Instrument Care
Humidity/ temperature change steps you should take to protect your instrument
String basics and how often to replace them
Bow basics and hair replacement
The instrument bridge and proper care and alignment
The fingerboard-dirt, arch protectors, and maintenance of it
Problem solving a pesky peg
Fine tuner adjustment
Other instrument adjustments
Structural damage from changes in humidity and temperature
Repairing open seams because of instrument expansion and contraction
Advise on cleaning your instrument
String basics and how often to replace them
Strings start to wear out from the moment you put them on your instrument. They can wear out in a variety of ways:
Their tone deteriorates over time. They will eventually go false, which means their pitch will not be accurate, even if you
tune them properly, or they will vibrate to two pitches at once! Violin e-strings go false faster than other strings. The
metal winding on strings will also eventually break and unravel, which will hurt your fingers and scratch your fingerboard
if you continue to use such a string.
If you play an average amount (during school orchestra class, daily practice, and also a private lesson each week) you
should change your strings once every six months. Violinists should change their E-strings once every three months.
The strings on larger stringed instrument generally last longer than violin strings, but should also be replaced at slightly
longer intervals. A good general purpose string is a synthetic, perlon-core string, such as the Thomastik Dominant,
which is relatively inexpensive and widely available.
With a little care, anyone can mount a string properly. First, apply a little pencil lead to the grooves in the bridge and in
the nut next to the peg box. This deposits a little graphite to lubricate these contact points. Then attach the string
securely to the tailpiece or fine tuner attached to the tailpiece. Thread the string through the hole in the peg, extending
the string far enough through the peg to fold down over the shank of the peg, but not so long that the end touches the
peg box. Make sure to fold the end of the string, so that it faces the knob of the peg. Then begin to wind the string onto
the peg by turning the peg away from you. Carefully wrap the string evenly over the extended end, from the center of
the peg box toward the knob of the peg, making sure that the string does not touch the actual edge of the peg box.
When you are finished mounting your strings, your bridge may have been tilted towards the scroll of the instrument.
Grasp the top edges of the bridge between your thumb and forefinger on each side, placing the heels of your hands
against the instrument, and carefully pull the bridge vertical again. If you have never done this before, please ask your
teacher or a coach to show you how.
Change only one string at a time. If you take all your strings off at the same time, the sound post inside your instrument
may fall, and it will also be difficult to get your bridge into the proper alignment. If your sound post falls, you will have to
take your instrument to a violin shop to have it reseated before you can tighten your strings. It is easy to avoid this
problem by changing only one string at a time.
Humidity/ temperature change steps you should take to protect your instrument
String basics and how often to replace them
Bow basics and hair replacement
The instrument bridge and proper care and alignment
The fingerboard-dirt, arch protectors, and maintenance of it
Problem solving a pesky peg
Fine tuner adjustment
Other instrument adjustments
Structural damage from changes in humidity and temperature
Repairing open seams because of instrument expansion and contraction
Advise on cleaning your instrument
String basics and how often to replace them
Strings start to wear out from the moment you put them on your instrument. They can wear out in a variety of ways:
Their tone deteriorates over time. They will eventually go false, which means their pitch will not be accurate, even if you
tune them properly, or they will vibrate to two pitches at once! Violin e-strings go false faster than other strings. The
metal winding on strings will also eventually break and unravel, which will hurt your fingers and scratch your fingerboard
if you continue to use such a string.
If you play an average amount (during school orchestra class, daily practice, and also a private lesson each week) you
should change your strings once every six months. Violinists should change their E-strings once every three months.
The strings on larger stringed instrument generally last longer than violin strings, but should also be replaced at slightly
longer intervals. A good general purpose string is a synthetic, perlon-core string, such as the Thomastik Dominant,
which is relatively inexpensive and widely available.
With a little care, anyone can mount a string properly. First, apply a little pencil lead to the grooves in the bridge and in
the nut next to the peg box. This deposits a little graphite to lubricate these contact points. Then attach the string
securely to the tailpiece or fine tuner attached to the tailpiece. Thread the string through the hole in the peg, extending
the string far enough through the peg to fold down over the shank of the peg, but not so long that the end touches the
peg box. Make sure to fold the end of the string, so that it faces the knob of the peg. Then begin to wind the string onto
the peg by turning the peg away from you. Carefully wrap the string evenly over the extended end, from the center of
the peg box toward the knob of the peg, making sure that the string does not touch the actual edge of the peg box.
When you are finished mounting your strings, your bridge may have been tilted towards the scroll of the instrument.
Grasp the top edges of the bridge between your thumb and forefinger on each side, placing the heels of your hands
against the instrument, and carefully pull the bridge vertical again. If you have never done this before, please ask your
teacher or a coach to show you how.
Change only one string at a time. If you take all your strings off at the same time, the sound post inside your instrument
may fall, and it will also be difficult to get your bridge into the proper alignment. If your sound post falls, you will have to
take your instrument to a violin shop to have it reseated before you can tighten your strings. It is easy to avoid this
problem by changing only one string at a time.
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| Latoya Lamons Director Orchestra Room Voice Mail (703) 799-6225 LCLamonsSloc@fcps.edu |
Orchestras Alexandria, VA
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| © 2009-2012 The Carl Sandburg Orchestra Boosters |
