In the 18th century, a guitar appeared that serves for solo performance, accompaniment, ensemble. It has a soft, pleasant sound, great for professionals and beginners.
The instrument has six strings, but not everyone knows how to tie strings on a classical guitar.
Tool Brief
Learning to play the guitar begins with the classical version, then some musicians switch to electric guitars, jazz, bass guitars with metal strings. A classic guitar is made of rosewood, spruce, mahogany, cedar. For the neck, as a rule, only cedar or mahogany is used.
A classical guitar has twelve frets from the head of the neck to the body - this is how it differs from everyone else. It is not intended for installing metal strings, playing with a pick, as there is no protective plate under the strings and there is a high probability of damage to the case.
The installation of strings on a classical guitar is an important point, since it has a wider neck than the acoustic one, which means that the distance between the strings is greater. There is no possibility to adjust the neck deflection, string tightening per tone (or more), so tension is important - the volume and softness of the sound directly depend on this.
It will not be difficult for any more or less professional musician to understand the instrument, but for a person who just picked up the instrument, the question of how to put the strings on a classical guitar remains relevant.
Types of Strings
All strings are of different thicknesses. The thicker, the more expressive the sound and the more difficult it is to play - fingers get tired quickly. Used nylon strings are easier to pinch. The only drawback is the relatively quiet sound, more suitable for chamber performances. The first, second, third strings of pure nylon. Three bass covered with silver plated copper. Silver plated for enhanced sound. Sound can be increased using fluorocarbon or carbon strings. They are durable, amenable to strong tension.
It is dangerous to use metal strings ; sometimes they are used on concert instruments. They are very durable, sonorous and have a higher tension compared to nylon. But the classical guitar is not designed for long-term stress, so only professionals of the big stage will need information on how to put strings on a classical guitar with a steel base. Different types of metal-based windings add brightness to the sound. The strings with bronze winding give a hard sound, of silver, nickel - velvety, softer.
Installation Rules
It is necessary to remember the main rule and observe safety precautions before tying the strings on a classical guitar: when changing, tuning, keep the instrument strictly away from you! Because the tension force of all strings is approximately equal to the mass of 50 kg, in the event of a break, it can cause injury, injure the face or eyes.
If during the replacement they decided to pre-bite the string, then nippers should be used. It is important to remember that tension is loosened before replacement because a sharp change in tension increases the likelihood of damage, skewing of the neck, damage to the guitar body and injury to the musician. Sometimes for convenience they use string drivers / string riders - machines for loosening strings.
Step-by-step instruction
Let's consider step by step how to tie strings on a classical guitar according to all the rules:
- First you need to remove worn (torn) strings. Using a typewriter or rotating the pegs in the direction necessary to loosen the string. The rotation is performed until the end can be pulled out of the stake.
It is important to remember that the usual cutting (biting) of tensioned strings can be traumatic for the musician and harmful for the instrument.
- Then you should untie the remaining knots of loops and pull the end of the string from the nut of the lower stand.
- When the strings are removed, you can wipe the entire instrument from dust with a dry cloth or a specially designed guitar care product.
- The tension of nylon products is the same as in the case of others. The first and sixth are pulled in first, then the second and fifth, at the end the middle - the third and fourth. This is done for convenience.
- The string is threaded into the nut hole by 10 - 12 cm. The end is wound under the main part and wound into a loop until a knot is formed.
- So that the end does not slip out of the knot, the main part is bent to the guitar deck, and the end is pulled in the opposite direction so that the knot is tightened tightly.
- The end, on the other hand, is threaded into the hole of the stake and half-turned around the stake. Then the end is wrapped around the main part of the string and threaded inside the turn.
- Slowly rotating the peg, you need to pull the string until the end is pressed. A few revolutions around a splice are enough.
- Of particular importance is the direction of winding the string:
- The first and sixth are wound externally in the direction of rotation of the shaft.
- The second, third, fourth, fifth - from the inside in the direction of rotation of the shaft.
- Similarly, taking into account the rotation of the shaft, the remaining strings are pulled. After installation, cut off the protruding ends.
Before tying the strings on a classical guitar, it is recommended to loosen them so that the load on the instrument is uniform. Some manufacturers produce products with balls at the end, which eliminates the need to tie an additional knot on the lower nut.