Slinky Bends
Here’s something you might enjoy experimenting with: what I call Slinky Bends.
In the video I lean on it a bit more than I normally would, simply so you can hear the sound clearly and get it into your ear. In practice, it’s far more effective when it appears now and again rather than all the time.
The mechanics are straightforward. Bend* toward a target note, then make a quick slide across the fret wire into the note itself. For a moment you’ll hear a slightly tense, elastic double note. It creates interest without you having to play anything faster or more complex. Depending on what string you're on, you can bend up or down, as indicated by the little green arrows.
I stumbled onto this years ago and haven’t heard anyone use it quite this way ... not even Jeff Beck. If you have, I’d genuinely like to know.
Take your time with it. Let it settle into your playing naturally. Like most expressive devices, it works best when it isn’t overdone.
*Bend is not the best term to use ... the action is more of a push across the fretboard in order to add tension to the string. You might find it better to use two fingers. The tighter the string, the higher the pitch. So it's the pitch that you're 'bending'.
I've added the tab below ... don't worry about the timing symbols.
