Here’s an easy way to get a longer “life” out of your strings.

1.) Make sure your hands are clean before you play. You know that pizza you just ate? Yeah, well, you don’t want pizza on your strings.
2.) Wipe down your guitar strings with a dry cloth after you’re done rocking out.

That’s it.

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox

If you have an acoustic guitar, it is important that you not expose it to extreme temperatures. Don’t leave it exposed in the sunlight on a hot day, or leave it in your car while your car is baking in the sun.

The opposite is true as well, don’t leave your guitar exposed to extreme cold, especially any kind of moisture. Your guitar is made out of wood, as you know, and wood naturally expands and contracts with changes in temperature (which is why those pesky strings go out of tune even though you haven’t touched it in a few days… wait…. why haven’t you touched your guitar in a few days?!) so avoid extreme temperatures.

Keep your acoustic guitar in a case or at the very least a gig bag while it’s not being used, and clean it with a good guitar polish every time you change your strings. You do change your strings, right?

This will make sure that the guitar you own will last the next 40 years at which point it has a good chance of becoming a “vintage” instrument that will sell for millions of dollars.

Well, maybe hundreds of thousands…

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox

Here are the steps:

1.) Press down your finger on the 5th Fret of the top string, E (the thickest string). While you are holding down the 5th Fret, play that top string and listen to the sound.

2.) Play the A string (right below the top string). Does it sound the same as the 5th Fret that you played? Ask yourself, does it sound higher or lower? If you tighten the A string, the sound will go higher, or if you loosen the string the sound will go lower. Play the 5th fret again of that top string, E, and then compare it to the A string, making adjustments as you go until they sound exactly the same.

3.) Repeat the steps above on the next set of strings. Play the 5th fret of the A string now, and then compare that to the sound of the D string (right below the A string). Make adjustments.

4.) Repeat the steps above on the next set of strings. Play the 5th fret of the D string now, and then compare that to the sound of the G string (right below the D string). Make adjustments.

5.) Repeat the steps above on the next set of strings. Play the 4th fret of the G string now, and then compare that to the sound of the B string (right below the G string). Make adjustments.

6.) Repeat the steps above on the next set of strings. Play the 5th fret of the B string now, and then compare that to the sound of the E string (the bottom, skinniest string right below the B string). Make adjustments.

Here’s a shortcut to remember the “address” of the tuning spots on your guitar. Say it out loud like you would an address to your house:

55545

That’s It!

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox

It can be a very useful mental trick, when you’re learning to switch guitar chords, to simplify the process of putting your fingers down by asking the following question:

“Which finger will I put down first?”

It can be a daunting task to remember all of those shapes, but if you can remember, for example, that when you switch to the D chord “I’m going to put my middle finger down first,” it can help you to plant the chord faster in time for your next strum.

It’s simple, but effective.

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox

If you’re a beginner, the number one thing you can do to improve the sound of your chords is to make sure that you don’t play the strings with the X’s on the chord chart diagram.

Often times when you are practicing, you’re concentrating on your strumming, or keeping a beat, but if you want your music to sound good, avoid those strings with the X’s.

This will build your confidence, not to mention your listening skills.

Much Respect,
The Musician’s Toolbox