BASIC STRING MAINTENANCE - VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO AND BASS

You will need the following accessories:-
- Rosin
- Soft Lint Free Cloth
- Shoulder Rest (Violin & Viola only)
- End-pin stopper a.k.a. black hole/donought/rock-stop (Cello & Bass only)

THE BOW
Do not attempt to tighten your bow until shown how by your music teacher. If done incorrectly the wood of the bow may snap.

Before you begin to play, wind up your bow and rosin it lightly.  The tension of the bow is easily affected by changes in humidity, therefore it is important to protect the bow by winding it down every time you put your instrument away.

One or two hairs from the bow will fall out from time to time.  This is normal.  Using scissors or nail clippers, carefully cut off the broken strand at each end.  After some time there won’t be enough bow hair left to make a good sound.  A bow re-hair could cost up to $100, so consider whether this is the best option, or if it would be better to purchase a new bow.

THE INSTRUMENT
Stringed instruments are fragile and must be looked after carefully.  To clean, gently wipe any excess rosin from the strings and body with a soft cloth.  Be especially careful when cleaning around the bridge as it is not glued on, but held down by the tension of the strings.  Some substances can damage the varnish, so avoid using any oils or ointments on the instrument unless recommended by your teacher.

If something does go wrong, do not attempt any repairs yourself – many stringed instruments have been ruined by a “little home repair”.  Show the instrument to your teacher ASAP, or bring it in to Ellaways so that we can assess what the problem is, and have our qualified repairer fix the damage if necessary. 

Once you have finished playing, put your instrument away in its case and make sure you have done up all the zips and clips.

HAPPY PLAYING!!