My Fellow Violinist- How Often Should I Change My Strings?

[TheSnowStorm]

EDIT- *"Violinists"

Sometime this month or early next month, I plan on changing my violin strings. My tutor has told me that will benefit from changing my strings ASAP.

Once I have change my strings, have soon do I have to change them. I predict about every 3-5 years, of course, I could be wrong.

[Dhsu]

Three times a day, after every meal.

[Gollgagh]

It really depends on what kind of strings you're planning on getting and also how often you play.

I play (or at least used to) quite frerquently and I changed them at least once a year.

If you're playing seriously as a soloist, this is my recommendation.

If you're playing at, like, orchestra or something as a side activity, you could probably get away with two or three years since your old strings wouldn't stick out as much.

Also, are you changing them yourself, or having someone else do it?

[TheSnowStorm]

Three times a day, after every meal.

I will make sure my violin brushes his teeth after each meal every day!

It really depends on what kind of strings you're planning on getting and also how often you play.

I play (or at least used to) quite frerquently and I changed them at least once a year.

If you're playing seriously as a soloist, this is my recommendation.

If you're playing at, like, orchestra or something as a side activity, you could probably get away with two or three years since your old strings wouldn't stick out as much.

Also, are you changing them yourself, or having someone else do it?

I am going to have my friend (who used to play for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, so I really trust him) change my strings. However, it would be nice to learn how to change my own strings. Do you have any tips on changing strings, Gollgah?

Right now, I'm doing solo, so I guess once a year could be fine. I might transfer to a community college that has a orchestra program (I'm been itching to get back ever since high school) so doing the every three years sounds good.

Basically, depending on what route I taking, I'm looking at every 1-3 years.

[Gollgagh]

Pretty much.

For changing the strings: whatever you do, DO NOT REMOVE ALL THE STRINGS AT ONCE, this removes most of the pressure on the soundpost and the possibility of it becoming displaced is VERY high, necessitating a visit to the local violin shop to have it reset.

I did this once and it is embarrassing sitting at the shop having the guy telling you off for not doing it right.

Change them one at a time, and once they're all in, stretch them out by retuning the violin every half hour to hour for the next day or so.