A well-cared-for instrument sounds nicer, stays in tune better and is more fun to play. Most of it is very simple. Only when changing strings is it worth asking an adult or your teacher to help the first time.
Every day: a little care
- Wash your hands before playing. Grease and dirt make strings dull faster.
- Wipe down after playing: give the strings and neck a quick rub with a dry, soft cloth.
- Put it down safely: on a stand, a wall hanger or in its case – not on a chair where someone might sit on it.
Storing it properly
Wood doesn’t like extremes. Don’t leave your instrument in blazing sun, right next to a radiator or in a cold car in winter. Big temperature jumps and very dry air can crack wood and knock the instrument out of tune. If it comes in from the cold, let it warm up in its closed case for a few minutes.
When should strings be changed?
- They sound dull rather than bright, even though the instrument is in tune.
- The instrument won’t stay in tune any more, or chords higher up the neck sound off.
- You can see grooves, rust or rough spots, or a string has broken.
If you practise a little every day, a change every few months is a rough guide. With steel strings and lots of playing it can be sooner.
What matters on each instrument
- Ukulele and classical guitar (nylon): new nylon strings stretch a lot during the first days. Retune often – that’s perfectly normal and settles after one or two weeks. Gently pulling on a freshly fitted string helps it settle.
- Steel-string guitar: never put steel strings on a classical guitar – the tension is much higher and can damage it. String ends are sharp, so snip them carefully.
- Banjo (steel): the bridge is held in place only by string pressure, not glued. So change one string at a time, never all at once. Mark the bridge position with a small piece of tape first, because even a few millimetres throw off the tuning higher up the neck.
If a string still sounds odd with new strings on, see String buzzing or sounding dead?.