Pitch bender

This article covers the playing aid of keyboard instruments. For other uses, see pitching

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Four switches, friction surface, pitch bend and modulation wheel of a Korg Z1 synthesizer

A pitch bender (from English pitch "pitch" and to bend "bend") is a playing aid for electronic keyboard instruments . With the help of the pitch bender, the pitch can be continuously varied up or down. This makes it possible to simulate the playing possibilities of string instruments on keyboard instruments.

Nowadays, pitch benders are mostly arranged as semicircular modulation wheels to the left of the keyboard . The middle position is the neutral position and is automatically resumed by spring force when you let go. In older synthesizers you can also find so-called ribbon bands, in which the sound is modulated by touching the band . In contrast to modulation wheels, the pitch change does not always have to start from the neutral position, but the pitch can be changed abruptly, depending on how far you touch the tape from the central neutral position.

See also

• Pitch change
• Pitch bending