Almost every violinist has a favorite violin string set, and it’s also not uncommon for violinists to do some experimentation to find the best strings for their personal instrument, as strings can behave wildly differently on different instruments. As an advanced amateur violinist I’ve done quite a bit of experimentation over the years and I…

How Seasonal Weather Changes Your Violin’s Sound As we head into winter, we may notice that our instruments sound a bit different. Weather has a notable effect on the sound of a violin, made as it is of wood that responds to the ambient humidity. It also has an effect on the rosin we use…

Keep your instrument in peak condition with these essential tips If you’re returning to the violin or viola as an adult, or you’ve just started lessons for the first time, you might be wondering what violin or viola maintenance you should be doing to keep your instrument working well. A visit to a luthier (string…

Avoid Counterfeit Strings and Shop Wisely to Get Your Best Sound As an amateur violinist, I don’t want to spend more than I need on my violin strings, but I also want my violin to sound its best, and good strings do make a difference. Whether you are a fellow amateur, a student, or a…

I tried more rosin brands than I’d like to admit, and these are my favorites The best violin rosin in the world won’t make me a better violinist, but that didn’t make me any less inclined to try every rosin I could get my hands on. There are so many brands of rosin that it…