The action of your guitar is the distance between the guitar strings and the fretboard.Β
If you have a low action, your strings are closer to the frets while a high action means that they are further away from the frets. Different guitarists prefer different actions, but generally, low is the option most go for, making the guitar as easy to play as possible.
High Action & Painful Fingers
A guitar with a higher action will require more strength to press the strings down onto the fretboards, therefore making it difficult to play chords, especially barre chords, easily. However, some players, especially those with more aggressive playing styles, prefer a higher action because it allows them to dig in without worrying about fret buzz.
If you're a beginner, you should be playing with a guitar that has a lower action. If you donβt know how to adjust this yourself, then take the guitar to a professional Luthier. It will be much more enjoyable to play afterward, as well as sounding even nicer.
Low Action & Fret Buzz
A low action is great for flying around the fretboard, but the lower you go, the more chance you have of experiencing fret buzz.
Fret buzz is the rattling sound that a string produces when it hits the fret. If your guitar action is too low, your string could touch the fret as you are playing, causing this annoying sound.
The sweet spot for most people is to set the action as low as it will go without any chance of fret buzz. If that is too low for a guitarist's style of play, then it can be gradually raised to suit their personal preference.
