In this video, Dan references three tips that really define Gilmours bending style. Of course, there is more to it than this... A culmination of his influences, experience, gear, theory and of course, his DNA! however, these will get you started:
1. The range of pitches
Gilmour uses semitone, tone, tone and a half and two-tone bends to create a huge amount of variety in his soloing. He also is no stranger to the more bluesy quarter bends as well. Dan takes you through how to practice these bends in the video, but remember to try it in three areas of the neck, and ideally on a variety of different strings!
2. Digging in
Gripping the pick tightly, showing very little pick tip and raking through the string is a combination Gilmour definitely has mastered. These techniques mean that the sound can be aggressive, you get some cool extra harmonics when you hit those bends, and it adds some serious style.
3. Vocal quality
The final point is that of the way Gilmour uses the notes in between the semitones, to add a vocal quality. The slow descend from the bent note to the regular note really adds character and a kind of epic feel. This is also great fun to play around with!
For the solo, we are using the B minor pentatonic scale in box 1 & 2. Those are shown below. We also have the tab below to help you master those licks, and for you to see how they are generally depicted on tab! Enjoy.
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