The expressive, velvety sounds of stringed instruments with melodic duration do not appeal to many. Their number also includes everyone’s favorite guitar, and they are named so by chance. It is the string in this type of musical instrument that is the main source of sound, due to the tension of which you can adjust its height. Of course, how the instrument sings depends on the quality of these elements. In this case, the guitar is no exception. Material, of course, is of great importance. There are nylon, metal strings, but which ones are better to choose? Read about it below.
For those who are seriously interested in this, it would be good for themselves to answer a few questions:
- What tool is available or planned to purchase?
- What kind of music would you like to play?
- What kind of appreciation can be given to mastery - a novice student or an experienced musician?
A little bit about guitars and their types ...
There are several main types of guitars :
- Classical
- Dreadnought.
- Bas-guitar.
- Jumbo
- Electroacoustic.
- Semi-acoustic.
- Electric guitar.
- Classical guitar is the base of those who receive basic education, starting with the music school. This instrument came from the Spanish guitar. Ideal for classical music, available for beginners to learn. The sound of the instrument is soft and soft. They play on the "classic" without using a pick.
- Dreadnought, or country, or western. One can call this instrument the most widespread instrument for performing non-classical music. The body of this guitar is larger than that of a typical one, the sound, respectively, is brighter, louder. The instrument is designed for playing a pick, it is universal and suitable for any music.
- Jumbo If the dreadnought has a large case, then the jumbo has a huge one, and the sound is very loud. Now this instrument is not so popular and widespread, more suitable for accompaniment. It is used in such musical directions as rock, pop, blues, country. They play on it as a pick.
- Any guitar of the above can be electro-acoustic. If a pickup is initially embedded in the instrument, then it can be connected to an amplifier, audio can be recorded. It is also easy to play it without connecting to equipment, it is absolutely not necessary. If the pickup was not originally on the acoustic guitar, it can be put on, but still it is better to think carefully before that, in such an “operation” there is a risk of damage to the “acoustics”. It’s better to buy the one where the device is embedded from the moment of its production.
- An electric guitar is an instrument that differs significantly from acoustic ones. It is distinguished by a thin, small one-piece case, with no empty space inside. Although the electric guitar looks smaller than acoustic instruments, it is heavier. Pickups are fixed on it, one or two, as a rule. An amplifier connection is required for this guitar. The advantages of the instrument include a wealth of all kinds of effects, options for changing the timbre, coloring of the sound. The electric guitar has gained its distribution in jazz, rock music.
- Semi-acoustic instrument - a hybrid of acoustic and electric guitars. It has a cavity inside and resonator holes, but nevertheless, for execution it is necessary to connect the instrument to the equipment. Most often used in jazz.
- Bass guitar is a type of electric guitar. It was created as a replacement for the huge and non-transportable double bass, from which it took the system and the number of strings - four, instead of the usual six (although five-string, six-string and even seven-string types are also found).
A little bit about the strings
Each type of guitar needs its own strings, sometimes the best sound quality of an instrument depends on it, sometimes even its safety. But what are strings?
First of all, the string is a long stretch of flexible material that is in tension. In terms of material, metal and nylon are now the most common for them (earlier intestines or veins of animals were also used).
By their structure, the strings can be a whole body, and can consist of a core and a braid. The latter is needed so that the string gives a lower tone, while remaining flexible and suitable for playing. Such musical elements are called twisted.
The braid on the strings can be of different types:
- round;
- flat;
- semicircular polished, pressed;
- hexagonal braid.
Each type of braids on strings has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Round is the easiest to manufacture and cheapest option. The disadvantages include: a characteristic creak (if you, of course, do not plan to give a certain amount of personality to your performance), the rough surface wears out the frets and the pad, if the string is damaged, the braid can rotate, it is not attached to the core.
Flat braid. Strings with this type of braid are smoother, more comfortable to play, they wear out the tool less, and almost do not creak. Unfortunately, such threads have 2 drawbacks: the sound is less bright, they cost more.
Classical Guitar Strings
Classical guitar is a special instrument. Why is it used for training? The answer is simple. This guitar has nylon strings, it is easier to play on them, especially at first. Until professional calluses form on the fingers of the left hand, the game can even be painful.
In turn, metal strings on a classical guitar should never be placed! Perhaps this will seem strange. After all, metal strings are better, they sound brighter, and when corns are already there, what prevents them from being delivered? These questions are logical, but musical instruments are rather fragile. A classical guitar is simply not designed for the tension of metal strings; the body can be seriously damaged.
Acoustic Guitar Strings
Dreadnought and jumbo - guitars with metal strings. Are there strict limits on what can be put? No special, except that nylon on such guitars is meaningless. Metal strings also have their own varieties. This is the brand, and the metal from which the string is made, and, most importantly for those who are just starting to play, the thickness of the string.
Most often, the thickness of the entire "chord" is determined by the first string. The most common sets of strings are 009 and 010, 011. There are even 012 and 013. What metal strings for an acoustic guitar are better to choose? The higher the number, the louder the sound, the stronger the load on the fretboard, the harder the strings themselves and the harder it will be to play. In terms of the price category, strings in the region of 500 rubles sound more or less good. But it is better to try several options yourself, choosing a sound and sensations that will be comfortable.
Electric Guitar Strings
The strings for electric guitars also have different thicknesses, from 9 to 12. But more often on this type of instrument are thinner than on acoustics. Since the guitar is still connected to the amplifier, you can easily sacrifice the natural volume of the strings.
Bass Strings
You need to choose the strings for the bass carefully. The thickness variations of the first string are even more diverse: 35, 40, 45, 50, 65 ... Most likely, these are far from all varieties. The rules are the same: thicker, means louder, brighter sound and harder to play. It is also necessary that the number of strings is suitable for the guitar on which they need to be placed.
Setting the strings on a guitar
Placing strings on a classical guitar requires some special skills, since more often nylon strings go without balls at one end and need to be tied.
Metal strings are easier to install. Near the lower nut they are threaded into the holes. The second end is fixed on the stake and stretched.
The only difficulties with installing strings can occur on those guitars where there is a tremolo. But for each such instrument there is an instruction. More often on such guitars you need to install the strings a little inside the case.
Interesting facts about strings and guitars
- The brilliant designer of electric guitars Leo Fender did not know how to play it himself and tune the instrument.
- In the Middle Ages, musical objects had 4 strings.
- On a Warra guitar, most often 12 strings.