Hi Everyone!
In order to keep your string instruments for as long as possible and in the best condition, it's important to take good care of them and avoid certain things. Read on for tips on how to take care of your instruments and to learn about practices that are harmful for your instrument!
Never leave your string instrument in the car for an extended amount of time. Even a few hours in hot or cold temperatures can damage the instrument. If an instrument is left in cold temperatures for an extended amount of time, the surface can crack, as shown in the picture to the left. If the instrument is left in a hot car, the glue and varnish can melt, and can also affect the tuning of the instrument.
2. Make sure to regularly dust off strings, the fingerboard, and between those regions to prevent accumulation of rosin dust. Rosin dust is a sticky substance that can accumulate over time and stick to the varnish when it is not wiped off periodically. Regular cleaning of the strings can ensure that the strings continue sounding good and maintain their sound for longer. Using a cloth rag or microfiber towel works best.
3. Humidity is another important factor that can affect your instrument. It's important to make sure that your instrument avoids extremely low or high humidity, as this can damage the instrument in various ways. The image to the left depicts an instrument that cracked due to low humidity. Many instrument cases have humidity gauges which are helpful for monitoring humidity, but oftentimes if conditions are uncomfortable for you, it's not ideal for the instrument either.
4. Human hands naturally secrete oils that can be damaging to bow hair. Try to avoid touching the bow hair with your hands, as the horse hair will absorb the oil from your hands. Over time, if enough oil is absorbed by the bow hair, the oiled part of the bow will stop making quality sound.
5. Can you spot what's wrong with this photo?
One common problem, especially for beginning string musicians, is the over-tightening of the bow.
It's important that your bow stick and bow hair are no further than a pencil's width apart. The bow stick should be curving slightly towards the bow hair, rather than away from it. Extended use of an over-tight bow can lead to future bow problems, such as an inability to tighten the bow and keep the tension while playing.
6. Be careful with the bridge! Something that beginning string music students are often not aware of is that there is no glue holding down the bridge. The tension from the strings is what keeps the bridge in place, which means that the bridge is more delicate than other parts of the violin. I've seen bridges pop off during orchestra class when the musicians were handling their violins roughly. Pay extra attention while changing strings. If you take off all the strings at once, the bridge will fall down, and it can be difficult to reposition afterwards without professional help.
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