Care & Cleaning
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Don't forget to sign the ELW Orchestra Handbook Contract
Bringing home a new instrument, is like bringing home a new family member;
the better you take care of it, the happier it will be!
Instrument Cleaning & Storage
Temperature Control
Always store in a temperature-controlled space.
Never leave in a car or outside — weather changes can damage the entire instrument
Cleaning
After playing, wipe the neck, strings, top of the instrument, and bow stick - not hair- with a clean, dry cloth (flannel, old T-shirt, burp cloth, towel).
Never use water, polish, wipes, or chemicals — moisture can ruin the wood.
If you have instrument polish, bring it to Mrs. Gibbs for education on proper use (only polish twice a year, with polish made for string instruments).
Never touch the bow hair.
Handle with Care - Dropping your instrument will break it.
If it breaks, do not try to fix it — bring it to Mrs. Gibbs or the music store.
Keep It Safe
Your instrument should be with you, in the orchestra room, or at home — never left unattended.
Storing Instrument
Violin/Viola: Remove shoulder rest and place it in the case or next to the scroll.
Cello/Bass: Push in and tighten the endpin. Place the case on its side with the bridge facing the wall in a low-traffic area. Remove/replace the bow last.
Common Concerns
Tuning: String instruments need to be tuned every time they are played. It is completely normal for the strings to go out of tune frequently, and sometimes even fall off. Students should NOT tune their strings themselves unless they have learned to do so with Mrs. Gibbs direct instruction. Inexperienced tuners (including parents), will likely break the strings if trying to tune the instrument improerly. You can find some very helpful tuning resources below:
Strings: Strings are like tires on a car, they do wear out over time. Ideally, strings should be replaced once a year. However, it is not uncommon for them to break, either due to a tuning accident, fall, or simply becasue the string wore out. In the event of a broken string go to the music store, get a new string, and Mrs. Gibbs can restring the insturment.
The Bow: The hair of the bow should always be loose when it's not being used, it has to be tighted to be played. There is a screw which adjusts the tension of the hairs - "Left - Loosey and Right - Tighty". The hair should only tighten enough that a pencil can run between the stick and the hair, no more.
Rosin: Rosin is used on the hair of the bow to help create friction. It is very fragile. If dropped on the floor, it will most likely shatter, if it shatters it has to be replaced. The bow hair should be rosined each time it's used while the hair is tight- five to ten strokes will suffice.
The Bridge: THE BRIDGE IS NOT GLUED TO THE INSTRUMENT. Do not touch the bridge. The bridge must be protected at all times. If your bridge falls, Mrs. Gibbs can reset it as long as it is not broken.
Chin Rest: The chin rest may loosen. Mrs. Gibbs can easily tighten the chin rest with a special tool.
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