Why cold weather wreaks havoc on the violins?

Post date: Mar 06, 2021 10:46:3 AM

Cold weather – give shivers! With the approaching of the cold times, not only you need to start finding out time for yourself along with the string instrument that you have been playing for long. You must know that care and maintenance of the violin strings and violin bow is of paramount importance, especially during cold times.

Extreme temperatures have a bad impact on the entire family of string instruments. This can even result in the loosening of the pegs, creating some kind of unpleasant whistling, and develop more cracks in the instrument. The only reason behind being so detrimental for any instrument is because of the dry air. Even when we all know that low-temperature results in the contracting of the organic materials, the prime issues lie in moisture absorption.

However, do not take huge stress thinking about the way to protect the instrument as cold weather is about to reach. You require taking proper care of the instrument to prevent any kind of damage and correctly keep them to ensure avoiding unnecessary repairs and issues.

Why winter wreak such havoc on the instruments?

Instruments are constructed with natural wood and wood has the natural phenomenon of absorbing the moisture present in the air and also releasing it in order to keep a proper balance of the humidity level. Even when it is not visible in naked eyes as it is at the microscopic level, it also means that when you are taking the instrument from one location to another, it is automatically contracting and expanding without your knowledge.

The worst thing about the cold temperature is that it does not give space in between the molecules so that it is able to hold water. Therefore, the level of heat decided the moisture it can hold and also as your violin.

Even when the effects of cold temperature won’t be visible in bare eyes but the reality is since it is made from wood, it will face adversity. You must know the type of wood used for violin construction and every wood has different types of properties along with the shrinking and swelling rates.

Besides, the grain of the wood has a huge impact on the procedure. While the effects on violin that we mentioned are certainly decent but in the larger instrument, you can find even more effects with a change in temperature.

Fortunately, for violin lovers, you can stay happy that your violin has a better ability to handle temperature changes. As they use glue to join, the glue is able to stop the adversity as it works like a soft material that helps to shrink or contract. However, make sure you maintain your violin properly if you don’t want any type of cracks or buzzes from your violin.

Some other problems witnessed during winters include:

Shift of the soundpost: You must know that the soundpost tends to move inside the violin when the mid-section of the bottom and top plates is badly affected by the change in humidity. When it happens, you can find timbre, projection, and response decline.

Loose pegs: Since they make use of the maple wood for the construction the pegbox, it tends to shrink even faster than the other wood-like ebony which is used for the pegs. Therefore, it might happen that you require adjusting the loose pegs.

Height of the bridge: The top plate of the violin tends to shrink, which results in lowering the bridge and resulting in bringing the violin strings closer. This also happens in the larger instruments and therefore make sure you are taking proper care of your violin and cello bow.

Bottom line: 

These are some of the most common things that you need to know about the winter season and how it can affect the instruments.