Why My Bends Sound Out of Tune
An out-of-tune bend is almost always a bend that falls short of or overshoots the target note, not an ear problem. The gap is usually only a quarter tone, but that gap is exactly what makes a solo sound noticeably 'off'.
The method: play the target, then bend into it
Play the target note the normal way (no bend, just fretted at the right position) and memorize exactly what that pitch sounds like. Then play the starting note and pull it up with a bend to that same pitch, comparing it from memory - or better, alternating between the real note and the bend until the difference becomes audible.
No vibrato first
Bend accuracy needs to be trained with no vibrato at all - vibrato wobbles the pitch around the note and masks inaccuracy, creating the illusion that the bend 'roughly' lands where it should. Only once a bend without vibrato consistently hits the pitch does it make sense to add vibrato on top (see the dedicated article).
The common mistake: an undershot bend
Bends fall short of the target far more often than they overshoot it - especially whole-step bends, which physically need more pull than they feel like at the start of the motion. If your bends consistently sound 'flat', check this first.
Checking by ear: hold and compare
Do the bend and hold it for a few seconds instead of releasing right away - a short, instant bend is far harder to judge by ear than a sustained one. A held note gives you time to compare it against your memory of the target pitch, instead of relying on how much force your fingers feel.
Train one string and fret at a time
Bend accuracy differs across strings and frets - string thickness and tension change across the neck, so the force needed for the same pitch change changes too. Don't automatically carry the 'feel' of a bend from one spot on the neck to another - check each new position on its own first.
Try it in practice
Open exercises