometimes could execute a half step. I would yell at the instructor in the bending lesson and shut down the game out of frustration. I watched youtube videos constantly. Certain sections of songs I practiced until my fingers blistered and bled. Hand strengthening exercises didn't help. After taking a step back, researching the subject, changing my technique, and paying closer attention to Rocksmith I vastly improved my bending. I play a $115 Dean Vandetta all stock no upgrades which can be found on Amazon, and is my favorite low budget guitar out of the four total I have purchased. By no means am I a great player or a bending expert. I am just trying to share with you what helped me tremendously when approaching bends in Rocksmith.

Bend Symbols, Definition, and Detection

Bends are measured in increments of steps. One step equals two fret lengths. One-half step equals one fret length. A quarter step equals a half fret length. A quarter step bend places the string roughly inbetween its normal position and the position of the next string. Rocksmith notates this as being a hollow up or down arrow. A half step bend is a solid single up or down arrow, and places the string underneath the next string. For instance, with the game paused, a meter shows up at the lower left corner. Playing the 12th fret of the G string should cause a G to highlight. Playing a half step up bend should highlight an Ab (A drop B), playing a full step should highlight an A, and playing a one-and-a-half bend should highlight a Bb (B drop b). Notice that each half step up on the 12th fret of the G string plays what note the next fret will bring. A quarter step bend up (hollow up arrow) should display on the meter a G with the bar to the right (+40) sometimes becoming an Ab (-40). One reason you miss bends is because Rocksmith calibrates open strings. On my guitar, a perfect open G string will be a +20 G when I play the twelth fret. That is actually a one-eighth bend! That means I have less distance to bend to hit my steps. If your guitar were to show a -20 G on the 12th fret that would mean you have more distance to push on your up bends. Additionally, bending a half step up will play the exact same tone as playing a half step down.

Bending Technique

When playing a Rocksmith song, there are light and dark blue horizontal lines going across the track. From dark blue line to the next dark blue line equals two seconds. Each faint blue line equals a half second. If a one step bend (two solid up arrows) begins on a dark blue line and moves upward and flattens half way before the first faint blue line, that means you have a quarter second to pluck the string and bend it underneath the next string. Some tricks that help me are to use a heavy (1.0mm) pick and pluck the string in the direction of the bend. The string should be directly below mid point of your fingertip, and as you push, roll the finger slightly so that your finger nail slides underneath the next string and does not pluck it. By going underneath the string you increase your bending effeciency. However, sometimes you need to push the string as the bending finger will naturally be places at the next note to be played. Later sections will cover this in greater detail.

Bending Practice

Hopefully we now have a good understanding of where on the fretboard Rocksmith 2014 believes a correct one or two step bend is. Be careful when focusing on bends until you have a good layer of callous built up. I strongly advise using multiple fingers when bending as advanced techniques will come more easily. In your spare time you can strengthen your fingers by doing hand gripping exercises and pushing your fingers against a heavy solid object. Grip exercises greatly improve your pulling strength at the lower numbered frets. I have seen videos of people rubbing their fingers with sandpaper to hasten callous development but that's hardcore. The strengthening exercises are still important, but practicing your technique and honing your finger precision will lessen the strength you need and should be your first priority. Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden and Bat Country by Avenged Sevenfold have several phrases that are awesome practice for nailing bends.

Conclusion

Frustration at the bending technique nearly caused me to quit playing. Taking 30 minutes and paying close attention to the detection meter on Rocksmith 2014 while practicing so that you can optimize your bending technique will eliminate this frustration. However, if you feel your technique is good and you have put in the effort to strengthen your fingers and the detection meter shows you are not hitting your bends, it may be time to visit the local guitar store and get your ax checked out. You may need new or a different gauge of string, your action may need adjusted, or your saddle and pickup positions need optimized. Some guitars brand new out of the box can't sustain an acceptable bend. You can visit the internet and download your guitar's user manual and try to do this yourself but you could cause more harm than good. I hope that my suggestions have been productive for you. Being a manly man, I'm embarassed to say my eyes actually watered (just a bit, must of had something in my eye) when I nailed a sliding 1-1/2 step bend on the G string in my favorite A7X song that I used to think was impossible. I hope this guide will give you that same feeling of satisfaction on your quest for guitar world domination.

Coming Soon (not happening)

Sections devoted to other types of bends: compound, oblique, tremolo, vibrato, harmonic, chorded, sliding. Also a section that will involve pivoting into and out of bends. Don't hold your breath on the harmonic bending section as it is above me at the moment. Later vader
Let's be honest being good at something like playing guitar is a full-time job. My free-time full-time job was interfering too much with my free-time 'ya heard?

[Gl]

@ComediNyan: They are differentiated for me no problem but conceptually the two are the same.

[ComediNyan]

Whan it comes to bends, rocksmith can't differentiate between bends and slides most of the time. So you know...

[John Kindle]

Hi, I meant In-game screenshots to show what you're describing.

[Gl]

@el jadekrino images of what type? Technical or feel good?

[John Kindle]

Can you add images?
NIce guide.

[MyGuy]

You need to learn how to set the action and intonation up on your guitar then your bending will come until then you can bend until the cows come you will never get it. Also bending comes from the ear more you train your ear to hear those half and full step pitches the easier it will get. You don't need all this nonsense bla bla bla when it's all base on your guitars action lol If you want to be a good guitar player you need to start to learn to set the action by you and not by someone from the guitar shop

[Gl]

@sYd6_7 May it be a pleasurable journey. Focus on the fundamentals, focusing especially on these two. 1) Fretting with the least amount of pressure as possible and 2) Pick contact with the strings should be as small as possible. Essentially play as efficient as possible.

[sYd6point7]

<3 thanks~! and well done! This is a journey for sure :)

[Gl]

I certainly hope it was good as I poured my soul into it lol.

[FragileAlliance]

Thanks for a good read.