Many guitar players have suffered thru this aggravation of tuning problems. The good news is?that most?tuning?problems are easily fixed.
The most common problem?are strings that haven't been properly stretched out. I have a detailed stretching method in a previous article?"How to change strings on a Acoustic or Electric guitar."?You should?ALWAYS stretch the strings for a couple of minutes before playing every time. How often does your?guitar sit without being played then we pick them up and expect perfection???Well it's just not reality and there are certain little steps we need to do before we start. Remember to tune to pitch between the stretches.

?Another very common issue is the strings binding in the nut slot. If you are tuning and your hear a "ping" or a strange "popping" noise while tuning a string that's a sign of a nut slot that's too tight and it's catching on the?nut and "jumping" instead of sliding smooth through the nut slut. Pro guitar techs have a simple fix for this. There are several products one can use to put in the nut slots to help but? my favorite is?Chapstick.Yep?that's right the orignal Chapstick?and it won't damage the?nut in any way and won't discolor it like graphite or pencil lead. Just apply a very small amount when changing strings or between changes?and bingo it works like a charm. If it oozes out when you put the string back in then you've applied too much and needs to be cleaned up a bit.You should be able to look at?the nut and never see it.?This is very small item you can keep it in your case all the time. I also like the fact that it doesn't affect or dampen your tone.

? Another issue is slipping tuners. On many tuner ends or the backs you will see srews. These screws can be tightened to add more tension. If your tuners?turn very easily they may be too loose, then tighten the screw?untill more tension is felt. Do not overtighten and you can feel the increased tension very easily and it will be hard to turn, just experiment with your paticular guitar.

? There you have it?fixes for the most common tuning problems. If you are still having problems with your guitar I would recommend seeing your local repairman for a check on the guitar for other problems.

Guitar Guru