| Keeping your guitar tuned is THE first step in | | | | Minutes to fit, stretch and warm them and |
| sounding hot and professional. Tune-up perfectly | | | | yourself up.If you have ever played a guitar which |
| and THEN play is the order of the day. Tuning tip | | | | sounds fine in the lower regions but goes out of |
| number one starts right here. Get yourself a | | | | tune as you move up the neck, the answer could |
| decent and well made guitar that naturally stays in | | | | well be dirty or kaput strings. If you change them |
| tune without constant tweaking. No matter how | | | | and the problem goes away, then you know. If it |
| much you perfect the art of guitar tuning, a | | | | doesn't go away, it could be the guitar intonation. |
| cheap instrument will seriously hamper your | | | | Get a good and trusted guitar-tech to check it for |
| efforts.No matter how well you play your latest | | | | you.When you put new strings on (if you have a |
| lick or arpeggio, it won't sound hot unless your in | | | | Floating Bridge, do them one at a time, DO NOT |
| perfect Guitar Tune Nirvana either! Conclusion: | | | | take all the old ones off at once), tune them up |
| Invest in a good or even great guitar and your | | | | to concert pitch, then spend about 20 minutes |
| halfway there regarding guitar-tuning dilemmas.To | | | | stretching them by hand. Left hand holds |
| start off, here are 2 simple but BIG tuning tips | | | | everything down at the nut, place 4 fingers of |
| for any type of six-stringer:After every sweaty, | | | | your right hand underneath one string, and slowly |
| no-holds barred, gig or rehearsal, CLEAN YOUR | | | | pull it out until you feel the tension and gently sort |
| STRINGS! It may sound painfully obvious, but this | | | | of bounce it forward and backwards, and |
| is the biggest guitar tuning problem and string-killer | | | | S-T-R-E-T-C-H...and loosen...and S-T-R-E-T-C-H...and |
| of them all. Some people, including yours truly, can | | | | loos...Slide your hand position up the neck along |
| rust and destroy a set of strings overnight, by | | | | the string, pull it out at various points and so on, |
| gigging with them and not cleaning the chemicals | | | | covering the entire length from nut to bridge. |
| and sweat off, immediately afterwards. When this | | | | Then retune it and do it all again. The first few |
| happens, tuning can be almost impossible.So | | | | times the string tuning will drop by as much as an |
| cleaning your strings is step one to guitar tuning | | | | octave. After a few stretch/tune ups you'll notice |
| nirvana. This simple precaution lengthens their | | | | it doesn't drop anymore. If you let this stretching |
| lifespan, maintains tone AND tuning. Use a lint-free | | | | happen naturally, it can take a week or so until |
| cloth, wrap it under and around each string, one | | | | the guitar strings stop jumping out of tune every |
| at a time, and wipe up and down, with a slight | | | | 2 seconds. Your guitar will be as fit as a fiddle.So |
| pressure, cleaning the complete surface.Use pure | | | | adhering to these two simple but effective steps |
| alcohol on the cloth if necessary, you can buy a | | | | will improve any guitars tuning and even playability. |
| small bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol in the chemists. | | | | Once you get into the habit of cleaning and |
| Squeaky clean!WARNING: Be careful with this | | | | stretching your guitar strings and it becomes |
| stuff it's poisonous if taken internally!Be careful not | | | | second nature, you can turn your attention to |
| to run your fingers along the string too, it cuts | | | | other important playing points without having to |
| deep and hurts like hell! I tie the cloth around the | | | | tune up every few minutes. It's well worth the |
| neck afterwards (they tend to mysteriously | | | | effort.Next we look at some Fender Stratocaster |
| disappear for some strange reason just when | | | | whammy bar tips, Lee Chang specials to avoid, |
| needed), and make it a regular habit.Unless you're | | | | and how a humble home pencil can save your |
| an experienced player, DO NOT PUT NEW | | | | guitar life :).***David O'Toole is a guitar player, |
| STRINGS ON YOUR GUITAR BEFORE A GIG! ... hi | | | | music fan, and musician from Ireland. |
| John ;-). If you must, try and allow about 30-45 | | | | |