Ezine Articles

3 Top Reasons Your Guitar Strings Are Breaking

I recently bought a case of my favorite guitar strings for my PRS, my main gigging guitar, and put a fresh set on before a show.

Halfway into the third set I broke my "B" string, which is highly unusual. I have used this same brand and gauge of strings on this particular guitar for many years, so I am normally pretty confident that I can get at least a couple of gigs out of a set before changing them.

Read more: 3 Top Reasons Your Guitar Strings Are Breaking

Got Blisters? The Painful Side of Learning Guitar

"I've got blisters on my fingers..."

Allegedly Ringo Starr uttered these words as he tossed his drum sticks across the studio after numerous takes of the Beatles song "Helter Skelter". Reportedly there is a dispute as to whether it was actually Ringo who said those words on the recording, or if it was John Lennon. One of the arguments is that Ringo, a drummer, was not as likely to develop blisters "on his fingers" as Lennon, a guitar player.

If you are just starting out on guitar, maybe just beginning guitar lessons or even shopping for your first guitar - you are soon to discover the results of pressing virgin flesh to metal...Ouch!

Read more: Got Blisters? The Painful Side of Learning Guitar

The Painful Side of Learning Guitar Over 40

As we get older, those aches and pains in our joints and muscles tend to and visit us more frequently, and stick around a little longer.

We aren't able to jump out of bed in the mornings as spryly as we did in our twenties, and the muscle soreness from a weekend of semi-strenuous yard work can easily last through mid-week!

The vast majority of my guitar students fall into the "over 40" category and I receive emails quite often from new students that are experiencing bouts of pain emanating from hands, fingers, wrists and forearms, while in the early stages of learning to play guitar.

Read more: The Painful Side of Learning Guitar Over 40

Can You Really Learn Guitar "Over 40"?

One of the bands I play in was started by a guy who had "always wanted" to learn how to play guitar. It was a dream of his for many years.

But sometimes life has a funny way of getting between us and our dreams, and my friend had to put the guitar on the back burner while raising a family, working a job and chasing a career.

Then one day, well into his late forties, he bought a guitar. He took a few lessons and practiced until he got good enough to play some basic songs that he could sing along with.

Read more: Can You Really Learn Guitar "Over 40"?

Playing Guitar and the Wound 3rd String

We all know that guitar strings come in many flavors. They can initially be separated into categories according to what types of guitars they are made for.

There are strings that are designed for acoustic guitars, electric guitars and classical guitars. Within those categories they can be further separated according to thickness (gauge), material, and brand.

Furthermore, each set of strings can be separated into categories of "wound" and "un-wound" strings.

Read more: Playing Guitar and the Wound 3rd String

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