PRESENCE - Volume 33
Inspiration For Guitarists
There’s a technique I had heard for years but never really noticed until a local blues legend showed it to me.
Back in my hometown of Charlotte, NC, there was a fantastic blues guitarist named Rusty Barkley. When I was in my 20s, I’d go hear him play at clubs all the time. His tone stopped you in your tracks. And I don’t just mean the gear tone—though that was great too. I mean the kind of tone that comes from a player’s hands…the way they manipulate the strings.
One day, I was lucky enough to get a lesson with him. I still remember sitting in the shed behind his house, feeling intimidated to be across from this seasoned, world-class player. But in that short session, he showed me a couple of things I still use every single time I pick up the guitar.
One of the most powerful was micro bends.
Think of them as being closer to vibrato than full string bends.
When pros hold a note at the end of a phrase, they often use vibrato to give it movement.
But when they hold a note in the middle of a phrase, you’ll often hear a subtle micro bend before the line continues.
It’s such a small detail, but it adds a huge amount of feel.
Here’s a short video where I show you what this sounds like in action:
The lesson I took from Rusty that day wasn’t just about micro bends—it was about how powerful simple techniques can be.
It’s amazing how something this simple can add so much character—this is exactly the kind of move pros lean on all the time.
So as you practice this week, remember: clarity, feel, and intention matter more than complexity. Add those tiny bends into your playing, and you’ll start to hear your notes come alive.
In case you missed them, here are a few videos that might be helpful to you:
See you next week,
Dustin
PS - Over the past few months, I’ve been creating something I wish I had years ago—a simple, structured way to practice the essentials and finally see steady progress. I’ll share more with you soon.