Orchestral strings problem?

Question

I have a 3500 dollar viola.

The main problem is that is has started to sound scratchy and irritating. I didn't have this problem before for the past 3 years, but it began to appear. I thought it was my bow hair not being oiled, so i tried that but the results are still the same. Could it be anything else?

P.S im REALLY sure its not because i suck too :(

Answer 1

There might be something wrong with strings or the tuning.

Answer 2

You need to do 2 things:

1)  Rehair your bow.  Over time, the horsehair gets dirty, and develops spots that won't hold the rosin (please tell me you use rosin on your bow hair and not oil.  Oil is the absolute WORST thing for bow hair).  Bows need to be rehaired at least once a year.

2)  Buy and install a new set of strings.  Get something with a synthetic core like Dominant or Jargar.  Avoid the cheap stuff.  If you're playing, daily, then you should change your strings at least once a year, just like rehairing the bow.

You've spent good money on your viola.  Just like a car needs an oil change every 3-5K miles, so your viola needs to be serviced to keep your sound the way you like it.  Your bridge will wear out, and your pegs will need to be refit, from time to time, as well, but usually not as often as the bow and strings.  Get to know a qualified string repair technician (aka luthier) who you know will take good care of you.