A brief story of my now twenty-year relationship with one violin
Whether you're new to this wonderful instrument or you've been at it for many years, caring for your violin takes effort. These are steps I've taken that have helped keep my older violin playing well.
I just had some repair work done on my violin a couple of weeks ago. In the process of working with my luthier (instrument maker) I learned that if I had waited much longer, the repair would have been much more involved and risky to the strength of the instrument.
For context, I chose this violin when I was in seventh grade. It was the moment when I needed a full size violin, and my parents were able to purchase one for me. My dad and I went to Golden Music when it used to really be in Golden, CO. The music store was bustling with activity, and we were welcomed and shown many violins kept in a glass case. I played a few instruments, testing out the D on the E string in third position for ringing, playing scales, as well as some of my favorite melodies from here and there. When I played this particular violin I remember a drum student about my age walking through to his lesson stopping to say, "yeah, that one sounds really good." I had already felt that too. This violin had a warm, ringing, well-rounded sound that felt familiar and right to me somehow. It made me want to play. There is a reason people say choosing a violin or bow is a bit like picking out a wand. There's a good part of not overthinking it too much. Music doesn't like to be overthought either.
Back to my recent repair, there wasn't anything obvious that led me to take in my violin, just a feeling that something was off. My instrument was faintly buzzing and was not sounding its best. When I took my bows in to get re-haired I decided it was time for a check up on my violin too. My luthier found a crack that had been invisible to me that was headed up towards the sound post, a weak and important point in the top plate of the instrument. I felt much validation and relief finding the cause of my unease! Playing this one instrument over many years has lead to a close relationship of noticing the smallest of changes. Over the life of this instrument the top plate has been taken off three or four times. It's has the signs of being an instrument that is about 130 years old.
Since the repair, my instrument is sounding as good as ever. Repairs are a normal part of having an instrument, however we have to know when to seek them out! They can also feel scary when an instrument has a very long or special story. Good luthiers have your back, and they understand!
Here is what I would want any student of mine to know about taking care of their instrument:
If you are comfortable, your violin is probably comfortable as well
Are you too cold? Too hot? You're instrument is probably stressed as well. Wood is a dynamic material, changing to humidity and temperature. It shrinks and expands, like it is still living. We all want the convenience of leaving our instrument in a car, yet the temperature changes rapidly here. Best practice is to always take it with you - for security as well as the longevity of the instrument. You'll see me with my violin on my back in grocery stores.
Always loosen your bow
When you are not playing the instrument or taking a short break from practice, always loosen your bow. If the tension doesn't come off of your bow, the bow can warp. A warped bow doesn't have the qualities a bow is meant to have when it comes to balance and flexibility, and this isn't very fun! Tension can also cause the horse hairs to lose strength more quickly, or in the worst case the block of hair can completely come out. Want to know where to start when tightening your bow? Here are a few tips.
Regularly look over your instrument for open seams and cracks
This doesn't take long, and can help you get to know the state of your instrument better over time. I have found open seams on the shoulders of my violin, and the cracks have mostly appeared on the top plate near the bottom of the instrument. They can look quite unassuming and small, but they will need to be repaired right away. Keep a regular eye on this, and when in doubt, take it in to your luthier.
Humidify
If you live in a climate that has dry winters, you'll want to humidify. There are many different ways to approach this, but some sort of in-case humidifier will do the trick. All you do is fill and leave it in the case. I've recently set a reminder to check and refill my humidifiers every 5-7 days or so in the winter when I play a lot in heated spaces that are very dry.
Avoid rapid temperature change
There are a few times each winter where between my house, my car, and wherever I'm playing, my instrument gets pretty cold in that short time in my car. When I get where I'm going I like to let my case warm up for 20 minutes or so to avoid a shock when I open the case. I've heard cracks when people open their cases and their instrument has been in vastly different temperatures too quickly. I hope you never hear that sound!
Check for a straight bridge
This is something you need to learn from a teacher or luthier. The risk is high anytime you touch the bridge, so prior knowledge is key. It's important to keep an eye on the bridge because they can also become warped, eventually weakening and breaking. Bridges end up leaning towards the scroll over time because we most often have the need to tune our strings up.
Violins can seem fussy, but any mostly-wooden acoustic instrument will respond well to good care by sounding great. May your violin be happy and resonant! Do you have a question about instrument care? Ask a luthier, or you can contact me or leave a comment below.
Happy playing!
Nicolette
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