Guitar Bends 101: How to Eliminate Unwanted String Noise

Playing Level: Late Beginner / Early Intermediate

Do you get a lot of unwanted string noise when you bend?

Many guitarists struggle to keep their bends free from unwanted string noise and have difficulty isolating where the noise is coming from (not to mention how to fix it). In the above guitar lesson Kid Guitar Academy's own "Gui-sergeant" will ensure that you never struggle with noisy bends again!

The Cause of Unwanted String Noise

In order to quiet your bends, you need to identify the root of the problem. Obviously other strings are sounding when you bend, but how is this happening? There are usually two culprits:

In my experience, most guitarists struggle with option #1. If this is you, I hear-by pronounce you normal! Fortunately, there are three very effective ways to quiet your bends and control unwanted string noise in general. Let's take a look at each.

Strategy #1: Fretting Hand Fingertip Muting

It is very likely that the reason your fretting hand fingers are catching other strings is because the placement of the string on the fingertip is either too low or too high (too high = too close to the fingernail). If the placement is too low, the string will "catch" other strings upon release. If the string is to high, the fingers will tend to slide underneath the other strings.

The correct placement of the string is near the base of the fingertip. Ensuring that the string is at or near this location when you bend will leave enough fingertip available to rub up against the lower strings effectively muting them out (see the above video). 

It's also important ensure that when you release the bend the fingers behave exactly as they did on the way up. In other words, the release path should be exactly the same as the bending path, otherwise the fingers may "roll" onto the lower strings catching them upon release.

Strategy #2: Fretting Hand Index Finger Muting

A second highly effective way to quiet your bends is to use the index finger of the fretting hand to further control fret noise. Most bends are executed with the ring finger which is supported by the middle. That being the case, the index finger can be trained to protrude slightly past the bending fingers so that it touches down on the lower strings as you bend. Just be sure to keep the index finger relaxed.

Strategy #3: Picking Hand Muting

For most guitarists the third strategy takes a little longer to get used to but it is probably the most effective and comes with many additional bonuses. In this method you use the palm of the picking hand to mute all strings below the string your'e bending. 

To ensure that you have set your picking hand properly follow these steps as seen in the above video:

 As you see, the point of this exercise is to help you get used to anchoring the palm on the bridge and then angling it in a way that enables you to mute all of the strings that are below the string your'e playing.

Mastering this technique not only ensures that your bends will be clear and quiet, but it also increases picking speed and gives you the ability to control all unwanted string noise (which is critical in a live-performance situation).

Conclusion

The sound of a well executed bend is one of the coolest sounds in the guitarist's arsenal.  Initially popularized by blues guitarists of years past, it continues to be a staple of the modern guitar sound. That being the case, you want your bends to be noise-free. As the Gui-sergeant says in the above video, you can expect full protection from "enemy strings" by employing some combination of at least two of the three aforementioned strategies. Do that and you'll be on your'e way to quieter bends in no time!