Bending is exactly as it sounds: bending the string to the side by pushing it (towards the sixth string) or pulling it (towards the first string), often while a fretted note is ringing. The first three strings are normally pushed, and the others are normally pulled. This is particularly important on the first and sixth strings; you do not want the string to fall off the fretboard. Many aspiring guitarists cannot bend properly. There are three keys to bending properly: proper thumb positioning, bending with the proper muscles, and bending to pitch.