- Max Kuehn
Looking to learn how to rosin a violin bow? Then, you have come to the right page. If you’re a violinist, you know that rosin is important for playing your instrument. Rosin helps to create friction between the bow and the strings, which produces the violin’s sound. Applying rosin to your bow is a simple process, but there are a few things you need to know to do it correctly. Check out the step-by-step guide below!
How To Put Rosin On A Violin Bow
How to Choose Rosin
Violin rosin comes in a wide range of brands and varieties.
Manufacturers sometimes add extra elements and additions to their rosin combinations, such as gold or copper, to obtain varied outcomes.
Light rosin and black rosin are the two most common varieties.
Light Rosin
- Light rosin is often tougher in composition than dark rosin, and it is also less sticky than dark rosin.
- Light rosin is ideal for violinists who want to make lighter, brighter tones with their instruments.
- Light rosin is also a good choice for violinists who frequently perform in hotter climes, as it is less prone to melt or break down than dark rosin in hotter temps.
Noir Rosin
Light rosin is typically softer than dark rosin.
This is the type of rosin that most double bass players use to get the most out of their instruments’ thicker strings.
Dark Rosin
Dark rosin’s soft nature makes it stickier than lighter rosins, allowing a violin bow to adhere to the strings more effectively.
If you want to make a heavier tone with your violin and use a lesser bow pressure, dark rosin is a fantastic choice for you.
If you prefer to play with dark rosin and live in a warmer region, keep your dark rosin stored in an excellent place to avoid it from coming apart or melting.
However, if you play in colder climates or use lighter rosins in warmer climates, you won’t have to be concerned about this as much.
To keep your violin rosin in good condition and extend its lifespan, keep it in a cool place.
Check out our page on the best violin rosin for more information on how to choose.
Check To See If Your New Bow Has Been Pre-Rosined.
Inquire if your bow is pre-rosined when you buy your instrument and bow. Because new bow hairs are rosin-free, it takes more effort to rosin them properly. If your bow is pre-rosined, you’ll be able to practice and play a few times before it needs to be rosined again.
You’ll have the following instructions when the bow needs rosining, and your music instructor will demonstrate the correct rosining for you. A pre-rosined bow will only need to be passed through the rosin three or four times at most.
You’ll have to do it yourself if your bow hasn’t been pre-rosined. To generate the somewhat abrasive surface you’re searching for (listening for), a brand new, unrosined bow must be passed up and down, from bottom to top, across the surface of the rosin roughly 40 or even 50 times.
Make a score on the new rosin cakes’ surface.
New rosin cakes appear shiny and smooth, but this also means that the abrasive rosin takes longer to rub off onto your bow. As a result, we recommend using a serrated plastic knife or a plastic fork.
Working back and forth until the surface is dulled or scored, gently scratch the surface (“gently” is the crucial word here – you don’t need to press hard at all). The rosin should not be gouged or poked. The rosin is ready to stick to your bow once the glossy surface has been softened.
Don’t do too much, don’t do too little
It’s critical not to touch the hairs on your bow. The oils from your finger rub off on the coats, making rosin stick more difficult.
The next step is to rosin your bow:
- Make your bow as tight as possible. The bow hairs can be damaged if they are resonated with loose bow hairs.
- Begin with the rosin cake near the bow’s base. Pass the bow across the cake’s surface slowly and gently, from the bottom of the bow hairs to the top. This should be done in a relatively consistent manner to ensure that rosin is applied evenly. The friction generates heat if you move too quickly, and the rosin cake can solidify.
- Rotate the rosin cake so that the surface wears evenly. Otherwise, rosin grooves or tracks will form, making it impossible to apply rosin across the bow’s length and width evenly.
- Fresh rosin dust will settle down onto the strings and the body of your instrument while you play. When you’re finished playing, wipe the excess rosin dust off your instrument using a soft towel. This aids with the preservation of the strings and the instrument’s body.
- Students should typically re-apply rosin every four to six hours of playing time, or roughly twice a week.
When it comes to rosin, how much is enough?
Experiment with how much or how little you use over time to see how varied amounts alter your playing’s feel and sound.
There is no rosin
You’ll note that no rosin, or very little rosin, produces a hollow, pallid tone – and that you’ll need to press much more challenging to get any sound at all.
There’s not enough rosin
More rosin – but not quite enough – will produce more sound, but it will be uneven because the bow will struggle to move smoothly across the strings with enough friction.
The ideal rosin
When you have just enough rosin (typically four to five strokes), the bow glides across the strings smoothly and consistently, producing warm, rich tones.
There’s too much rosin
In addition to the cloud of rosin emerging from the bow as it glides across the strings, the bow will feel “stickier,” needing more effort to move it, and sounds may be scratchy and harsh if you have to much rosin.
Applying rosin will become a natural part of your technique before you know it. Until then, keep these pointers in mind as you work on improving your rosining technique.
Rosin Dust Removal
Last but not least, rosin may be a real pain to work with.
The rosin dust left behind after use can be seen in the photograph above of a cello.
It’s critical to clean your violin on a regular basis to minimize rosin build-up, which can harm your instrument.
Here’s a link to our guide on how to clean a violin, which includes instructions on how to get rid of rosin dust.
FAQs
What Is the Right Amount of Rosin to Use?
The amount of rosin you use for your violin’s bow is determined by the amount of rosin the bow already has, the type of rosin you use, and the amount of rosin required to achieve the sound you prefer.
However, you shouldn’t use too much rosin because it will make a mess and produce a lot of dust while playing your violin.
You can apply as much violin rosin as it takes for your bow to make a sound from your violin’s strings as you learn how to apply rosin to your violin’s bow and become more comfortable with playing the violin.
The bow can then be refilled with rosin as needed.
How Frequently Should Rosin Be Used?
The number of times you apply rosin to your violin’s bow is determined by how much you play and how long you play. Violinists are typically advised to put rosin to their bows every four to six hours of playing time.
However, applying rosin to violin bows before each playing session is a standard practice among violinists.
Conclusion
When you use rosin on your violin bow, you’ll be able to make fantastic sounds with your instrument. You can experiment with different types of violin rosin as you learn more about your instrument, refine your methods, and develop a concept of what sound you want to create.
Fidlar hope you found this article beneficial, and let us know if you have any questions in the comment section below.
