How to String a Guitar

Knowing how to string a guitar is a crucial part of learning guitar. It’s very important to have your guitar fitted with the correct strings – it can make a huge difference to how the guitar sounds, and how easy it is to play. For beginners, I recommend lighter gauge (thinner) strings, which are easier to press down and make a sound until your fingers get stronger.

Have a look at how high the strings are from the fingerboard. This distance, known as the action, makes a big difference in how easy it is to press the string down, and get notes to sound out properly. Many beginners struggle with guitars with too high an action, making learning more difficult. If you’re not sure if your guitar is set up properly, it’s well worth a trip to your local music store to get your guitar given the once over.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN TO CHANGE THE STRINGS ON MY GUITAR?

Most players change their strings when they become lifeless and dull, or when the strings fail to stay in tune. Older strings tend to go out of tune easier. The timing of this depends on many other variables, as you get into the guitar you will develop your own time frame for changing strings. If you’re going to set up the intonation on your guitar (an advanced technique) I’d also recommend putting on fresh strings.

If you break a string, it’ll depend on the length of time all the strings have been on the guitar as to whether you change the whole set. It’s better to replace them all at once to ensure a consistent tone, but it may be more cost effective for you to just replace the broken one. If your strings are old, then replace them all for a fresh sounding and easier to play guitar. If the strings are fairly new, it’s up to your ears and personal preference as to whether you replace them all, or just the broken one.

Guitar strings pick up a lot of acid and dirt that is produced from our hands sweating as we play. If you clean your guitar strings with a cotton cloth after playing, this helps retain a bright tone, and prolongs string life. The level and type of use will affect the life of your strings - if you’re playing regular performances then you’ll need to replace your strings more often. Wiping down your strings after playing will extend their life, which means less cost, and fewer string changes.

WHY DO MY STRINGS KEEP BREAKING?

If you have trouble with strings breaking regularly, you may have one of the following problems:
Check where the strings break. More often than not it’ll be at the bridge of the guitar, but they can also break at the nut. Check to see if the areas of the guitar that the string contacts are smooth, as there could be a rough or sharp section which is causing your strings to break.
You may be playing the guitar too hard for the gauge strings you're using. Try replacing your strings with a heavier gauge. For example, if you’re currently using 10-46 gauge strings on your electric guitar, swap to a set of 11-49 gauge strings and see if that helps.

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