Winter Care For Your Instrument

Winter weather can be hard on instruments!

My students know that I often blame the cold and dry weather for wreaking havoc on our instruments. Strings go out of tune, fingerboards bend, binding separates, or even worse, the wood cracks and splits, like this!

Thankfully, there are some steps we can take to keep our instruments in good working order even through the roughest of winters.

1. Room Humidifier

The ideal humidity range where you store your instruments should be between 40-60%. I recommend students purchase a small humidity sensor and a humidifier for their space. Make sure to keep it filled with water. For reference, I keep my small humidifier on high and usually have to refill it every 24 hours.

2. Case Humidifier

There are small humidifiers that act as sponges to hold moisture and can be placed inside your instrument’s case. If it’s impossible to keep your room properly humidified then this might be your best option. They’re also good to have when you’re traveling or when driving to your lesson.

3. Instrument Location

Where you keep your instruments at home can determine how well it’s protected from the cold and dry air. Try to keep instruments away from heat sources such as baseboard heaters and forced air vents. Keeping them away from drafty windows and doors is also a good idea. If they’re kept against a wall try to ensure that it’s an interior wall in your home.

4. Stay In Tune

When the wood of your instrument dries out it shrinks. This causes the strings to get tighter and go sharp. Instruments are made to withstand and operate best with a certain amount of string tension. If your instrument’s strings are too tight for too long it will cause the wood to bend and warp which can lead to separation and even cracks. Be sure to periodically check your string tension especially on instruments that may not be played as often.

In Conclusion

Cold and dry winters can cause a lot of damage to our instruments. The small changes may go unnoticed for years until finally something breaks! Implementing some of these steps can go a long way to protecting your investment and ensuring your instrument plays the best that it possibly can!