Great Sounding Violin Strings

1. Work out where each string leads to in the peg box, that is, which peg to turn to loosen which string. You don't want to find yourself loosening strings you've already changed!

2. Grip the peg quite firmly between your thumb and forefinger, and turn it towards you, using a little bit more pressure in the beginning to get the peg moving.

3. Once it starts turning you can apply a little pressure as if you are pulling the peg out, to help it turn easily. Don't pull the peg right out, just loosen it a little.

4. Unhook the other end of the string from the tailpiece (that is where the strings connect where you put your head) as soon as the string is loose enough. Hold this in your hand now, so that it doesn't slap your violin and scratch it!

5. When turning the peg now, pull gently on the other end of the string which is in your hand, to help it pull out. Keep turning and gently pulling until the string exits entirely.

6. Take the new string, and make a little bend at the end where there is no little metal ball. This bend will help the string to "catch" when you put it into the hole in the peg. As many people don't realize at first, there is a hole which goes through the peg, and the first step in installing the new string is to thread the end which you bended through the hole. As soon as it has gone right through, start turning the peg away from you to tighten.

7. Try to not overlap the string on the peg. Maybe this is just my habit, but I like to wind the string round the peg with just one wind right across, that is, I don't criss-cross the string on the peg while turning it. I think this should make it easier to tune later with the pegs. It also keeps the strings straighter. For the A and E string, you would start the threading on the left hand side, for the G and D you would start the threading from the right hand side.

8. Gently push the peg in as you tighten it, holding the end of the string with the metal ball in your other hand, keeping some pressure on the string to aid the tightening of the string around the peg. Don't worry about tuning yet, as it will all be out of tune as soon as you install the other strings.

9. As soon as the string is sufficiently tight, hook the little metal ball into the slot on your tailpiece. Tighten the string enough so that there is a good amount of pressure on the bridge, but not so tight that in the end you break the string! (careful about overtightening the E string, which can easily snap if overtightened). Ensure that the string falls into the little notch at the end of the fingerboard, and on the bridge. This ensures the correct positioning of all the strings. The E string may have a little plastic sleeve. This fits into the groove on the bridge where the E string sits. Position the plastic sleeve so that most of it is on the non-playing side of the bridge, so that it does not disturb your bow when you are playing.

10. Tune all the strings, starting with the A, then D, then G and finally E. Don't worry about being too accurate until all the strings are almost in tune. They will keep going out of tune for at least a couple of hours.