Playing the Guitar Fluently
If you are a beginner starting to learn how to play the guitar, you might be browsing a lot of tutorials. You might also be watching a lot of YouTube videos where epic guitar players shred solos and play amazing musical pieces. However, you might be wondering how to make guitar strings easier to press, so that you can also play like an epic guitarist.
Guitar playing fluency is not always about skill and years of practice. It also comes down to the quality of the instrument you are playing. The built, material and technicalities of an instrument itself are very influential in making a great guitarist.
One of these technicalities is known as the “action” of a guitar. This action is what determines how easier it is to press the strings on the fretboard.
Gliding, Chords & Solos
The fretboard constitutes a distance between the suspension of the strings and the surface of the fretboard. In simple terms, the lesser this distance of the suspension between the hovering strings over the fretboard, the easier it is to press the guitar strings. However, it is not this simple to actually achieve.
Any type of guitar playing techniques and styles such as gliding, chordal progressions, riffs and solos – all are dependent on a perfect balance of strings suspension.
If the balance of this suspension is upset, when you apply pressure on a string to play a particular note, it will resonate as something called a “buzz”. A buzz is essential a disfunctioning musical note that is not correctly being played.
In performance, a buzz can ruin the impression a guitarist has on the audience. That is why, it is not easy to simply say that lowering your guitar neck’s action will make pressing the guitar strings easier. It has to be in balance.
Truss Rod & Balance
The balance of the distance between the suspended strings and the fretboard is determined by an apparatus called a truss rod. A truss rod is a special type of rod that is on the inside lining support the frets.
The truss rod adjusts the angular position of the guitar neck in relation to the bridge of the guitar. This position needs to be at a perfect balance in order to make pressing strings feel like butter.
Adjusting the Truss Rod to Press Guitar Strings Easily
Adjusting the truss rod involves a pretty straightforward process. The truss rod has a groove which is accessible near the hole of the guitar (the big circular opening from where the sound exits the body of the guitar).
This groove is adjustable with the help of an Allen key. Depending on whether you want to increase the distance of the strings from the neck’s fretboard or lower it to make pressing strings easier, you will either tighten or loosen by rotating the Allen key.
This process is repeated until the optimal distance between the frets and strings is achieved. It is also repeated until the desired level of string fluidity is accomplished. This means that pressing the strings is now easier as compared to before.
Caution with Truss Rod Adjustments
It is essential to note that the guitar should not be stringed when adjusting an action using a truss rod. This can result in overly straining the tension in the strings and causing them to snap. In worse cases, it can also lead to injuries if the snapping strings catch onto your arm’s skin.
In order to avoid such a hazard, it is common practice to firstly loosen the strings to ease up the tension and then begin adjusting the truss rod.
This ensures that both your guitar’s neck is protected, the strings and you as well.
Once you have adjusted the truss rod properly, you will be able to make your guitar strings easier to press.
Summary
To answer the question how to make guitar strings easier to press, read carefully this article. With the right information learned in this article, you’ll be able to make guitar strings easier to press. This will make a huge impact on your guitar playing progress.
In no time, your guitar playing fluency will increase and you’ll be ripping solos like the pro players you see on YouTube and on stage.
