Protect Your Bow and Instrument

Your bow and instrument are delicate; handle them accordingly. Train yourself to be conscious of where the bow and instrument are and how you are handling them when they are outside the case.

• When you’re carrying either one, hold it firmly and keep it close to you; don’t bang it on things.

• Never leave a bow or instrument on the floor (it could be stepped on) or where they could be knocked off and land on the floor.

• Never  leave one of them on furniture, where someone might accidentally sit on it.

• Don’t ever  applaud by tapping your bow on the stand. That’s a “good” way to break a bow.

• Don’t touch the bow hair! (The naturally occurring oil on your fingers can make the hair unable to take up rosin, and then you might have to have it re-haired.)

• Never use any chemicals or other liquids to clean the bow or instrument; they could damage it.

Your bow and instrument will play their best when all parts are in good working order, the hair is properly adjusted and rosined, and the instrument is properly tuned.

• Before playing, turn the bow screw (at the very bottom tip of the bow) slowly, clockwise, to tighten the hair until it has a slight bounce when placed on the instrument strings. Don’t tighten too much—the shape of the bow stick should not change. The hair should pull into a smooth, unified look.

• If there’s hardly any tone and the bow slides on the strings, apply rosin until it doesn’t slide and has a clear tone. If the tone is scratchy, there is too much rosin—play for awhile, until the excess rosin is gone.

Always store your bow and instrument in their proper places in your case.

• Before putting them away, use a microfiber cloth to remove any rosin (or rosin dust, oil and dirt will build up on them, and could permanently bond with and ruin the varnish).

• Use the screw to loosen the bow hair completely, and then tighten the screw one complete turn. (If you don’t loosen the hair, it could shrink and damage or even break your bow.)

• Leave the case open for several hours in a bright room every day or two—preferably while you practice—to prevent bow-hair damage from carpet beetles.