What can I do about loose hairs on my violin bow?

What can I do about loose hairs on my violin bow?

This is a normal sign of wear and tear and has no effect whatsoever on the playing characteristics of the bow. It is, however, important not to pull such hairs out of the tip or frog; instead, just use a sharp knife or very sharp pair of scissors to cut the hair as short as possible.

How long does violin bow hair last?

In general, luthiers tend to recommend getting a bow rehair about every six months. But what people do in practice can be quite different. Those who play a lot might get it re-haired every three months. But if it’s still sounding good, others might stretch it out quite a bit longer.

Why can’t you touch the hair on a violin bow?

The reason touching the hair with your fingers is discouraged is because natural oils from your fingers or skin will transfer to the bow and cause the hairs to “slicken.” This greasiness (think of how greasy your own hair gets after not washing it for days) compromises the dry texture of the hair that grips to the …

How tight should violin bow hairs be?

How tight and how loose should I make my bow hairs? The hair on the bow should be tightened when you play, and loosened when you are done and before you put the violin away. Do not over-tighten the hair. Around 1/4 of an inch distance from hair to the closest part of bow stick is perfect.

How do I know if my violin bow needs Rehairing?

If the skin is dry on the back of your hands, check your bow. If you can’t loosen it enough to take the tension off the stick, get a rehair. (If the dry spell is temporary or help is not readily available, refer to the accompanying sidebar.)

How often should you get your bow Rehaired?

every six months
In general, we recommend a bow rehair every six months to a year, ideally at the beginning of the winter and summer. Rehairing maintains the physical condition of the bow and enhances playability.

What is the #1 thing we want to avoid when playing with your bows?

Here’s my list of 7 things they should never do with their bow.

• Never use the bow as a sword or light saber.
• Don’t tighten the bow until the stick becomes straight.
• Never put the bow on the floor.
• Don’t hold the bow too tight.
• Don’t put pressure on the bow, use your arm weight.

How do you take care of hair bows?

How to Clean Hair Bows

1. Combine 1 cup of water with two tablespoons of Oxi-Clean or your stain remover of choice.
2. Place you bow in the solution. Depending on the severity of the stains, you may want to use your fingers to gently scrub the bow.
3. Let the bow soak for 10-15 minutes.

What happens if you don’t loosen your bow?

with carbon fiber or fiberglass you are unlikely to damage the bow itself. What leaving it tight will tend to do is stretch out the hair. Loosening consistently will postpone that day, and save you SOME money. Wooden bows are much more of a problem, much more likely to lose their curve and camber.

Why do people re-hair their bows?

This is so that the other hairs don’t become loose and fall out. He said it’s not generally a problem since most people don’t break ridiculous amounts of hair, but it makes it easier to rehair your bow and is best for your bow in the long run.

Why does my violin bow make a scratchy sound?

This build-up of rosin creates a scratchy sound and the old hair requires more work to use. With normal use, most bows require a rehair every 6-12 months. This feels like a fairly obvious problem and is often caused by touching the bow hair.

Why won’t my bow loosen all the way?

My bow won’t loosen all the way! This is the opposite side of the previous point. When the environment gets very dry, the bow hair will shorten. This is actually more hazardous for the bow than the hair being too long, because shorter bow hair puts an undue amount of stress on the tip of the bow.

How do I remove broken hairs from my bow?

Normally, a few broken bow hairs just goes along with playing and should not alarm you in any way. Just remove them carefully from your bow (using a nail clipper and clipping the one hair close to the frog and tip is a good way to do this).