string bending
Pushing or pulling a guitar string sideways to raise its pitch smoothly.
In Depth
String bending is one of the most expressive techniques in guitar playing, allowing players to slide between pitches like a singer. Bends range from subtle quarter-tone inflections in blues to precise whole-step and step-and-a-half bends in rock. Pre-bends, release bends, and unison bends add further variety. B.B. King's vibrato-laden bends and David Gilmour's soaring bends are among the most recognisable sounds in guitar music.
B.B. King developed his signature bending style because he could never master vibrato the classical way, so he invented his own approach that became universally imitated.