pitchbending

Pitch bending is a musical expression technique that modulates the pitch of a note or sound over time, typically in a continuous, smooth fashion. It is commonly controlled by a dedicated hardware control, such as a pitch wheel, lever, or joystick on a keyboard or guitar-style controller, and can also be automated in software synthesizers and digital audio workstations. The effect is used to add expressive glide, vibrato-like movement, or intentional pitch transitions during performance.

In MIDI-enabled instruments, pitch bend is carried by a specific pitch bend message rather than a standard control change. The message uses a 14-bit value split into two data bytes, with a center position of 8192 indicating no pitch change. The actual semitone range of the bend is defined by the instrument’s pitch bend range parameter, commonly set to a few semitones (for example ±2 or ±12). The bend affects all voices on the MIDI channel that receive the message, though newer systems such as MPE can apply bends per individual note.

Pitch bending differs from portamento (glide between notes) and from pitch shifting or vibrato in its typical implementation and intent. While a bend can function like a real-time expressive control, pitch shifting alters the pitch without time-dependent movement, and vibrato involves periodic pitch variation rather than a single continuous bend.

Typical uses include expressive lead melodies, keyboard solos, and performance dynamics in electronic and film music, as well as automated pitch movement in production.