Bend intervals

Bend intervals indicate the amount guitar bends, pre-bends, pre-dives, post-dives, and dives and returns change the pitch, expressed in relation to whole steps using text or numbers/fractions. Bend intervals appear only on tablature for most types of bends, except for guitar post-bends, whose bend intervals also appear on notation staves.

For example, full indicates a whole step guitar bend, pre-bend, or post-bend, 1/2 a half-step, and 1 1/2 a minor third.

Bend intervals for guitar pre-dives and vibrato bar dives and returns always appear as numbers/fractions, such as 1 for a whole step vibrato bar dive and return.

Microtonal bend intervals appear as fractions according to the prevailing tonality system, such as 3/4. Bend intervals for microtonal post-bends appear as 1/4.

Example

Figure 1. Guitar bend with whole step interval, displayed as full
Figure 2. Guitar pre-bend with minor third interval, displayed as 1 1/2
Figure 3. Vibrato bar dive and return with whole step interval, displayed as -1
Figure 4. Guitar post-bend with microtonal interval, displayed as 1/4

Bend intervals for guitar bends, pre-bends, pre-dives, and post-dives are positioned above the arrowhead/line for the corresponding notation. For dives and returns, bend intervals appear at the point of the V, either above or below the staff according to the pitch direction of notes in the dive and return.

Bend intervals appear only on tablature for guitar bends, pre-bends, pre-dives, and dives and returns. They appear on both notation staves and tablature for guitar post-bends.