How to Play Jazz Guitar : Using Flatwound Strings for Jazz Guitar

Learn tips for using flatwound strings to play jazz guitar from a recording artist in this free music lesson video.

Expert: Dustin Plumb
Contact: www.dustinplumb.net
Bio: Dustin Plumb is a multi-instrumentalist from the Pacific Northwest. He has a Bachelors' in Music from the University of Oregon.
Filmmaker: Dustin Plumb

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• playing jazz guitar
• jazz guitar tips
• jazz guitar playing
• play jazz guitar
• jazz guitar playing tips
• jazz guitar lesson
• jazz guitar guide
• jazz guitar instrument

[brownbigb]

flatwound and nicklewound is not synonymus.

[ramspi]

ridiculous

[CaramelMarshmallow]

@WoWintosh I once saw a bassist break his low E string. I don't think you can brag about breaking strings until you can top that.

[WoWintosh]

@GbubProductions

Yeah whatever, it's not a competition. I literally can NOT use 11's, I broke an E string on a set of Power Slinkies the same day I got them. Besides, the thinner the string the fatter the tone. No difference in sustain either. Plus you're not destroying your hands.

[GbubProductions]

@WoWintosh 11's are easy as hell to bend... I use .11 - .52 size strings, and they bend no problem, maybe not a Stairway solo 4 fret bend, but you can get your full step, and even step and a half bends out of them no problem.

[1pixle]

@WoWintosh huh, interesting. i'll have to research it myself too then.

[WoWintosh]

@1pixle

I honestly have no clue. I read a VERY lengthy thread about it on some forum, but according to all this guy's research and formulas and real vs. perceived tension, flatwound strings have more tension than rounds of the same gauge, I guess because of the way they're wound, there's more metal in them, which also accounts for the slightly higher price

[1pixle]

@WoWintosh yeah, 11-50 are pretty high tension for most guitars, which is why i suppose they'er used more on shorter scale guitars. and I personally am not a fan of the super light strings because, well, they're light and i need to have substance when i play.. anyway, why are normal flatwounds(that aren't double wound) so hight tension anyway?

[WoWintosh]

@1pixle

Okay, I guess if you play fingerstyle then you need heavier strings. To be honest, I was cursed with the shortest fingers I've ever seen, seriously, my little sister has longer fingers than me. As far as playing guitar, I need all the help I can get. Literally, it took me years to be able to play an F barre chord at the first fret. Since then I have moved up to .010s, I won't go up to an 11-50 set, even though I want to, I break those way too fast

[1pixle]

@WoWintosh i know lighter strings give a ballsier sound, but the same thing happens if you tune down on any other string. and real men don't bitch and complain about guitar strings. I don't use heavy guage strings i use mediums because they work and sound perfect for what i do as a musician. besides, you don't need a light guage string for a ballsy sound, especially when playing with fingers instead of picks like i do most of the time. and honestly, I don't care what billy gibbons uses.

[WoWintosh]

@1pixle

Bitch please, I use .008s, or at least I used to. Homo that's what real men use. No shit try a set. Put them on, raise your action, it is fat city. no shit I'm serious lighter strings give a ballsier sound. Billy Gibbons uses .008s with a .007 for his E string, then he puts them on a les paul with a shorter scale length, so there's no tension, and he gets a fat sound. I'm being serious, try .008s, hell even post a before/after video with your pussy heavy strings then manly extralights

[1pixle]

@WoWintosh if 11-50 round wounds are hard to bend then you need to strengthen your fingers a bit buddy. You can't have wussy ass fingers if you're gonna play guitar! besides, I wans't making a point of how stiff the strings were, I was making a point of the wind on the strings and that this video is not 100% correct. You dummy