We love this question! Your child’s teacher should be able to keep an eye on things, make minor adjustments and recommend any remedial action if this ever becomes necessary, which should only be carried out by Studio Violins. The most common issues are: - Maintaining the correct posture of the bridge (teacher task) - Recalibrating the ‘fine tuners’ in the tail piece every so often i.e. when they have worked through their thread and need reversing, necessitating a peg adjustment (teacher task) - Bow hair can stretch and the bow can warp over time when the hair is not de- tensioned after use/when stored in the case. How to de-tension/tension the bow should be taught by the teacher - but ask us if in any doubt. - It is always advisable to wash hands before playing as this helps to keep the violin and bow clean and working at their best. When you have finished playing, a gentle, quick wipe of the instrument with a soft, clean duster to remove any rosin residue from the front and moisture from the strings is a good routine to follow. (Take care when cleaning, not to catch the bridge with the cloth, as this can cause it to move from the correct position or even pull it over.) If the violin is damaged in an accident or develops another problem, don’t try to fix it yourself! In most cases, the injury isn’t as bad as it looks. Just contact us and we’ll take it from there and get it sorted so that “normal service” can resume as quickly as possible!