hello

Hello my name is Pete.I just bought my first guitar a Telecaster off of E-Bay.I looked around for a while and bid on the guitar and actually won the auction.Never took lessons and dont know how to play but trying to learn.One question-when i bought my amp at the store and brought my tele in the store,It kept on jumping out of tune.The guy at the store said the strings are new and have to stretch out.Is that correct? Do i help the process by just trying to play?I seriously dont know.

If the strings are brand new, you will have to break them in, usually by bending.

Welcome!

Thanks how would bending be accomplished?

welcome

Thanks how would bending be accomplished?

A lot of players bend strings upwards when playing. When you play a note, push the string up

Welcome to the forum

Ok i will try it!

Let me try to explain my opinion of the string "bending" or "stretching" of new strings to allow the guitar to stay in tune better.

New strings can be tuned to proper pitch but may continue to stretch for a while until they become stretched to the point that they stay. Compare it to getting up in the morning and stretching out your leg muscles before you go for a run. Going through the stretching exercises a couple of time lets you get warmed up so that when you are ready to go the muscles and tendons are "in tune".

New strings don't go from new to fully stretched in one attempt. You can actually stretch the new strings by pulling them up and away from the fretboard and then retuning. After a few stretches and retuning alternates, the strings should begin to stay more in tune with less variation.

The bending that you do when playing is more of a stretch of the string with the hope of changing the sound but then when you release the bending pressure the string is designed to return to the proper tune or note for that string.

Strings will change the tuning a little just from cooling (setting unused) or from heating (warming to the room) or from playing (friction).

The other variable is of course whether the tuning machines are functioning properly. Not all tuning machines (or guitars) are created equal.

Good luck with your venture into guitar playing the telecaster. I hope you enjoy it.

Lost_N_Austin

Welcome. You're lucky, I didn't learn about string stretching until after I was playing for 4 or 5 years. No knowledgeable guitar shops In the area I used to love in.

Thank You for all the replies.

Welcome to TDPRI !!

Thank You!

Welcome!!!

Thanks-I was curious-since i cant afford lessons,is the Gibson guitar course as good as people claim?I bought 2 books on how to play but am getting confused on several things.