There’s an old parable of a woodsman chopping down trees in the forest. He labors for hours, chopping furiously, with little progress. As he toils, a passing traveler observes his situation.

“I couldn’t help but notice how hard you’re working, with so little to show for it,” the traveler says. “I can see your axe is very dull. Wouldn’t you be more effective if you stopped for a moment and sharpened it?”

“I have no time to sharpen my axe,” the woodsman responded. “I’m far too busy chopping down trees!”

All too often us guitar players let ourselves fall into the same trap. We become so preoccupied with the process of making music that we forget to maintain our tools, and before we know it our playing is hindered. The ironic thing is that, like the woodsman, the steps required to keep our axes sharp are generally simple, cheap, and can make a huge difference in the quality of our performance.

So, in the spirit of keeping ourselves unhindered to make more and better music, here are ten free or cheap tips for keeping your axe sharp.

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