Every budding guitarist should maintain his or her own guitar and changing the strings on the guitar is an important part of that. It is fairly easy to change your guitar strings and it is unlikely that you will damage it. Because of this, there is no reason why you should pay someone else to do it for you. Below are 5 tips to ensure that you do it the correct way:

1. Buy the right guitar string. Different guitars use different kinds of strings made out of different materials. Using the wrong kind of strings can result in permanent damage to your guitar. Acoustic and electric guitars use metal based strings while classical guitars use nylon strings.

2. Use the correct tension guitar string. For beginners, you would want to start with a lower tension or "gauge" string. You will find that there are several string tensions available at any guitar shop. The higher the "gauge", the higher then tension. Beginners will find that using lower tension strings is more comfortable on the fingers.

3. Do change your guitar strings one at a time. It is recommended that you change the strings one at a time, rather than removing all the strings before replacing them with new ones. This will help preserve the tension of the guitar neck and wood, reducing the possibility of damage to your precious instrument.

4. Use a string winder. A string winder is a valuable tool for any guitarist and it will save valuable time. It will cut down the time you will need to unwind and wind the strings by a significant amount. Use one so you can get back to playing the guitar quickly!

5. Cutting your strings. You should cut your strings to the right length only after the strings are on the guitar and are fully tuned up to the correct pitch and tension. It is possible that the strings will slip slightly and if you cut too early the string might just slip off the guitar!