Preparing your bow is an important part of playing the violin.
When you are planning to play a violin, a necessary preparatory step is to make sure that the bow is ready for use. Some might refer to this as "tuning" the bow. If your bow is not properly cared for, the sound of your violin can suffer dramatically. Luckily you can tune your bow fairly simply and quickly. You also must practice ongoing maintenance in order to keep the bow in satisfactory shape.
Instructions
1. Remove the bow from its case and inspect the wooden body for dust accumulation. If there is dust, wipe the body with a soft, lint-free cloth.
2. Gently press the bow's hair to check the tension. Ideally the hair should be taut but not so tight that it seems that it could pop or cause the bow to bend. If the hair is loose (as it should be after the last use and during storage), tighten it slowly until there is no visible slack and is reasonably firm to the touch.
3. Rub a rosin applicator over the hair several times in order to apply rosin. Slide the bow over the strings to make sure it is gripping properly. If you're only going to be playing for a short session (an hour or less), this application of rosin probably will last you for the entire session.
4. Wipe the body of the bow when you are finished playing to get rid of rosin residue.
5. Loosen the tension on the hair. The hair should be much looser when you store the bow so that you don't break or warp the bow.
6. Store the bow in the violin case, as a bow left out carelessly can break easily.
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