stretching strings

I know this has been brought up before, but I feel it's worth mentioning. So often people ask how to deal with new strings that seem to go out of tune. Many have expressed the frustration of having an uke that keeps going out of tune for say a couple weeks. I have heard a few mention that manual string stretching can be used to speed up the stretching process, while others have said this will cause irregularities in the string and that the stretching should only be done by playing.

Personally, I stretch all my nylon strings when I replace them. I learned this years ago from a certain someone who was changing out his strings after every concert. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not pulling on it with all my might, but just gently running my index finger under the string, while pulling it away from the uke from bridge to nut. Then I tune. I do this a few times, which drastically speeds up the tuning process. The strings may need fine tuning a few more times after play, but if played daily, it should hold it's tune after a few days, versus being out of tune for weeks.

Here's an article on string stretching for a classical guitar:

http://www.cgsmusic.net/Lessons/How%20to%20change%20Classical%20Guitar%20Strings-%20Part%204.htm

I have usually streched my strings when I put new ones on. I am pretty sure I picked up the practice from a video NukeDoc put on on changing strings. It made sense and really speeds up the settling in process.

Ive always done this, I dont know why, but I did.
likewise I do it to my drum skins, after a new set goes on, I push on em with a bit of stress and run a smooth edged mallet around the edges. This also helps to reduce the ringing that most (90%) of drummers do not want. (this is not to say that drum heads must be dead sounding, just no extra ringing)

Is it bad to tune the uke two half steps higher to stretch the strings when you put them on new? Because that's what I do to help them stretch faster, and usually in about two hours, they are back at gCEA, and I just crank it another half step higher and let it fall back down again. Or is that unhealthy for the strings?

This is where I usually point out my youtube video on the subject.
Hope it's helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tD2kZO_Tc0

I have always done this, both to my nylon-stringed instruments and to my steel-stringed ones. When I learned to pålay the bass my teacher told me to stretch the strings to help them "get settled"...

I've always done it on my guitars for over forty years.

Great thread, folks!

I've been stretching guitar strings like that since the 1970s and done the same with a uke.

Here's what I do:
I wait until I have a day off of work and school. Change strings first thing in the morning, before I even brush my teeth. Then tune a whole step up and continue my day at home with my uke at my side. If I'm on the computer, I'm playing while it loads. Tv, playing during a commercial. toilet, well you get the idea. When it gets out of tune, I tune it back a whole step up for at least 3 times repeating the process. Then I only tune it back up a half step at least 3 times. After repeated playing, I eventually tune it to normal (low g for me). I keep playing and re-tuning for the rest of the day, and by the next day, it should be stretched (for worth clears anyway).

Uh, oh, my string stretching is not working well anymore. I'm brushing my teeth first!

j/k.

I just tune the strings 1.5 steps high for the first overnight after I restring. The next night tune them 1 step high. Then the next night I set them 0.5 steps high. I leave them that way overnight each time and if I play the uke during that time period I tune the strings back to concert pitch and then back up to higher pitches when I'm done. After about three days of that they're fine and I just leave them at normal pitch and they hold their tune just fine. I restring my uke once a month. Aquila strings.

C