A buzz is a string touching metal it should not touch, or touching your own hand, while it vibrates. The fix depends on which one it is, so the first job is finding out where the buzz comes from. That takes about a minute and saves weeks of pressing harder, which is the wrong fix most of the time.
01 Find the culprit: one string at a time
- Hold the chord shape and pick each string separately, slowly, low to high.
- Stop on the string that buzzes or dies. Look at the finger on that string and the fingers next to it.
- Now play the same string open. If the open string buzzes too, suspect the guitar (chapter 5). If it only buzzes when fretted, it is almost always technique.
02 Finger too far from the fret
Press just behind the metal fret wire, not in the middle of the gap between two frets. Close to the fret, a light touch holds the string down cleanly; far from it, even a hard squeeze lets the string rattle against the fret. Slide the fingertip forward until it almost touches the wire, then ease off the pressure until the note just stays clean.
03 A flat finger muting its neighbour
If a string sounds dull or thuds rather than buzzing, a finger is lying against it. Arch each finger so it comes down on its tip, knuckles bent, like holding a small ball. Keep fingernails short on the fretting hand, since a long nail forces the finger flat. Dropping the wrist slightly and letting the thumb sit lower on the back of the neck gives the fingers room to arch.
04 Strumming harder than the string can take
A string swings widest when you hit it hard. On a guitar with low strings, a heavy strum can make even a well-fretted note slap against the next fret. Strum the same chord at half the force: if the buzz disappears, the problem was the attack, not the fretting hand. Loosen your grip on the pick and let it brush through the strings.
05 When it is the guitar, not you
- Every string buzzes open, or the same fret buzzes whatever you do: the strings may sit too low, the neck may be too straight, or one fret may be higher than the others. A guitar technician's setup fixes all three.
- A rattle that is not quite a buzz, even when you mute the strings: look for something loose, such as a tuner nut, a strap button or the output jack.
- Buzz started after new strings: a heavier or lighter gauge changes the neck's tension; a setup settles it.
06 The F chord and other barres
Barre chords buzz for all the reasons above at once, and one more: the flat index finger has soft creases that land under some strings. Roll the index finger slightly onto its harder, bony edge, keep it close to the fret, and pull back gently with the arm instead of squeezing with the thumb. It is normal for a barre to buzz for the first weeks; clean comes from many short, relaxed tries, not from force.
Related reading
Questions
Why does my guitar buzz when I play a chord?
Most often a fretting finger is too far from the fret wire, or a flat finger is touching a neighbouring string. Pick the chord one string at a time to find which string buzzes, then fix that finger.
Should I press harder to stop the buzz?
Usually not. Moving the fingertip right behind the fret wire stops most buzzes with less pressure, not more.
How do I know if my guitar needs a setup?
If open strings buzz, or the same fret buzzes whatever you do, the problem is likely string height, neck relief or a high fret. A guitar technician's setup fixes those.