Surviving Broken Strings
A broken string is never a fun situation, but it can be a disaster if it happens during a gig.
Contents
Avoiding Broken Strings
The best way to deal with broken strings is to avoid them altogether. Be sure to change your strings often - the older and more corroded strings get, the more likely they will break (not to mention new strings sound better and play easier). For a new set of strings, be sure to stretch them thoroughly - this may help preserve them a bit more, but will have more impact on tuning stability. However, thoroughly stretching each string all over the fretboard can clue you in to hardware issues that are causing broken strings. Most often, the culprit is a burr in the bridge saddle for a particular string. This will need to be sanded. Burrs in metal can also appear in certain types of nuts, as well as the frets. Take note where the string breaks, and which break most often - this is your lead to investigate possible hardware issues.
Floating Bridges
If you break a string on a Floyd-Rose or similar-style floating bridge, you are in trouble. The bridge's position (and thus the tuning of each string) depends on counter-balancing the tension between the strings and the bear claw springs in the rear cavity. With one string no longer providing any tension on the bridge, the bear claw springs will overpower the remaining strings, pulling the bridge back as though you are pulling up on the whammy bar. All the strings will be sharp.
The quickest way to recover is by using a device like a Tremel-No that can quickly lock and prevent the bridge from floating. You'll need to dip the whammy bar a touch to get the bridge back to normal position and then clamp it. If you have a tuner (hopefully one that's always on), you can look at it as you push on the bar to make sure you clamp the bridge down while the strings are in-tune. It's unlikely to be perfect, but it should be good enough to finish the song. A cheap way to do this is to get a small block of wood you can wedge under the bridge to prevent it from pulling up. You'll have to sand it and make sure it's the perfect size so that using it keeps the bridge in its normal resting position. Then if you break a string, press the whammy bar down hard, so you have enough room to place the block, then let the bar rise until the bridge is secured firmly against the block.
Otherwise, you only have one option, which is to quickly switch guitars. Trying to restring or adjust your bear claws during a song will likely take longer than the remainder of the song.
Playing with a Broken String
Your first order of business is to remove the broken string or bend it or wrap it around part of your guitar, so that it's out the way. You don't want that floppy string to get under the other strings, or flap against them, or get in the way of your hands.
Even without a floating bridge, the missing tension from the broken string is likely to get your other strings slightly out-of-tune. If you have an always-on tuner (you should), try and quickly check the remaining strings and make adjustments to get them back in-tune, especially if you are playing rhythm. If you are in the middle of a solo or playing lead, you likely don't have time to check each string. The next time you play a sustained note, check its pitch. It will likely be slightly sharp. Do this for each string as you encounter it.
Lead playing can be a bit forgiving tuning-wise - you are often in a higher register than other instruments, playing with speed, and applying bends or vibrato to sustained notes. This masks how out-of-tune you actually are.
Position
Guitar is highly redundant as far as the same note being on the fretboard multiple places. On a 24 fret 6 guitar tuned to standard, only the lowest 5 and highest 5 notes occur on only one string. If your playing calls for these notes and one of these strings is broken, you will have to shift an octave up or an octave down. Otherwise, you can shift positions to regain the ability to play the notes you would have used the broken string for.
Shifting an octave up for broken low E string riffs E------------------------------ B------------------------------ G------------------------2----- D------------------------2--2-- A------------------------0--2-- E--0------0--3--2--0--------0-- E------------------------------ B------------------------------ G------------------------2--4-- D--2------2--5--4--2-----2--2-- A------------------------0--2-- Exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shifting Position for a lead E-----------------------------14-15-17- B--------------------14-15-17---------- G-----------12-14-16------------------- D--12-14-16---------------------------- A-------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------- Exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx B--------------------14-15-17-19-20-22- G-----------12-14-16------------------- D--12-14-16---------------------------- A-------------------------------------- E-------------------------------------- or Exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx B-----------------------------19-20-22- G--------------------18-19-21---------- D-----------17-19-21------------------- A--17-19-21---------------------------- E--------------------------------------
When the broken string is the B or G string and often occurs in the middle of phrases, you have to use a smart position shift and knowledge of the fretboard to avoid lots of string skipping and position-shifting.
E----------------------------------------------------- B--------------------14-15-17----------------14-15-17- G-----------12-14-16----------16-14-12-14-16---------- D--12-14-16------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- This way involves lots of shifts and string skipping E----------------------------------------------------- B-------------------\14-15-17---------------\14-15-17- Gxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D--12-14-16/17-19-21---------/21-19-17-19-21---------- A----------------------------------------------------- E----------------------------------------------------- Only one position shift and string skip required E--------------------9--10-12----------------9--10-12- B----------\8--10-12----------12-10-8--10-12---------- Gxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D--12-14-16------------------------------------------- A----------------------------------------------------- E-----------------------------------------------------
Speed Licks
Some licks involve certain fingering patterns to perform a phrase more quickly than usual. Shifting positions can mess the fingering pattern up when the B/G strings are involved, given their M3 vs. P4 tuning. In these cases, you may need to play the lick an octave lower or higher to ensure you have the same fingering. Or shift positions to keep the fingering pattern the same. For example, if your lick is on the 1st and 2nd strings, and your 1st string breaks, rather than moving to the next position on the 2nd and 3rd strings (B/G) and changing the fingering pattern, you may instead shift up 2 full positions and play the same lick on the 3rd and 4th strings. If you can't shift that high up, use the next lowest octave.