STORAGE & MAINTENANCE OF STRING INSTRUMENTS

Avoid excessive heat, cold, dryness, and humidity. Keep the instrument indoors (never leave it in a car on a hot day). 

Don’t leave your violin or viola on a chair, and don’t leave your cello leaning against a wall. Also never leave your violin or viola in its case with the lid closed but the zipper/latches open; it’s too easy to forget and have the instrument fall out. Violins and violas should be closed securely in their cases, and cellos be placed in a stand or on their sides on the floor. For cellos, put the endpin as far into the instrument as possible when you’re done playing, to minimise the likelihood of kicking or tripping over it.

Pick up cellos by the C-bout corner, not with the f-holes. For  violins and violas, hold the instrument by the neck rather than by the fragile scroll, and avoid touching varnished surfaces with fingers. Likewise avoid touching the bow hair with your fingers.

Don’t pull a broken hair out of your bow, which can loosen more hairs or pull them all out. Trim loose hairs with scissors or nail clippers.
Violins and violas, need their shoulder rest removed before placing the instrument back in its case.

Loosen the bow’s tension after playing. Otherwise, it can warp or break the bow.

Wipe strings and the stick of your bow with a soft, dry cloth after playing. Otherwise, rosin will build up and degrade the resonance of the strings, and it will leave residue. Try not to apply too much rosin; you only need to apply more when the bow is not adequately connecting with the strings.

To polish your instrument, use an appropriate polish and follow the instructions carefully. Do not use furniture polish or alcohol, which will strip off the varnish. 

Strings should be changed about every six months. New strings may need an hour or two of playing time to break in and will need frequent tuning.

When changing strings, do so one at a time. The bridge is not glued onto your instrument, but rather held in place by tension, so loosening all the strings at once will cause the bridge to fall, and possibly cause the sound post to fall inside the instrument’s body.
Ask your teacher to help and show you how to change your strings. 
 
If you notice a crack or an open seam, don’t try DYI. Rather take it to an instrument repairer or contact us.