Bow Care 101

Written by Debra Krein, violinist at Fein Violins:

Your bow is HALF of your sound, so it needs just as much TLC as your instrument!

Bows are very fragile (except for good ol' carbon graphite bows), so you need to treat them like you would treat an infant. Hopefully, you aren't the type of person who would lean on an infant while standing, or use an infant to tap on your music stand - I think we've all seen people doing both of these things (and worse!) to their bows. These are, of course, the same people who seem so astonished when their bow breaks. I guess some people need to break their bow, before realizing that they are not made out of titanium.

However, you do not have to be one of these people! The following tips on how to take care of your bow will help prevent costly bow repairs.

What Size Violin Does My Child Need?

Written by Andy Fein, Luthier at Fein Violins
& Angela Newgren

Sizing an instrument to its player is important. A correctly sized violin will allow for correct posture and ability to play. There are a few ways to tell what size instrument is best for the player.

A person only needs to size a violin for young players. All adults and children over about 5 feet tall use full-sized violins.

Here are some tips for choosing the correctly sized violin for young players:

Lessons-When to Start

 Written by Amy Tobin, violinist and manager of Fein Violins:

We have a busy violin shop, located directly with our window facing lovely Grand Avenue in St. Paul. It is a nice neighborhood, with many families living in the area and lots of wonderful walking space. Because of that, we tend to get a lot of walk in traffic. People who are specifically looking for an instrument, people who are exploring which instrument they would like to learn (violin, viola, or cello....it can be a tough decision!), and people who are just walking by and are curious about the shop.

It is no surprise, then, that we get many parents with young children who come in to take a look around. And when they do, there is one question which reigns supreme in the list of questions that we get asked; "When should I start my child on violin (or viola, or cello) lessons?"

Now, the short answer to that question is

Instrument Maintenance

 Written by Amy Tobin, violinist and manager of Fein Violins:

Ah, spring time is finally upon us. The weather is getting warmer, the flowers are blooming, and the spring time rains are beginning. Is there a more glorious time of year than spring?

With all of these signs of growth and new beginnings, the idea of instrument maintenance comes to mind. 'Why on earth would spring make you think of that?' I hear you ask. Well, once the winter is over and the weather stabilizes a bit (humidity levels increase and inside and outside temperatures become more even), it is the perfect time to make sure that your instrument is in perfect playing condition.

Yehudi Menuhin and His Discovery of Yoga

Written by Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins, 
and Angela Newgren

Yehudi Menuhin was an extremely talented violinist from New York City. Born on April 22nd 1916, his career started at the age of seven after his first public concert.

Throughout his career Mehunin suffered from a variety of muscular and skeletal aches. In 1951, he was introduced to the practicing of yoga and immediately took interest in its key concepts of relaxation and meditation. A year later, on a two month tour of India, Prime Minister Nehru and Mr. Menuhin found a common bond in yoga practice. It brought the media's attention to the two, which broadened Menuhin's affiliation with gurus and yoga instructors.

Menuhin started working with Iyengar, a guru who taught him true meditation and relaxation. It cured Menuhin of his insomnia and Iyengar remained his personal yoga instructor for 15 years.