Things You'll Need:
- Guitar
- Guitar strings
- Tuner
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Step 1
Head to your local music shop and pick out a new set of guitar strings. If you can find a guitar player working at the shop (which shouldn't be too hard), start up a conversation about the type of playing you do and the guitar you own. The guitar tech will be able to point you in the direction of a variety of guitar string brands, including Ernie Ball, Elixir and D'Addario.
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Step 2
Consider strings made of a variety of materials. Most strings consist of a metal wire wrapped with a second wire. Wrap wire can be made of nickel, stainless steel or bronze. Bronze will provide a warm tone suitable for electric guitars, while steel will give a brighter or metallic tone. Nickel wraps provide a well-rounded tone suitable for most play styles.
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Step 3
Remove the strings from your guitar by loosening the tensioning rods at the guitar's head. Each string should be loosened gradually before removing them entirely, or you risk warping the neck of some guitars. Take the time to polish the guitar while the strings are out of your way. Olive oil makes a great fret board polish.
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Step 4
Start with one of the outside strings and secure it to the bridge. Run the string through the nut and the tuning peg with about two inches protruding beyond the peg. Bend the string underneath itself and create an upward angle in it to keep it in place. Turn the tuning peg clockwise while using a guitar tuner to achieve the right pitch.
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Step 5
Stretch the string up from its midpoint to increase the tuning stability of the string, and retune. Repeat until the string stops becoming detuned. New strings will have extra stretchiness that must be removed before you begin to play. Cut off any excess string protruding from the tuning peg.
