How To Keep Your New Violin In Good Condition: Basic Violin Maintenance
Congratulations on your new violin! Now that you have made this awesome investment, it’s time to learn beginner violin care. Your teacher will tell you much of this, but it bears repeating. Bookmark this page to have a list of things you should do to keep your violin in tip-top shape.
A few things you should keep in your case:
A rag or microfiber cloth. It’s a great idea to keep one of these in your case, draped over your violin when it is stored. This is because at the end of a playing session, your violin and bow will be covered with a dusting of rosin. This coating will build up over time and eventually become sticky, adhering strongly to the surface. At that point, it is difficult to remove. A method that is popular and effective is to spit on a rag and slowly rub the gunk off (this is true). It’s better to avoid this. Keep your violin clean, by using your cloth to clean the wood between the f holes, under the fingerboard, the fingerboard and the strings. You should also run the cloth on the bowstick, under the horsehair. If you do this, you will protect your violin’s finish from rosin buildup.
Strings. Strings wear out over time. They corrode, and lose their bright sound over time. The amount of time between string changes depends on a few factors including how often you play and how much you sweat. They also tend to break at the most inopportune time (like during a performance), so having a spare set is a great idea. Some cases have a long tube inside close to where the bows are stored. This is for strings that are already broken in (there is a break-in period for strings where they must be played to behave their best and stay in tune). Keep a spare set of strings handy, broken in or not. To keep them fresh for longer, wipe them often to remove oils from your skin and rosin.
Nail clippers and a pencil. While these are not directly related to maintenance of a violin, they are very useful to keep inside of your case. A pencil is essential for writing on your sheet music, and nail clippers will be very useful when you discover your nails are a bit longer than they need to be during your session. Try to always have them along.
In addition to these useful tools, consider employing these violin care practices to maintain your violin over the long-term.
Store your violin correctly. Never keep your violin in very hot or cold environments. Excessively cold environments can cause wooden instruments to crack, and excessively hot environments can cause the violin to come unglued. If a violin comes unglued, it will implode under the tension of the strings. So avoid leaving a violin (or other wooden instrument) in a hot car, or a cold environment. It is worth noting that when flying, a violin MUST be a carry-on. It cannot be stored under the plane due to the extreme temperature. Be sure to keep your violin away from extremely humid environments as well as dry ones. Violin shops with high-end instruments control humidity very carefully. For us, it’s important to avoid extremes.
Bow care. Be sure to avoid touching your bow hair with your skin. Your skin will introduce oils and dirt that will make it hard for the hair to grip your strings. This cannot be avoided with the advanced bowhold as your thumb will touch the hair somewhat, but keep this to a minimum. Make sure, after each practice session, to loosen your bow. This will keep your bow from warping. Furthermore, do not overtighten your bow when you play. The bow should not bend upwards and away from the hair even when it is tightened.
Bridge and soundpost. Your bridge should stand upright. If it leans or is warped, this is cause or concern. These issues might be solvable by your teacher. Furthermore, there is a soundpost inside of your violin. It can be seen by looking through the f holes. If this piece is not optimally placed, the violin’s sound will suffer. A luthier should check to see if it is in working order from time to time.
Peg maintenance. Some will find that their pegs are stuck, or that their pegs are too loose. Wood expands and contracts, causing these issues. Tight pegs make a violin difficult to tune. If this is a persistent issue, the string can be unwound, and peg dope (a product for lubricating pegs) can be applied to the places where wood touches the peg. Then the peg can be put back and the string rewound. In a pinch, pencil lead can also work for this purpose. Just scribble where the peg touches the wood. For loose pegs, chalk can be applied to add grip.
Luthier check ups. A luthier (a person who builds or repairs stringed instruments) should look over your violin once a year. They can see problems as they arise and can fix them. Luthiers are experts in violin maintenance and often see things that non-technicians cannot see. These visits will give you peace of mind.
Following these tips will help to keep your violin in good condition. Remember, if you maintain your violin, it can serve you for decades and decades. To set up a consultation for lessons, feel free to email me here at vybratomusic@gmail.com.
