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Instrument Hire
Learning a String Instrument: Survival Tips for Parents and Carers
When your child begins having lessons, there is naturally great excitement and enthusiasm. In order to maintain progress as the term continues your child will be given a practice diary to assist with the essential playing at home. Practice times need only be short, around 10 minutes at a time on a regular basis would be ideal. Below are a few points which you may find useful in encouraging your child’s musical learning?
- The bow hair needs to be tightened before use – only enough for a pencil to slip between the hairs and the stick. This is done by turning the silver screw at the end of the bow in a clockwise direction. Watch out for over enthusiastic winding up – a very common occurrence.
- Rosin needs to be rubbed on the bow hair to make it sticky and grip the strings.
- The bow hair needs to be slackened again after use – very important! This takes the tension off the stick and ensures that the bow retains its correct shape.
- Keep the violin clean by dusting off the rosin powder after playing.
- Tuning the violin should be carried out by a teacher, if in doubt leave it until the next lesson.
- Pack away your violin carefully; remembering to do the zip up around the case, violins have been known to fly out of the case unexpectedly.
- Occasionally a string may break; do not be unduly concerned: Teachers carry a stock of spares and will replace the string at the next lesson making a note of the cost in the practice diary (around £3 depending on the string).
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do speak to your child’s string teacher who will be more than happy to answer your queries.
