F.A.Q and Troubleshooting String Family

Q. I have just started using my bow, but it doesn’t make any sound; when it does it squeaks.
A. Bow hair is made from horse’s hair and is naturally greasy. When the bow is pulled across the strings it needs to create some friction so that the strings will vibrate and create a sound. To do this we need to counteract their greasiness, so we coat the bow-hair with rosin (a block of hardened tree sap, black or amber in colour). By rubbing this along the length of the hair, each strand is coated in minute pieces of dust which act like millions of little teeth. These grip the strings and make them vibrate, creating sound. This should also reduce some of the squeaking, although this is generally part of the learning curve.

Q. My instrument has a white sticky dust on both the strings and the top of the violin.
A. This white dust is a residue from the rosin used to coat the bow-hair. It is very important that it is gently wiped away after each time the instrument has been played. If this dust is left, it will get thicker and stickier and will eat into the varnish affecting the tone of the instrument. If left on the strings the rosin gets crusty which means the strings don’t vibrate properly. It is a good idea to keep a duster in the case so that cleaning the rosin off becomes a habit.

Q. My bow is rapidly losing hair.
A. A bow is tightened up to play but needs to be loosened every time before it is put away. If left tight the hair will gradually keep pulling out, also the wood has a nice bow shaped curve, but if it is left tight, the wood can sometimes warp or straighten out. This can make it impossible to play with.