Violins are delicate instruments that require proper maintenance and care. An individual player is responsible for the daily care of his or her instrument. If the violin breaks, or has a part that is broken, violin repair should be left in the hands of a professional, as it is a delicate process.
From your own home, you can ensure that your violin lives a long happy life by giving it daily care. The most basic and perhaps essential task is cleaning the rosin off after playing. Excess dust from rosin will not only wear the string out quickly, it can also build up on the face of the violin and eventually cause damage to the varnish.
Tuning pegs often cause problems when they are too loose or too tight. This problem can often be remedied with the application of chalk or a solution of alcohol mixed with rosin. If that does not do the trick the pegs may need to be replaced. Strings need to be carefully wound as well, because they often snap from too much friction.
Replacing a broken string is a simple repair that may be done by the musician himself. This is simply done by threading the string through a tiny hole in the peg and winding away from the body. When tension is first sensed, one should take care in continuing to twist the peg little by little to tune the instrument. Fine tuners are a good idea, especially for beginners, because they allow the strings to be tuned in small increments and reduce the risk of breaking a string.
A bridge is a small wooden object that supports the strings on the surface of the instrument. Sometimes it breaks or warps from either tension or humidity. If this occurs, the bridge may be replaced by the owner. This small repair and the replacement of strings are the only adjustments that the musician is recommended to do himself.
The sound post is sometimes called the soul of the violin because of the important role it plays in producing a magical sound from the instrument. The location and width of the post impact the quality of the sound immensely. An experienced luthier should be sought to make repairs and adjustments to the sound post. He can also take care of any cracks in the wood and any other problems that arise.
Although violins are fragile instruments, they are made to last for centuries. The sound quality actually improves and opens up with age. Nonetheless, great care must be taken to ensure that it does live a long life. Regardless if there is an obvious need for restoration, every musician should take their instrument to a professional from time to time for violin repair.
From your own home, you can ensure that your violin lives a long happy life by giving it daily care. The most basic and perhaps essential task is cleaning the rosin off after playing. Excess dust from rosin will not only wear the string out quickly, it can also build up on the face of the violin and eventually cause damage to the varnish.
Tuning pegs often cause problems when they are too loose or too tight. This problem can often be remedied with the application of chalk or a solution of alcohol mixed with rosin. If that does not do the trick the pegs may need to be replaced. Strings need to be carefully wound as well, because they often snap from too much friction.
Replacing a broken string is a simple repair that may be done by the musician himself. This is simply done by threading the string through a tiny hole in the peg and winding away from the body. When tension is first sensed, one should take care in continuing to twist the peg little by little to tune the instrument. Fine tuners are a good idea, especially for beginners, because they allow the strings to be tuned in small increments and reduce the risk of breaking a string.
A bridge is a small wooden object that supports the strings on the surface of the instrument. Sometimes it breaks or warps from either tension or humidity. If this occurs, the bridge may be replaced by the owner. This small repair and the replacement of strings are the only adjustments that the musician is recommended to do himself.
The sound post is sometimes called the soul of the violin because of the important role it plays in producing a magical sound from the instrument. The location and width of the post impact the quality of the sound immensely. An experienced luthier should be sought to make repairs and adjustments to the sound post. He can also take care of any cracks in the wood and any other problems that arise.
Although violins are fragile instruments, they are made to last for centuries. The sound quality actually improves and opens up with age. Nonetheless, great care must be taken to ensure that it does live a long life. Regardless if there is an obvious need for restoration, every musician should take their instrument to a professional from time to time for violin repair.
