In this post, you'll learn everything you need to know to keep your violin sounding beautiful and last you for many years to come.

Violin bow maintenance

Your bow needs to be rehaired every so often; how often depends on how much you play. If you only play for a few hours per week, your bow will most likely only need to be rehaired once a year. If you play 1-2 hours a day, your bow will most likely need to be rehaired once every six months, and if you play for multiple hours per day, you might need to rehair your bow as much as every three months. Outside of this timeframe, if you notice that your bow hair is getting extremely dirty, or the is not sticking to the string no matter how much rosin you put on it, it's time to rehair your bow.

Violin maintenance

Your violin strings need to be replaced every so often, and how often depends on how much you play. If you play for a few hours a week, you should change your strings once a year, if you play 1-2 hours per day, you'll likely need to change them every six months, and if you play for multiple hours per day, every three months. I've even seen people change them every 6 weeks! If you notice that your strings are sounding dull, they are unraveling, or your E string is false, you need to change your strings. You can tell if your E string is false if you notice that the pitch changes when the string is ringing.

I hope it goes without saying that you should be wiping the rosin off of the strings and violin after each practice, but you can also give your violin a deeper clean to keep it looking beautiful! To clean the fingerboard, place rubbing alcohol on a small cloth and rub it up and down the strings and fingerboard. Be very careful not to get any on the varnish, or the body of the instrument, as it will erode the varnish. You can also purchase polish to use on the body of the instrument.

If you hear buzzing from your instrument, first check the fine tuners. Sometimes they will come unscrewed and create a buzzing noise. If the buzzing persists, you may have an open seam, which means that either the top or the back of the violin as become unglued. This sounds like a bigger deal than it is-a quick trip to your local luthier will have your violin back in tip top shape in no time. Open seams are especially prevalent for those of us who live in a colder climate.

You can also take your violin to the luthier for a yearly check up! They will check on your sound post, bridge, and overall structure of the instrument to be sure that it is sounding it's best.

What questions do you have about violin maintenance? Leave a comment and let me know!