Proper Care of Your Instrument

Bows:
The bow must have its tension released after EVERY practice session. At the end of the bow, where the hand rests, a screw will loosen and tighten the hair on the bow. When you release the tension, you will see the hair relax and sit loosely against the bow. If you leave tension on your bow constantly, the wood is guaranteed to warp and the
bow is guaranteed to perform poorly. This is intentional neglect to our rentals and it is not covered in our
rental agreement.

Instruments:
Do not expose your instrument to extreme hot or extreme cold. For example, do not leave your instrument in the car if you need to run an errand to the store after school.

Your violin, viola, or cello is made with glues specifically designed to break apart when exposed to extreme heat. This is so the maker or repair person can take apart portions of the instrument without damaging its wood pieces.

Similarly, different woods expand and contract at different rates with temperature differences. Your ebony pegs, for example, will not adjust at the same rate as the pegbox. This is why instruments often have problems with pegs slipping and instruments going out of tune in the winter months.

Keep your instrument clean of rosin dust and take it to a professional every year for a thorough cleaning and inspection of wear & tear. Instruments that are not being played (grandpa's violin in the closet, for example) should have the strings loosened to remove tension off the instrument, and a few mothballs in the case will keep dust mites from ruining the bowhair.

Also Don't:
- Have sword fights with your bow.
- Write your name on your instrument.
- Keep all your music inside your case.
- Sit on your case.
- Leave your instrument on the floor at school (feet have gone through instruments before).
- Leave your instrument unattended on the ground ANYWHERE near a car.