Minor maintenance of violins, violas and cellos can and should be done by the player. Know what you’re doing – including when to call a professional.
All stringed instruments – violins, cellos and violas – are in certain respects alive. The strings, the various components (neck, pegbox, pegs, strings, bow and bow strings, the body and finish, even inside the instrument) have components that are subject to dirt, dust, your perspiration, and excess rosin. Without proper maintenance those components can suffer – and so too might your playing.
Some maintenance and repairs are best done by your preferred local violin shop (your violin maker, who often is the violin repairer). But on a regular basis the violinist, cellist, bassist, etc. should maintain certain habits and routines to minimize damage and maximize the life and performance of his or her instrument.
This is equally true of higher-end, fine stringed instruments as well as student and intermediate models. Proper, ongoing maintenance is just the rule of the day.
Think of the approach to cleaning your instrument at home in three parts:
Step 1: Before playing
Step 2: After playing
Periodically (as needed, depending on frequency and duration of play)
Keep in mind the violin case, its home when not being played, should be clean as well. A vacuum hose should be used on the case to suck away dust.
Baroque Stringed Instrument Bows Versus “Modern” Bows
While appearing to be less complex than the violin itself, the bow and its evolution since the 17th century illustrate how “the stick” had distinct advantages.Demystifying the Stringed Instrument Bridge
A simple piece of maple wood might look less important than the showier body, strings, scroll or bow of a violin. But the bridge is critical to the sound.Baroque Musical Instruments vs. Modern Stringed Instruments
The interplay of historical events and inventive instrument making – violins providing the best example – led the transition from one period to the next.