Don’t underestimate your bow’s role in shaping your playing experience! A poorly maintained bow will make your instrument harder to play and sound bad. Before you know it, your enjoyment and progress with your instrument will start to diminish.

Here’s 7 simple steps for taking care of your bow…

Cleaning Your Bow’s Stick, Frog and Other Essential Parts:

Remember, you hold your bow for prolonged periods which can make your bow’s frog dirty and tarnished pretty quickly if not properly cleaned after use. It’s not too nice to talk about, but our skin gets oily and sweaty, and these secretions are easily transferred to your bow - especially as your bowing hand moves so much.

If not regularly cleaned, these skin deposits will soon start to take their toll on the frog, stick and hair of your bow. Make sure to wipe your bow down with a dry, lint-free microfibre cloth after every practice session, lesson and performance.

*Never use solvent or alcohol-based materials. Hot water is a no-no too as it can cause your bow’s stick to swell and become damaged.

Cleaning Your Bow Hair & Removing Rosin Residue:

Applying rosin to your bow is another crucial element in how your instrument performs… more on that in a moment. Left to reside on your bow frog and other contact points, you’ll soon find your bow feels sticky & unpleasant in your hand and will be harder to use. Make sure to wipe off rosin dust with your trusty dry, lint-free microfibre cloth every time you’ve finished playing.

Pay particular attention to cleaning your bow hair so it’s free of rosin build up. This is a very common oversight among many players and is a reason their bow, and ultimately their playing, suffers.

Excess rosin deposits will cause your bow hair to stick too much and feel uncomfortable to play, plus your instrument will sound unpleasant. Again, use your microfibre cloth to wipe down the entire length of your bow hair, making sure to wipe both sides. This will remove any loose rosin dust.

This isn’t enough to keep your bow in tip-top condition though! Performing a deep clean on your bow hair around once a month is great idea and will remove the natural clumps of rosin and pesky skin deposits that easily build up.

Simply loosen your bow hair or release it completely from the stick by fully untightening the screw. Using warm water and a light brush such as a toothbrush, comb and massage through your bow hair, making sure it doesn’t become twisted as you do so. Also make sure to avoid getting water on other parts of your bow such as the frog, tip or stick.

This deep clean doesn’t take long and is easy to do. Trust us, you’ll really feel the benefit in your playing… Your bow will feel as good as new.

Despite your best cleaning efforts, most leading bowed instrument players have their bow re-haired every three to four months. If you’re a beginner or are advancing through your higher exam grades, it’s recommended you have your bow re-haired every six months. Your local bowed instrument specialist or music store will be able to do this for you for a small fee.

Why not try our Hidersine Reserve21 rosin for a fabulously low-dust, high grip playing experience!  

Broken Bow Hairs… What Should I Do?

An average bow consists of anywhere between 140 to 180 individual hair strands. Occasionally individual hairs come loose at the frog or tip mounting and dangle free.

When this happens, many beginners believe this is a cue to have their bow re-haired. Don’t worry though, this is not necessary. Your bow will still perform perfectly well despite losing a few of its many strands, and your six monthly re-hairing will take care of any longer-term issues.

When a hair comes loose, it’s tempting to simply pull it out and continue playing. Don’t make this mistake though! This can damage your bow’s frog or tip mounting. Instead, use a sharp pair of scissors or knife (always be very careful and watch those fingers!) and simply cut the rogue hair short and as close to the frog or tip as possible.

Loosen Your Bow When Not in Use

It’s important to loosen your bow hair after every practice and performance. Keeping your bow under tension when not in use is a sure-fire way to cause it to warp and make it feel uncomfortable to play.

Remember to re-tighten your bow hair the next time you pick up your bow to begin playing.   

Choosing the Best Rosin for Your Bow

If you’re a beginner, applying rosin to your bow can feel a bit strange the first few times you do it. Quite frankly, dragging a block of sticky hard sap along your shiny new bow hair and shedding dust all over it feels wrong, but it’s an essential aspect in ensuring your bow performs properly, feels good and produces the best sound from your instrument.

Firstly, make sure you choose the right rosin for your instrument and for your playing style. There is a level of subjectivity here, and it’s worth considering that what personally feels best to you is generally a good way to go. However, a ‘light’ rosin is typically a good starting point for beginners and is more commonly used on violins and violas.

Harder than ‘dark’ rosin, a light rosin will help produce a bright and articulate sound, perfect if you’re a beginner who needs to focus in on the fundamental characteristics of your instrument and playing. A softer ‘dark’ rosin is naturally grippier and will produce a warmer sound that accentuates the more nuanced expressions of advanced techniques.

The climate you live in or are performing in also plays a role in which is rosin to choose. Softer rosins perform better and are more suited to colder climates, with lighter, harder rosins offering a better choice in warmer temperatures. Our world famous Hidersine Rosin is made from a carefully selected blend of wax and pine resin and is still made in the same way, using the same recipe first developed by Francis Hider almost 100 years ago. Find everything you need to know about rosin in our article ‘All About Rosin’ HERE. 

Applying Rosin To Your Bow

So, what are the best practices for applying rosin to your bow?

First up, tighten your bow hair. Remember, you correctly loosened it after your last practice… Well done for that! If you’re applying a brand new block of rosin for the first time, it will be shiny and smooth, making it more difficult to apply. Here’s a little trick - simply score or roughen your new rosin slightly using a piece of light sandpaper or another rough surface before applying. It adheres more quickly and effectively this way.

Lightly grip your bow at the frog and slowly and evenly run your rosin along the entire length of the bow hair from the frog to the tip, and back to the frog again. If your bow is new, you’ll need to repeat this quite a few times (around twenty to thirty times). If you’re simply preparing your existing bow before another practice session, repeat this up-down movement around five to ten times, then pause and check to see if your bow is sufficiently rosined by testing your bow across your strings.

You will come to understand exactly how much rosin is enough in no time at all, but here’s a simple guide to help you on your way:

Insufficient rosin: This will produce little to no sound at all – a very quiet and hollow sound at best. You’ll find yourself pressing very hard to produce any sound from your instrument. Time to apply a bit more.

Not quite enough rosin: Your instrument will produce a louder sound now, but you’ll spot that it is broken and inconsistent. A little more is needed to produce that nice full sound.

The right amount of rosin: There you go… you bow is now moving freely and consistently across the strings without you having to press too hard. Your instrument sounds warm and loud with unbroken notes.

Too much rosin: Your bow is suddenly difficult to move across the strings as it feels like it’s sticking to them too much. You can see rosin dust coming from your bow as you move it and your instrument sounds scratchy and rough. Time to grab your microfibre cloth and wipe a bit off.

Storage & Transportation

Just like your bowed instrument, your bow is delicate and made mostly from natural materials that are sensitive to temperature and humidity changes.

It’s important you store and travel with your bow in its case or a bow holder to protect it from being chewed by the dog at home, sat on and snapped on the bus or warping next to the heat of your cosy open fire.

Our Hidersine instrument outfits come with cases and gigbags featuring dedicated bow holders to safely tuck your bow out of harms way when not in use. Make sure to get into the habit of putting your bow away in its case along with your precious instrument after every playing session.

What about taking care of your instrument? Find out how HERE.

Now that you've bought your new violin, viola, cello or double bass, it’s important you respect and take care of it. After-all, you wouldn't buy a brand new car and immediately start driving it carelessly and never clean it, would you? 

A neglected instrument will sound bad and will be difficult to play and before you know it, your enthusiasm will fade and all your hard work will amount to nothing. 

Keeping your bowed instrument clean and well maintained is a crucial aspect of any good musician’s routine. The good news is that it’s really simple to achieve with correct understanding, a little diligence and the correct cleaning accessories.

Here’s how to keep your Hidersine instrument in tip-top condition...

A clean slate!

Let’s face it, our skin gets oily and sweaty. This is easily transferred to your violin, viola, cello or double bass when you’re playing. If left to reside on the body and fingerboard, these natural secretions will start to take their toll on your precious instrument and can even strip its varnish.

Using a specially designed cleaning and varnish reviver solution such as Hidersol or Hill Preparation Cleaning Liquid, apply a small amount to a dry, lint-free microfibre cloth and wipe down the body after you’ve finished playing. Trust us, you’ll really feel the benefit the next time you pick up and play your instrument.

Make sure to clean your fingerboard and bow too - but use a second solution-free microfibre cloth for this. Do not apply varnish reviver to your fingerboard or bow. HERE’S our guide to cleaning your bow and fittings.

*Never use solvent or alcohol-based materials. Hot water is a no-no too as it can cause your instrument’s tonewood to swell and become damaged.

Let’s Remove That Rosin Residue

As part of your post playing routine, make sure to wipe away rosin residue and dust. That’s the layer of white dust you’ll notice on your strings, fingerboard and body, (it gets everywhere!)

Our world famous Hidersine Rosin is made from a carefully selected blend of wax and pine resin and is still made in the same way, using the same recipe first developed by Francis Hider almost 100 years ago. It is specially developed to cause no harm to your instrument – however, it will adhere to your instrument over time and make it feel sticky and unpleasant to play.

Had enough of rosin dust? Why not try our Reserve21 rosin? An exquisite handmade rosin enriched with British beeswax for a fabulously low-dust, high grip playing experience!  

Strings! Clean Them / Change Them

Along with your instrument’s body, fingerboard and bow, it’s important that you clean your strings regularly. Old, dirty and worn strings not only sound bad, but they will also make your instrument harder to play. They can even cause injury to your wrist and shoulders as you will have to apply greater pressure to produce notes, thus causing undue stress to your body.

Cleaning your strings is a quick and easy job, and something you should do after every playing session. Simply loosen the strings slightly and wipe down the entire length of the strings from the tailpiece to the top of the fingerboard with a dry, lint-free microfibre cloth. Remember to clean the underside of your strings too and pay special attention to the bridge and tailpiece areas as this is where that pesky rosin dust easily builds up.

Using a specially designed string cleaner is a great idea. Here at Hidersine, our instrument technicians use Kyser String Cleaner & Extender in the workshop. Although there are other brands available, we find this does an excellent job!

*Never use solvent or alcohol-based materials. Hot water is a no-no too as it can cause your instrument’s tonewood to swell and become damaged.

The frequency to which you change your strings is dependent on several factors such as how often you play, your general level of instrument maintenance, and string type (gut-core strings wear more quickly and therefore require changing more often than steel-core). We recommend changing your strings around every 4-6 months if you’re someone who plays and practices every day. If you’re performing too, you’ll want to change them around every 3 months.

Storage & Transportation

Now you have your precious bowed instrument, it’s vital you store it and transport it in a good quality case or gigbag. Although it’s tempting to display your new violin, viola, cello or double bass in your front room so you can stare lovingly at it even when you’re not playing, this is a bad idea! Bowed instruments are delicate and leaving yours out of its case means it can easily be knocked over, sat on or struck with something. Give yourself the peace of mind that it is safely tucked up in its protective case away from harm.

Always pay attention to temperature! As with many musical instruments made of natural woods, they are sensitive to extremely hot and cold temperatures, humidity and moisture. Never place your instrument by a hot fire or leave it in a particularly cold or damp room – and definitely never leave it outside! Remember, storing it in its case helps provide some protection from temperature changes. Even if you live somewhere with a temperate climate, make sure to invest in a humidifier - especially if live somewhere especially dry, hot or cold.

Finally... never transport your violin or bowed instrument without a padded gigbag or case. Jumping on the bus to your next rehearsal or lesson with your violin in your hands without a case will soon see you forking out for a replacement. All Hidersine instrument outfits come complete with a hardcase or padded gigbag specially designed for maximum protection. Our extensive range of cases offer comfortable, lightweight, easy and safe ways for you to travel with your instrument.

Viruses… what can I do about them?

We’ve covered how your hands and fingers leave natural oils and secretions on your instrument. If you’re concerned about bugs, germs and viruses living on your violin after others have picked it up or played it, it’s a good idea to make sure you have an instrument disinfectant included in your accessory arsenal.

Our friends at Champion have developed a UK-made Disinfectant that has been formulated to safely disinfect your bowed instrument. Featuring an anti-viral and anti-bacterial formula and a non-hazardous and fragrance-free solution, it’s a great way to ensure that little extra peace of mind when it comes to keeping your instrument germ-free. Simply spray a small amount onto the required area and leave for at least 30 seconds then wipe off with a dry, clean cloth. Where a deep clean is required, spray area a few times and allow solution to sit on the surface for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Have a 'google' for Champion Disinfectant and you'll find it easily. 

 What about taking care of your bow? Find out how HERE.