Today we have a guest post from Barry who has created a unique guitar bending software for your computer which works a little like a tuner but with some extra features which I discover through a reddit Post and asked Barry a few questions about this great software here is the original post on reddit if you want to join the conversation. called “I can’t always tell if my bends are sharp or flat when practicing alone”
I can’t always tell if my bends are sharp or flat when practicing alone
byu/Double_Inspector_202 inPlayingGuitar
What Helped Me to Learn Guitar Bends
For a long time, I found guitar bends harder to learn than they probably should haven been. I tried the usual advice. I practised bending up to fretted notes. I used tuners. I relied on my ear. I slowed things down and played the same bends repeatedly. Some of it helped,
but certain bends — especially quarter-step and three-quarter-step bends — never felt
reliable.
I could sometimes hit them, but I couldn’t hit them consistently.
What frustrated me most was that I never really knew how far a bend was supposed to go. I could hear when something was wrong, but I didn’t always know why it was wrong, or how much to adjust the next time. At some point I realised that, for me, hearing alone wasn’t enough. I needed a clearer
reference — something that showed me where the bend should land while I was still
learning it.
That idea led me to build Bend Practicer (Figure 1). It’s meant to support learning during practice, not to judge or replace musical judgement
Bend Practicer is a small Windows practice tool designed specifically for learning pitch bends. It gives clear visual targets for quarter-step, half-step, three-quarter-step, whole-step, and larger bends, with real-time feedback inspired by strobe tuners. The goal isn’t performance or stage use — it’s focused practice. It’s meant to be used for minutes at a time, not left running in the background
What made the difference for me was combining seeing and hearing at the same time. When I could
see exactly where a bend should land and hear it at the same moment, things started to click much faster. Over time, I didn’t need to stare at the screen — I could feel how far the string needed to move. That’s where muscle memory started to develop.
Bend Practicer also includes a ladder mode, which lets you practice ascending and descending bend targets with an adjustable hold time. Instead of guessing or jumping around, you work through bends in a structured way, building control gradually.
It’s important to be clear about what this tool is — and what it isn’t.
Bend Practicer is not a lab instrument, and it’s not meant to replace ear training.
The Bend practicer is a practice aid which helps increase focus when learning the skill of “bending on guitar”. The goal is repeatability: learning how far a bend feels, sounds, and looks when it’s right — and being able to hit it again. Just like using a metronome for timing, visual feedback can support learning without replacing musical judgement. Right now, Bend Practicer is running as a small, limited beta with a few players who care about bend control and accuracy. I’m gathering feedback and paying close
attention to how different players use it — whether they prefer real-time feedback, after- the-fact checking, or structured exercises.
Some of the features of Bend Practicer Include:
- Trains quarter-step, half-step, and whole-step bends with clear visual targets
- Provides real-time visual feedback inspired by strobe tuners
- Helps develop repeatable pitch control and muscle memory
- Designed for focused practice, not performance or stage use
- Includes a ladder mode for practicing ascending and descending bend targets with adjustable hold time.
- Runs locally on Windows — no internet required
The great news is there’s more features on the way so keep an eye out on their official Website for more
If you’ve struggled with any bends — especially micro-bends or consistency — this is the kind of tool I wish I’d had earlier. More information, screenshots, and contact details are available here on the bend practicer website
— Barry
BLZ Precision Guitar Tools
blzprecisionguitartools@gmail.com
