Have you wondered what’s the role of Indian weather on musical instruments? From monsoons filled with humidity to hot summer days to cold winter nights, India experiences several kinds of climates. This climate also affects a guitar, a tabla, a harmonium, or a keyboard that you have. This is why failure to store the instrument properly may cause warping, rusting, mold formation, and reduced tonality. So, in order to keep the instrument in prime condition for many years to come you must learn how to store musical instruments in the Indian climate. This is why we prepared this guide.
Learn About Indian Weather Impacting Your Instrument
The climate in India changes from season to season. Each season comes with its own set of problems. This is why it is crucial to understand the impacts of weather on musical instruments. For example, the high humidity in the rainy season may cause wooden instruments to expand and even grow mold. On the other hand, the cold winter season may cause cracking.
The ideal humidity for instruments which count as good is between 40% to 60%, and abrupt temperature changes must be avoided because it might impact their tuning or even break some parts of the instrument.
Below given points discusses how you can protect your instrument from the Indian Weather:-
Use Protective Cases at All Times
Another easy way to ensure you keep your instrument protected is by keeping it in a strong protective case. Yeah! It’s simple but effective. Buying a hard case offers more protection than a soft gig bag for an instrument. It also prevents your instrument from damage which is caused by dust, moisture, or any other form of environmental impact.
Adding silica gel packets inside the case will ensure your instrument is well-protected in case of high humidity. This is one purchase that goes a long way toward protecting your instrument.
Controlling Humidity in Your House
Humidity control becomes necessary while storing musical instruments in India. Humidity, which results from monsoons, can lead to warping in wood and corrosion in metals. On the other hand, low humidity, which results from winter winds, makes it easy for the wood to crack.
Using a dehumidifier when humidity is high and a humidifier when humidity is low will help to regulate humidity. Hygrometers are helpful in measuring humidity levels at home.
In cases where such gadgets are not available, keeping musical instruments in air-conditioned rooms becomes necessary since it helps to keep humidity and temperature stable. Rapid changes cause more damage than poor conditions.
Also, read on blog on How to Choose the Right Musical Instrument Based on Your Budget
Storage Location Is Critical
Knowing the best location to store for your instrument is crucial. The best place to store your instrument is in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place. Direct exposure to sunlight can fade, crack, and even damage the instrument due to its heat.
Do not keep any instrument near the windows or balcony or kitchen and bathroom areas since there are fluctuations in moisture and temperature. It would be best to keep your instrument off the ground on a stand or shelf, especially during the rainy season.
Instruments for Storing
When you are storing your instrument for a long period, there are several things that you need to do. You need to ensure that you first clean your instrument to remove all dirt, sweat, and oil.
For instance, when storing your guitar, violin, or sitar, you may loosen the strings since very tight strings could strain the body. In case of your wind or brass instrument, you need to dismantle the parts and ensure they are completely dried.
Larger instruments need to be covered using some cloth material.
Methods of Storage in Accordance with Instrument Type
Whereas all the instruments require the same level of maintenance, there are exceptions:
Stringed Instruments (guitar, sitar, violin):
Stringed Instruments are highly sensitive to humidity changes. They have to be stored in their cases together with devices to control humidity levels; hanging them in humid rooms is discouraged.
Tablas and Percussion Instruments:
The drumheads have to be kept dry and out of reach of dampness by floors. These can be achieved using protective covers.
Wind and Brass Instruments:
The cleaning and drying process must take place prior to storage. The use of lubricants on any parts of the instruments that move (valves) is essential.
Keyboard Instruments (harmoniums):
It is critical for these instruments to be placed in protective dust-proof storage.
Seasonal Storage Tips for Musical Instruments in India
During the Monsoon Season:
Using silica gel or dehumidifiers might be an option along with checking for any sign of moisture formation or molds.
In the Summer:
Make sure your musical instruments are not exposed directly to any heat sources and should never be kept inside cars or in something which can quickly become very hot because of the sun’s rays.
During the Winter Season:
If the air is too dry then we recommend to using a humidifier to ensure that the wood does not crack.
Instrument Checks and Maintenance
Even if you have kept the instrument in proper storage, it is important to regularly check your instrument. Check your instrument every one or two months to see whether there are any signs of corrosion, mildew, cracks, etc. Allow some ventilation from time to time and tune the instrument.
It is also essential to change silica gel or humidifiers when needed.
Conclusion
Indian is a place where many seasons come. This is why understanding how they impact your musical instrument is crucial. To store your musical instruments safely in Indian climatic conditions, you need to blend knowledge, preparedness, and consistency. Well, with effective management of the level of humidity, protective cases, and a suitable storage location; you can effectively safeguard your musical instruments from any form of damage that may arise as a result of climatic changes.
Handling musical instruments with proper maintenance, musical instruments serve you for a long time. It will also ensure that it sounds better than ever. If you are looking for quality equipment and storage services, thenAmrit Music is your high quality one-stop shop.
FAQs about How to Store Musical Instruments Safely in Indian Weather
How do I avoid musical instrument damage during Indian monsoons?
Use strong cases for storing and use silica gel or dehumidifier to prevent issues related to humidity or molds.
What humidity level is best to keep musical instruments at?
Humidity level should range between 40-60% to prevent wooden parts swelling or cracking and metals from corrosion.
Is there anything that needs to be taken into consideration when hanging guitar racks on the walls in humid environments?
Do not hang your racks on the wall in a high humidity environment to avoid possible damage and tuning problems.
Should I check musical instruments that I store regularly?
Check your instruments regularly once or twice every month for best results.
Do I need an air conditioner to protect my musical instruments from getting damaged?
Yes, an air conditioner will help to preserve your instruments as well as provide constant temperature.
