First, I like to discuss the care of the bow. I’ve seen more damaged bows than stringed instruments, so I think that it is an important topic of discussion. The bow must be taken out of the case with care each time a child practices. Take care not to entangle the bow hairs on the clips for the bow in the case. I’ve seen many children rip it out of the case and many torn bow hairs this way.
“Righty tighty, lefty loosey” as the saying goes. The screw under the frog of the bow must be turned to the right to tighten the bow. Care must be taken not to over-tighten the bow. I generally give the parents of small children their own “mini lesson” in tightening the bow. It must be supervised in small children. As a general rule of thumb, I say that if there is more than 1/2″ between the bow hair and the stick of the bow, you’ve gone too far. Keep this distance under 1/2″ and you’ll be OK.
Once the bow is tightened, it is time to apply some rosin. Children should apply the rosin in a long, sweeping motion onto the bow hair. Nobody should run their fingers along or touch the bow hair. Oils on the fingers and hand turn the rosin to a sticky glue that will not come off.
After playing, the screw under the frog of the bow must be loosened by turning the screw to the left. Once again, care must be taken. If the screw is turned too far, it could fall out and/or the entire bow could fall apart. There is nothing worse than a lost screw or watching a child cry as she holds the bow in one hand and a handful of horsehair in the other. Yes, it’s happened:)
CHILDREN NEED TO BE SUPERVISED WITH THEIR INSTRUMENT AND BOW DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF VIOLIN PLAYING.
Second, I need to discuss care of the violin itself. Always keep a small piece of soft flannel cloth in the case. This is to wipe rosin off both the violin, strings and bow at the end of each lesson/practice session. There are polishes on the market for violins/violas, but I do not recommend them. If rosin is wiped off daily and not touched with the hands, the instrument will remain in fine condition. Additionally, some polishes can ruin the finish on the instrument.
Students should check the strings often for signs of wear and an extra set of strings should always be in the case. They do occasionally break!
Children will need to learn to tune the instrument’s 4 strings. This takes some time. Until that time, most music stores and teachers (i.e: me) are happy to do it between lessons free of charge. This ensures that the strings are treated with kindness!
Happy Care-Taking! Karen
