About once a year you need to take your instrument in for regular maintenance. But what can you do, every day, at home?
1) Practice smart, safe instrument handling. This is especially important for young children. Parents, don't let your 6 year old son swing his instrument around; regularly remind him he's supposed to be in rest position if he's not playing.
2) Do you have pets? Don't leave them unsupervised with your instrument! While your cat may enjoy the feel of your instrument under her claws, I can guarantee you your instrument doesn't! If in doubt, take the extra moment and pack your instrument up.
3) When you're done playing: make sure you wipe the rosin off your instrument. Rosin isn't good for your varnish, so make sure you wipe it off. You can use any clean, dry terry cloth.
4) If you're playing outside, don't let your instrument get wet. Water also isn't good for your instrument.
5) While it may be pretty afterward, resist the temptation to polish your instrument. Many polishes are less than stellar quality, and a poor polish job can cause more harm than good. This is something best left to your luthier.
6) As soon as your teacher teaches you how to, practice tuning your instrument every day, making sure to follow your teacher's directions. Keeping your instrument in tune not only makes it easier to play well, it also keeps your instrument happier.
7) Ask your teacher to show you how to regularly check for cracks and open seams. While fixing them requires a luthier, anyone can find them, and fixing them sooner is often cheaper and easier, as well as less stressful on the instrument, then fixing them later.
Remember, prevention is always cheaper than a trip to your luthier for a major problem! So keep your eye on your instrument, and you'll both be happier for it.
Happy Playing!
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