Guitar > Bend Techniques > Reverse Bends
Reverse bends are really just standard guitar bends that start with the string already bent before you articulate the note with the pick. Reverse bends are illustrated in tablature with a vertical arrow coming of off the the fret numbers. A standard bend will show a curved arrow. A lot of reverse bends will also have a curved arrow coming down off of the bend. The is called a bend-release and you'll want to "unbend" the note back down to its original pitch when you see this.
Like any other guitar bend, reverse bends are used to create a note that's higher than the note you're fretting. Because there is no articulation prior to the bend, the reverse bend gives the effect that you're actually lowering the pitch of the fretted note once the bend is released. The amount of bending determines how many half-steps you're bending the fretted note. They're seen extensively in rock and blues but are also seen occasionally in jazz. The trick with reverse bends is making sure you're bending the note the proper amount. Without a prior articulation to compare your bent note to, you have to rely on what is called "muscle memory" to know exactly how high you're reverse-bending the note. Muscle memory means you're muscles are so used to performing an action that it become automatic to perform said action again. In terms of reverse-bending, your fingers will eventually remember how much they need to bend a string to hit a certain pitch relative to the note you're fretting. With enough practice, you'll quickly develop a muscle memory for reverse bends.
Check out these 10 progressive exercises to improve your reverse-bending technique. Try using different fingers for each exercise so that you can develop strength in all fingers. Make sure that you're bending the notes to the appropriate tones and try to use exact intontation. If you cannot execute a bend because your fingers aren't strong enough or your string won't support it, don't sweat it. Just bend as far as you're comfortable.
