I just started playing guitar a week ago. I got a bass guitar yesterday and one of the first things I’m trying to learn are slides. The squeaky string noise trying to do slides on these thick wound strings is INSANE. This technique works great! With 15 minutes of practicing “rolling” my fingers back I can already tell a difference.
Thanks for this! Struggled with it for a long time and only came across advices like "lift your fingers of the string when you change". All well and good but if you want to slide, this won't do. Your explanation is very helpful
I happened upon your post in that guitar forum and followed you here. Couldn't be happier with the results I've had from your explanation! this has saved me a lot of hassle thank you so much!
Thank you so much David. This was a problem that plagued me for years and your apt analogy of sliding a ball in the distinct manner of rolling back a bit and applying gentle pressure finally clicked for me.
Thank you so so much David! The "rolling of the fingers" tip helped a lot! The squeak happens only when playing barre chords but I'm just entering intermediate stage so I'm sure I'll get better when I can play faster like you suggested. Thanks again and the illustration with the ball is awesome as well...you're a "technique" saver! Cheers!
I can't wait to try this. I've come back to the guitar after having concentrated on piano for most of my career, a lot of the techniques that were developed in the past 40 years are so much better than what I was taught.
Glad I could help. I can't take all the credit. A great classical guitarist I studied with for about 2 years after college taught me the technique. I just came up with the ball explanation.
Thank you so much for this video. You solved a problem I’ve been experiencing and wanting to change in a short amount of time with very practical information and clear technique!
Lightness preactice: 1) touch first finger lightly to a string on any fret 2)pluck string (should produce a thud) 3)gradually add pressure in fretting hand while plucking until you hear a tone with buzzing 4)lift fretting finger and try to place back in that "buzzing" position 5)repeat lifting finger and finding the buzz any number of times 6) repeat with other fingers
Hi Jon, The black guitar was a Martin 000CXE. I don't have that guitar anymore. The guitar in this video is a nylon string Cordoba guitar. I used it for this video because it made the loudest squeaks of all my guitars so I thought it would work well for demonstration purposes. For a mid range guitar, I really like this one. It responds pretty well, it has a narrow neck, and the cutaway is nice. Best wishes
Marc, I'm glad the video is helpful to you. I would bet the biggest factor in your string squeaks is how you play. The variation could also have to do with your hands (oily, dry, warm, cold, sweaty). I still think working on playing lightly is going to be your best bet.
Especially the rolling back worked like magic. The other tips had barely any effect, but that's maybe because of the specific strings I use and your technique probably being way more superior than mine ;)
Great Video David, Thank You for taking your tie to show us something Useful. I am a beginner and every little Tip helps. I play an Electric so I don't notice this as much but plan to develope your Technique as I am sure it will help me in the Future as i become able to play more Technical music.
One thing that I do all the time is to wash my hands before recording, warm water for a couple of minutes. This will soften your skin and make the squeak less glassy. But correcting the technique is obviously better. Good advices here, thanks.
You'll have to do a little searching as I haven't tried any products myself. Coated strings tend to squeak less. I use Elixers on my steel string guitars and D'Addario EXPs on my classical. In this video I used uncoated strings to bring out the squeak as much as possible. You can also work on playing lighter with your left hand. This can help reduce squeaks and isn't as hard to work on as the technique in the video. Plus it will help with speed and endurance. Best Wishes
Hi Jerry, the strings (metal, type of winding, and/or coatings) certainly have an affect on how much squeak there will be. Any noise created by sliding the finger along the string is caused by the amount of friction. Different strings can create various levels of friction. In this video, I put on very noise strings. Hope this helps. Let me know if I answered your question or not.
Thanks for this advise - adds a new dimension to the diminishing squeeks. How ever have you any advice when squeeks are coming from simply lifting the finger straight up from the strings (which obviously doesn't happen as the squeek appears)? Regards John
thanks for actually sliding not like other videos where they do a c chord to g but never actually slide... one question do u roll back ur finger when sliding back or roll foward then slide back
You can sort of make both ways work. Forward then slide back I think works better if you really want to get rid of the squeak but it can feel a bit odd to do that. It's more about easing into the slide. Think about trying to ease off of that "stuck" feeling that your finger has against the string. Thanks for the comment.
Haha. You are right in there being a big difference in how much squeak there is but this can work on any type of string. It just requires much more control on higher tension strings and round wound strings. Varying metals can produce more or less squeaks. String coating can affect it. The idea here is that no matter what you are playing on, you should be able to control the squeak. Thanks for the comment. Sorry this is a year late. Just saw it.
Thanks for the prompt reply. Great video by the way - impressed by the content. Whole video is of great worth, earned an easy "thumbs up". Will look into the strings you recommend - I've been playing guitar for 15+ years and the "squeaking" shows up at times, then disappears, is it how I play, or how strong I push on some strings, the kind of strings I use, or the ambient humidity, I can't seem to find the right set of parameters which provoke "more/less" squeaking. Great video though, thanks.
Unless I've misunderstood your video, I seem to be getting the opposite results. I'm working on a fingerpicking song and I side from an A power chord shape to a B power chord shape and if I ease off on pressure the squeak gets a lot worse. If I go faster the squeak gets a lot worse. The way I make it better it is by pushing quite hard while I move. I still hear it but it's much less dramatic.
Hi Neil. Moving a chord like that is tough when it comes to squeaks. Without seeing what you are doing I won't really be able to know what's going on but I can make some suggestions. First is pay close attention to how you start the slide and make sure you ease into it by rolling your fingers. Try practicing the move without plucking the strings so you can focus more on the feel and sounds the left hand is making. Another thing you might check is if your string action is high, that can make it more likely to squeak. You should not have to press hard. Feel free to contact me through my website for a Skype lesson if you just can't get it. Thanks for the comment.
I just got a new acoustic guitar and it seems more sensitive to string squeak than my first one, even though they both have the same strings on them. I'm thinking it could be because the guitar is a smaller bodied acoustic, which means the body is more resonant to small amounts of pressure on the strings with my fingers. Have you found this yourself with your own guitars? Great video though. Very informative and it's given me some interesting techniques to try :)
This is a really good question. The action may have something to do with it or the scale length. Do you feel like you have to press harder on the guitar that squeaks more? If so you may want to either make sure the guitar is setup the same as your previous guitar (Have the nut, saddle, and truss rod adjusted) so that it plays similar to your old guitar or you likely will have to develop a little different touch on the new one. Every guitar plays differently. Some guitars have a brighter crisper sound that can bring out the squeak more too. Let me know if you have more questions.
Thanks for the reply! I think you've raised some great points. My first guitar has a scale length of 24.7" and is a dreadnought, whereas my new guitar has a scale length of 25.4" and is a grand concert. I also think that my new guitar needs a slight truss rod adjustment. After you pointed it out, I looked at the string height at the 12th fret and it's very slightly out. Maybe I'll try and adjust that first and see if it makes a difference. Cheers! :D
So the squeaking is supposed to be there? When I was changing frets I didn't know whether I was supposed to slide my hand along the string to where it made that squeak or if I was supposed to slightly pick my finger up to avoid it? I just started playing guitar so I'm still new to a lot of stuff.
I’ve got a piece that I go back and forth constantly very quickly. I am going to try a set of strings with polished bass strings.. no other way around it...
You bet. I'm also doing a weekly video on tips and techniques for Fingerstyle guitar. If you have any thoughts on topics I should consider addressing or if you have any suggestions or critiques on it I would really appreciate it. Merry Christmas.
Tim Sparks gave me the link to this video after I asked him about "string squeak". Thanks. Very well explained indeed. I always thought that string squeakers were just nasty horrible people who should play banjos but you live and learn.Thank's again
Could be different strings or (more likely) different action. A higher action means your fingers have further to go to lift off of the strings which makes it more likely to cause friction and squeak. Does the Guild have a lower action? Also, are the Guild strings old?
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you that there is a relationship between the calloused part of the skin and the softer part. I considered this as I was experimenting and noticed a subtle change. I do still think there is a problem in the transition from pressing down to sliding. One could just lift slightly and then slide. This may work better for some but rolling the finger and then sliding is more fluid to me.
Thanks again. Yes, I am mostly a steel string player and use Elixer Nanowebs which don't have a lot of squeak/ chirp. I used very noisy strings on the Classical guitar for this video mostly for demonstration. Since the Nanowebs don't squeak much and I have a fairly light touch anyway, I typically don't have to worry too much about this. I'm actually one of those players that kind of likes the squeak to a degree.
I actually really like that squeak sound. It might not be wanted 99% of the time, but I've actually heard it as an acoustical part of a song in chill/laidback lofi-esque songs.
Hi John, Your finger may still be moving horizontally a little. Try experimenting with lifting the finger slowly and watch if it is moving slightly horizontally to the string and also see if you can sense any friction. To work this into your playing, each day warm up with maybe 20 or some number of lifts very slowly focusing on not getting the squeak. Daily practice is important to make something stick in your playing. It will eventually find its way into your playing. This is a start.
We’re supposed to be hearing the notes, not the mechanics of getting there. Better mechanics makes better music without the interference. Thank you very much!!
I use Thomastik rope core strings for the E,A and D strings and standard nylon for the g,b and e strings on a classical guitar. The thomastik strings have minimal string noise.
Thomastik strings are great. They have such a beautiful tone to them. They are expensive though so I don't use them very much. Sometimes in recording and usually on a guitar that doesn't have much character to it. These strings add the character. Glad you found a good a solution Donny!
Thank you David! I'll try that techniqe. Now, I am two years in playing classical guitar on my own. Lately I've been practicing a simple beginner piece (practice piece called Andante by Robert Schumann). My problem is that the righthand nail on my index finger hits the grooves on the D string but not if I use my thumb to play it. Any tips?
If I understand you correctly, as you pluck the D string your finger kind scrapes across the windings, right? So you need to adjust how your finger plucks that string so it slides across the string in the same direction as the windings. So you may have to tilt your hand a bit and/or adjust the tilt of your guitar. Hope that helps. It's hard to explain and would be much easier to show you. Keep up your practicing and let me know if I can help. Best wishes
+David Youngman Thank you for the quick response. I was referring to my nail making a scraping noise when plucking it. Yes I believe I need to adjust the angle I pluck but also reshape my nail. Thank you for the encouragement!
I've exhausted every option... My idea was identical to yours, unfortunately, the only way to eliminate the squeaking, for me, is to play with fingertip part just below the nail (almost impossible), or lift the fingers completely, and this is a problem, because I can't play anything that involves sliding....
Hey Furry Jedi. I understand the frustration. Yeah, playing just under the finger nail is pretty sensitive and won't work. You might just be playing too hard. Check out my video called "The Incredible Lightness". th-cam.com/video/lT85j2LBVnQ/w-d-xo.html This will help you to find that light touch. Play with that for a week or so and apply the string squeak techniques. Let me know how it goes. If you are still having problems there might just be some details and subtle changes in your technique that need adjusted. It might have to do with your guitar setup some too. There IS a solution so keep at it. Let me know if you'd like to do a Skype lesson if needed. Hope you can get it worked out.
The sound and feel is like bending nails back as you scratch a chalkboard. I know how to and really want to play this beautiful song but can't because a whole chord has to slide quickly from frets 7 to 9 to 3 and again in the verses. cringe :/ it still happens.... Can't take it completely off and remake it in time :( Any suggestions for whole chords? Sorry but please?
+CNder77 Well the principles are in the video. I guess the best I can suggest is to learn the principles and feel with single fingers and then it might be easier to apply it to bar chords. Work hard to see how lightly you can play with your left hand. That's about the best I can suggest without working with you one on one to see exactly what you are doing
+David Youngman I'm sorry about that, hope I didn't offend you in any way. Thanks for your help :) I'll keep trying. Bar chords are something I really struggle with. Do you have like a Skype and will it cost anything? Again I'm sorry for any trouble.
+CNder77 No problem. I've just been catching up on messages. Contact me through my website and I'll see what I can do to help. Might be able to do a Skype lesson.
(I practice scales trying to make every note buzz but ring with a tone to develop my lightness) The idea is you only have to press a hair more to get a clean tone. It's surprising how light you can go.
Good job! I am not a guitar player. I do enjoy good playing and I do hate squeaking frets. I have a good friend who plays and claims the squeaks are part of the music and it is my own fault for not realizing that these are extra notes that I am too stupid to appreciate. I will share your video with him and hope that he can appreciate that not everyone enjoys squeaking frets.
+dalecs47 Hey thanks! I do think sometimes the sound is sort of appealing since it's part of the instrument but there are also times that it can drive someone crazy. Thanks for the share
Thanks for the comment, Joshua. Also, If you haven't already found it, I recently started doing a weekly video tip for guitarists that you can check out on my channel under the playlist Tips and Techniques. Merry Christmas!
Nicholas Gerken Hey Nicholas. Thanks so much for the comment and share. I'm getting more focused on videos like this. It's been a while since doing this video but I'm currently working on a video that explains how to EQ a guitar for live sound. I'm actually working towards being more regular with videos like this. I'll try to be more enthused (Haha). I'm a pretty mellow guy though.
Is there something someone can apply to strings to make them "squeak" less (lemon juice, car engine oil, sex lubricant, I don't know, something!). I don't dislike the "squeaking" sound myself - but I think there is such a thing as "more squeaking then melody". :) I wish I could reduce some of it - without having to focus on my play too much...
Don't worry about this sound, it's a by-product of playing the acoustic guitar. Some electronic producers actually add this sound in to add authenticity.
That's helpful, but the main problem to overcome s that the lower strings are wound strings. The squeak is created by the ribs in the string interacting with the texture of the players finger tips.
I would agree with you Roger that the windings on the bass strings are what cause the friction. From what I understand and have experienced, the callouses help to allow your fingers to glide over the ribs and if you pay attention to the amount of pressure and speed you can control the squeak quite a bit. If a player doesn't have much of a callouse, the skin will be more likely to dip into the ribbing and produce more friction. Or if you are holding a particular note for a long period of time the skin can press into the dip. Then when you come off that note you are more likely to get a squeak. This is why rolling the finger out of the note is important. Thanks for the comment
I'm glad you didn't die of static electricity.
You make great use of props in this and in several of your other tutorials. You're a terrific teacher, David.
+Brian Whitmer Thanks a lot, Brian!
I just started playing guitar a week ago. I got a bass guitar yesterday and one of the first things I’m trying to learn are slides. The squeaky string noise trying to do slides on these thick wound strings is INSANE.
This technique works great! With 15 minutes of practicing “rolling” my fingers back I can already tell a difference.
Great video man. I was dubious when I saw the ball but it was the perfect way to illustrate your point. Thanks!
+Steven Coyle Sure thing Steven. I was going for a Bill Nye the Science guy kind of explanation.
Thanks for this! Struggled with it for a long time and only came across advices like "lift your fingers of the string when you change". All well and good but if you want to slide, this won't do. Your explanation is very helpful
I happened upon your post in that guitar forum and followed you here. Couldn't be happier with the results I've had from your explanation! this has saved me a lot of hassle thank you so much!
+Mike Martin Hey Mike, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Some of these comments sneak in unnoticed. Anyway, so happy this helped you.
Thank you so much David. This was a problem that plagued me for years and your apt analogy of sliding a ball in the distinct manner of rolling back a bit and applying gentle pressure finally clicked for me.
Thank you so so much David! The "rolling of the fingers" tip helped a lot! The squeak happens only when playing barre chords but I'm just entering intermediate stage so I'm sure I'll get better when I can play faster like you suggested. Thanks again and the illustration with the ball is awesome as well...you're a "technique" saver! Cheers!
I can't wait to try this. I've come back to the guitar after having concentrated on piano for most of my career, a lot of the techniques that were developed in the past 40 years are so much better than what I was taught.
Glad I could help. I can't take all the credit. A great classical guitarist I studied with for about 2 years after college taught me the technique. I just came up with the ball explanation.
TH-cam has been listening in on me again! So grateful for this, came right on time.
Fantastic teaching!
Thanks for the comment! Glad it was helpful
Watched a lot of teachers. Most talk about releasing tension that doesn't always do the trick but rolling of the vingers really works. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this video. You solved a problem I’ve been experiencing and wanting to change in a short amount of time with very practical information and clear technique!
Lightness preactice: 1) touch first finger lightly to a string on any fret 2)pluck string (should produce a thud) 3)gradually add pressure in fretting hand while plucking until you hear a tone with buzzing 4)lift fretting finger and try to place back in that "buzzing" position 5)repeat lifting finger and finding the buzz any number of times 6) repeat with other fingers
Very well thought-out explanation David, great video.
Hi Jon, The black guitar was a Martin 000CXE. I don't have that guitar anymore. The guitar in this video is a nylon string Cordoba guitar. I used it for this video because it made the loudest squeaks of all my guitars so I thought it would work well for demonstration purposes. For a mid range guitar, I really like this one. It responds pretty well, it has a narrow neck, and the cutaway is nice. Best wishes
Marc, I'm glad the video is helpful to you. I would bet the biggest factor in your string squeaks is how you play. The variation could also have to do with your hands (oily, dry, warm, cold, sweaty). I still think working on playing lightly is going to be your best bet.
Thank you, David! Very well done. This is a HUGE help. You are a great teacher...thanks again!
Tom, thanks for the feedback.
Especially the rolling back worked like magic. The other tips had barely any effect, but that's maybe because of the specific strings I use and your technique probably being way more superior than mine ;)
Very good illustrations and points - Thank you
Great Video David, Thank You for taking your tie to show us something Useful. I am a beginner and every little Tip helps. I play an Electric so I don't notice this as much but plan to develope your Technique as I am sure it will help me in the Future as i become able to play more Technical music.
One thing that I do all the time is to wash my hands before recording, warm water for a couple of minutes. This will soften your skin and make the squeak less glassy.
But correcting the technique is obviously better. Good advices here, thanks.
Nice early video from Maestro D. Youngman, International Fingerstyle Guitar Champ!
You'll have to do a little searching as I haven't tried any products myself. Coated strings tend to squeak less. I use Elixers on my steel string guitars and D'Addario EXPs on my classical. In this video I used uncoated strings to bring out the squeak as much as possible. You can also work on playing lighter with your left hand. This can help reduce squeaks and isn't as hard to work on as the technique in the video. Plus it will help with speed and endurance. Best Wishes
Fantastic analogy and an excellent explanation, well done and thanks
Hi Jerry, the strings (metal, type of winding, and/or coatings) certainly have an affect on how much squeak there will be. Any noise created by sliding the finger along the string is caused by the amount of friction. Different strings can create various levels of friction. In this video, I put on very noise strings.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I answered your question or not.
Finally a real answer to this question- thank you!
You bet!
nice video! moisturizing hands can help a ton also. if your hands are very dry you're more likely to get string squeak i find.
Thanks for this advise - adds a new dimension to the diminishing squeeks. How ever have you any advice when squeeks are coming from simply lifting the finger straight up from the strings (which obviously doesn't happen as the squeek appears)?
Regards John
Thank you for this excellent explanation and demonstration.
Not sure I understand. Are you saying your plucking hand is causing the squeaks? What are you plucking with?
Thanks! Best explanation I've heard, and perfect demonstration.
thanks for actually sliding not like other videos where they do a c chord to g but never actually slide... one question do u roll back ur finger when sliding back or roll foward then slide back
You can sort of make both ways work. Forward then slide back I think works better if you really want to get rid of the squeak but it can feel a bit odd to do that. It's more about easing into the slide. Think about trying to ease off of that "stuck" feeling that your finger has against the string. Thanks for the comment.
On your other video you had a black guitar, what kind of guitar is that? I love the tone! Is it nylon string?
nylon? no problem, try phosphorus bronze = huge differnce
Haha. You are right in there being a big difference in how much squeak there is but this can work on any type of string. It just requires much more control on higher tension strings and round wound strings. Varying metals can produce more or less squeaks. String coating can affect it. The idea here is that no matter what you are playing on, you should be able to control the squeak. Thanks for the comment. Sorry this is a year late. Just saw it.
Thanks for the prompt reply.
Great video by the way - impressed by the content. Whole video is of great worth, earned an easy "thumbs up". Will look into the strings you recommend - I've been playing guitar for 15+ years and the "squeaking" shows up at times, then disappears, is it how I play, or how strong I push on some strings, the kind of strings I use, or the ambient humidity, I can't seem to find the right set of parameters which provoke "more/less" squeaking. Great video though, thanks.
This is a fantastic lesson David! Thank you so much, this has plagued my playing for years
Unless I've misunderstood your video, I seem to be getting the opposite results. I'm working on a fingerpicking song and I side from an A power chord shape to a B power chord shape and if I ease off on pressure the squeak gets a lot worse. If I go faster the squeak gets a lot worse. The way I make it better it is by pushing quite hard while I move. I still hear it but it's much less dramatic.
Hi Neil. Moving a chord like that is tough when it comes to squeaks. Without seeing what you are doing I won't really be able to know what's going on but I can make some suggestions. First is pay close attention to how you start the slide and make sure you ease into it by rolling your fingers. Try practicing the move without plucking the strings so you can focus more on the feel and sounds the left hand is making. Another thing you might check is if your string action is high, that can make it more likely to squeak. You should not have to press hard. Feel free to contact me through my website for a Skype lesson if you just can't get it. Thanks for the comment.
I just got a new acoustic guitar and it seems more sensitive to string squeak than my first one, even though they both have the same strings on them. I'm thinking it could be because the guitar is a smaller bodied acoustic, which means the body is more resonant to small amounts of pressure on the strings with my fingers. Have you found this yourself with your own guitars?
Great video though. Very informative and it's given me some interesting techniques to try :)
This is a really good question. The action may have something to do with it or the scale length. Do you feel like you have to press harder on the guitar that squeaks more? If so you may want to either make sure the guitar is setup the same as your previous guitar (Have the nut, saddle, and truss rod adjusted) so that it plays similar to your old guitar or you likely will have to develop a little different touch on the new one. Every guitar plays differently. Some guitars have a brighter crisper sound that can bring out the squeak more too. Let me know if you have more questions.
Thanks for the reply! I think you've raised some great points. My first guitar has a scale length of 24.7" and is a dreadnought, whereas my new guitar has a scale length of 25.4" and is a grand concert. I also think that my new guitar needs a slight truss rod adjustment. After you pointed it out, I looked at the string height at the 12th fret and it's very slightly out. Maybe I'll try and adjust that first and see if it makes a difference. Cheers! :D
Great. Glad to help.
So the squeaking is supposed to be there? When I was changing frets I didn't know whether I was supposed to slide my hand along the string to where it made that squeak or if I was supposed to slightly pick my finger up to avoid it? I just started playing guitar so I'm still new to a lot of stuff.
I’ve got a piece that I go back and forth constantly very quickly. I am going to try a set of strings with polished bass strings.. no other way around it...
Thanks for the great video! Had the effect I was looking for. Now I need to get my speed up
Good information and I'm sure I'll find it helpful in cleaning up my playing. Thanks for posting.
You bet. I'm also doing a weekly video on tips and techniques for Fingerstyle guitar. If you have any thoughts on topics I should consider addressing or if you have any suggestions or critiques on it I would really appreciate it. Merry Christmas.
Tim Sparks gave me the link to this video after I asked him about "string squeak". Thanks. Very well explained indeed.
I always thought that string squeakers were just nasty horrible people who should play banjos but you live and learn.Thank's again
eddiepunch You bet! Thanks for the feedback
Could be different strings or (more likely) different action. A higher action means your fingers have further to go to lift off of the strings which makes it more likely to cause friction and squeak. Does the Guild have a lower action? Also, are the Guild strings old?
Thanks for the comment. I agree with you that there is a relationship between the calloused part of the skin and the softer part. I considered this as I was experimenting and noticed a subtle change.
I do still think there is a problem in the transition from pressing down to sliding. One could just lift slightly and then slide. This may work better for some but rolling the finger and then sliding is more fluid to me.
Brilliant demonstration!
Thanks again. Yes, I am mostly a steel string player and use Elixer Nanowebs which don't have a lot of squeak/ chirp. I used very noisy strings on the Classical guitar for this video mostly for demonstration. Since the Nanowebs don't squeak much and I have a fairly light touch anyway, I typically don't have to worry too much about this. I'm actually one of those players that kind of likes the squeak to a degree.
Great explanation, it helped me right away to understand and utilize it,thanks!
terry penrod Glad it was helpful, Terry.
David Youngman
Unorthodox explanation, but a great result, brilliant demonstration David.
I actually really like that squeak sound. It might not be wanted 99% of the time, but I've actually heard it as an acoustical part of a song in chill/laidback lofi-esque songs.
Bro, you nailed it.
thanks for sharing you're a great teacher!
Hi John, Your finger may still be moving horizontally a little. Try experimenting with lifting the finger slowly and watch if it is moving slightly horizontally to the string and also see if you can sense any friction. To work this into your playing, each day warm up with maybe 20 or some number of lifts very slowly focusing on not getting the squeak. Daily practice is important to make something stick in your playing. It will eventually find its way into your playing. This is a start.
This is something you will have to experiment and be patient with. Then come up with challenges and daily exercises.
So well explained!👌
Love how you use scientific method to explain this lol you rock dude!
POV: you’re playing Smoke on the Water and wondering why the heck your electric guitar strings are squeaking like crazy.
Thank you, David! This was very helpful! :)
Glad I could help. I'm starting a weekly lesson video this next week.
Thanks a lot David, the rolling of the finger is a great tip (no pun) !
+Paul Mahoux You bet, Paul!
What about when you want to slide across frets for the sound it makes?
Excellent video, thanks for all the help.
david is it not the brass winding on the strings that makes this sound
We’re supposed to be hearing the notes, not the mechanics of getting there. Better mechanics makes better music without the interference. Thank you very much!!
Wow you made a great presentation... thanks
Thank you, David. That was helpful.
You bet, Mark!
I use Thomastik rope core strings for the E,A and D strings and standard nylon for the g,b and e strings on a classical guitar. The thomastik strings have minimal string noise.
Thomastik strings are great. They have such a beautiful tone to them. They are expensive though so I don't use them very much. Sometimes in recording and usually on a guitar that doesn't have much character to it. These strings add the character. Glad you found a good a solution Donny!
Awesome analysis! Nice thinking! Thanks for this. :)
Really very nice demonstration thanks alott!
Thank You David! Very well done! Bless Up!
You bet, Ronnie. Thanks
Thank you David! I'll try that techniqe. Now, I am two years in playing classical guitar on my own. Lately I've been practicing a simple beginner piece (practice piece called Andante by Robert Schumann). My problem is that the righthand nail on my index finger hits the grooves on the D string but not if I use my thumb to play it. Any tips?
If I understand you correctly, as you pluck the D string your finger kind scrapes across the windings, right? So you need to adjust how your finger plucks that string so it slides across the string in the same direction as the windings. So you may have to tilt your hand a bit and/or adjust the tilt of your guitar. Hope that helps. It's hard to explain and would be much easier to show you. Keep up your practicing and let me know if I can help. Best wishes
+David Youngman Thank you for the quick response. I was referring to my nail making a scraping noise when plucking it. Yes I believe I need to adjust the angle I pluck but also reshape my nail. Thank you for the encouragement!
It’s to do with the string windings. It happens mainly on the E string and the next two inner strings.
very helpful. thank you very much David! Cheers Mike
Glad to hear it Mike. best wishes!
Great instructional - thanks for the info!
How can one increase the 'speed' and keep the rhythm?
I've exhausted every option... My idea was identical to yours, unfortunately, the only way to eliminate the squeaking, for me, is to play with fingertip part just below the nail (almost impossible), or lift the fingers completely, and this is a problem, because I can't play anything that involves sliding....
Hey Furry Jedi. I understand the frustration. Yeah, playing just under the finger nail is pretty sensitive and won't work. You might just be playing too hard. Check out my video called "The Incredible Lightness". th-cam.com/video/lT85j2LBVnQ/w-d-xo.html This will help you to find that light touch. Play with that for a week or so and apply the string squeak techniques. Let me know how it goes. If you are still having problems there might just be some details and subtle changes in your technique that need adjusted. It might have to do with your guitar setup some too. There IS a solution so keep at it. Let me know if you'd like to do a Skype lesson if needed. Hope you can get it worked out.
Why would anyone want to get rid of it. It sounds absolutely amazing!
Thanks David very helpful video.
The sound and feel is like bending nails back as you scratch a chalkboard. I know how to and really want to play this beautiful song but can't because a whole chord has to slide quickly from frets 7 to 9 to 3 and again in the verses. cringe :/ it still happens.... Can't take it completely off and remake it in time :( Any suggestions for whole chords? Sorry but please?
+CNder77 Well the principles are in the video. I guess the best I can suggest is to learn the principles and feel with single fingers and then it might be easier to apply it to bar chords. Work hard to see how lightly you can play with your left hand. That's about the best I can suggest without working with you one on one to see exactly what you are doing
+David Youngman I'm sorry about that, hope I didn't offend you in any way. Thanks for your help :) I'll keep trying. Bar chords are something I really struggle with. Do you have like a Skype and will it cost anything? Again I'm sorry for any trouble.
+CNder77 No problem. I've just been catching up on messages. Contact me through my website and I'll see what I can do to help. Might be able to do a Skype lesson.
What a good guy.
omg that voice! YOU DA MAN!
(I practice scales trying to make every note buzz but ring with a tone to develop my lightness) The idea is you only have to press a hair more to get a clean tone. It's surprising how light you can go.
Good job! I am not a guitar player. I do enjoy good playing and I do hate squeaking frets. I have a good friend who plays and claims the squeaks are part of the music and it is my own fault for not realizing that these are extra notes that I am too stupid to appreciate. I will share your video with him and hope that he can appreciate that not everyone enjoys squeaking frets.
+dalecs47 Hey thanks! I do think sometimes the sound is sort of appealing since it's part of the instrument but there are also times that it can drive someone crazy. Thanks for the share
Subscribed. Great teacher!
kinda remind me of the beavis and butthead teacher voice...except actually teaching real info and very well. thx for the lesson.
Great video man
Thanks a lot sir.Squeaking is gone!
Woohoo!
Very well explained
Thanks for the comment, Joshua. Also, If you haven't already found it, I recently started doing a weekly video tip for guitarists that you can check out on my channel under the playlist Tips and Techniques. Merry Christmas!
Good demo buddy..
thanks david your advise works great no more squeak cheers:)
Great advice: many thanks!
i learned a great tip, thanks. The ball idea made it interesting. :)
Stephanie Thanks for the feedback and glad it was helpful
i dont have a problem with it but always looking up tips. the way you explained it though is amazing make more. good job. be more enthused
Nicholas Gerken Hey Nicholas. Thanks so much for the comment and share. I'm getting more focused on videos like this. It's been a while since doing this video but I'm currently working on a video that explains how to EQ a guitar for live sound. I'm actually working towards being more regular with videos like this. I'll try to be more enthused (Haha). I'm a pretty mellow guy though.
David Youngman Did you get that video for EQing done? That would be helpful, thanks. An thanks for this one on the squeaks.
Nicholas Gerken I just wanted to add my two cents. I didn't notice any need to be more enthusiastic when I watched this video. Great explanation!
such a lovely guitar
Great! Best wishes in your practice.
Is there something someone can apply to strings to make them "squeak" less (lemon juice, car engine oil, sex lubricant, I don't know, something!). I don't dislike the "squeaking" sound myself - but I think there is such a thing as "more squeaking then melody". :)
I wish I could reduce some of it - without having to focus on my play too much...
Great explanation. Thank u for sharing.
Don't worry about this sound, it's a by-product of playing the acoustic guitar. Some electronic producers actually add this sound in to add authenticity.
amazing tutorial
excellent! i'm going to try this.
Thank you for this video.
That's helpful, but the main problem to overcome s that the lower strings are wound strings. The squeak is created by the ribs in the string interacting with the texture of the players finger tips.
I would agree with you Roger that the windings on the bass strings are what cause the friction. From what I understand and have experienced, the callouses help to allow your fingers to glide over the ribs and if you pay attention to the amount of pressure and speed you can control the squeak quite a bit. If a player doesn't have much of a callouse, the skin will be more likely to dip into the ribbing and produce more friction. Or if you are holding a particular note for a long period of time the skin can press into the dip. Then when you come off that note you are more likely to get a squeak. This is why rolling the finger out of the note is important. Thanks for the comment
Now whenever I listen to any recorded acoustic guitar I hear the squeaks! LOL!
Nikolai Knudsen I was just wondering when the later is with live music. Is there a program for live? What about live acoustic?