Violin Rosin: The Essential Ingredient
Violin rosin isn’t just a sticky substance—it’s a crucial element for anyone playing a bowed instrument. Without mastering its use, your journey as a violinist won’t progress very far.
Understanding the role of rosin is vital for every string player. The more you know about it, the better your performance and sound will be.
Violin Rosin: An Essential Component
Violin rosin is a crucial substance that a violinist applies to the hair on the bow to make it sticky. Without rosin, the bow’s hair won’t produce any usable sound when drawn across the strings. Once applied, the rosin allows the hair to grip the string and pull it. However, as the bow continues moving, the string snaps back to its original position, where it is caught again by the rosin-coated hair, repeating the cycle.
This process occurs incredibly quickly—on an A-string, it happens 440 times per second. Without the grip provided by the rosin, the hair would simply slide over the string, resulting in almost no sound.
The Craft of Violin Rosin Making
The primary ingredient in violin rosin is purified pine rosin. However, the true art lies in the secret recipes that each manufacturer guards closely. Different resins may be added, along with unique ingredients like beeswax, and even flecks of gold, silver, lead, or copper. These additions are believed to enhance the rosin’s ability to grip the string.
The mixture is then cooled, with any bubbles being meticulously removed. The resulting thick substance is poured into molds to form the familiar rosin cakes.
For an in-depth look at the fascinating process of rosin production, there is an excellent page available on the subject.
www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings98/rosin.html
Choosing the Right Violin Rosin
Rosin choice is quite personal. Generally speaking, the darker the rosin the softer it is. Softer rosins tend to be stickier. While stickier rosins produce greater grip on the string, they also produce a grittier sound. Softer rosins also throw off more powder, making things difficult to clean.
On the other hand, harder rosins are less sticky and provide a less strong grip. The downside is that if the rosin isn’t sticky enough, you won’t achieve the desired full sound.
For a balanced choice, a dark amber rosin works well. Look for a rosin that is smooth and free of bubbles. Some people prefer round cakes, while most student outfits come with a cake of rosin mounted in a wood block. Both options can be excellent.
As you gain experience and become more adept at handling your bow, you’ll likely seek out stickier rosins and become more selective in your choices. However, experimenting with different rosins is a continuous part of your violin-playing journey.
How Do I Rosin a Bow?
The purpose of applying rosin to a bow is to achieve an even coat over the entire length of the hair. With too little rosin, you won’t generate enough pull to maximize your violin’s potential. Conversely, applying too much rosin will leave your bow and violin coated in a fine layer of sticky powder.
Recommended Rosining Technique
For optimal results, I recommend using long, slow strokes along the entire length of the bow. Follow these steps:
Press Gently: Press the bow gently against the rosin.
Move Both Ways: Move the bow in both directions to collect rosin dust on both up-bow and down-bow strokes.
Change Rosin Position: If using a round cake, turn the cake slightly after a few strokes. If using a rosin in a wood block, use the right side, left side, and middle of the cake.
Prevent Channeling: This technique will help prevent wearing a channel into the rosin. Keeping a smooth surface on the rosin cake ensures it remains most effective.
As you draw the bow back and forth, pay attention to the effort it takes to move the bow. Initially, it may not take much effort, but as more rosin clings to the hair, it will become progressively easier to draw or push the bow across the cake. This change is subtle, but with practice, you’ll learn to notice it.
Once the bow travels smoothly, STOP. Adding more rosin will only create a cloud of rosin dust, which can be quite bothersome. To avoid this, tap the bowstick on your hand a few times to knock off any excess rosin before you start to play.
After you finish playing, gently wipe your violin with a lint-free cloth to ensure that no lint clings to the rosin on the instrument. A violin covered in lint is not a sign of a well-maintained instrument.
It’s also a smart practice to wipe the rosin from the playing area of the strings, paying special attention to the undersides. The amount of rosin on a string significantly impacts the playability and the tone produced by that string.
How Often Should I Rosin My Bow?
The frequency of applying rosin to your bow varies depending on several factors, including bow hair, string type, temperature, humidity, playing style, and the violin’s responsiveness. The need for rosin can range from “every few hours” to “every few days.” However, it’s certain that students do not need to thoroughly rosin their bows daily.
I make it a habit to “touch up” my bow every day I play. This practice is more about my mental preparation than a necessity for the instrument. Running the bow across the rosin 6 or 8 times helps even out the layer of rosin on the hair. If I notice a dramatic change in the violin’s tone, that’s my cue to thoroughly rosin my bow. Even during my most active playing periods, a thorough rosining was rarely needed more than twice a week.
My Brand New Rosin Doesn’t Work!
If you’ve never used rosin before, you may not realize that you have to “start” rosin. A new cake of rosin has been smoothed or polished. Simply drawing bow hair across it will probably not pick up any rosin at all! You need to rough up the surface of the rosin before it will cling to the bow hair.
How to do this?
Different methods, same result. Some people use a pocket knife to score the surface of the rosin in a crosshatch pattern. Others use a bow that’s already rosined and stroke the rosin about 100 times to scratch up the surface. I even heard one teacher suggest scratching the surface of a new cake of rosin with the screw of the bow that will use it. She claimed that this created a metaphysical bond between the bow and the rosin, making it less effective on other bows. As for me, I just take a piece of fine sandpaper to the top of the rosin and rough it up a bit.
The type of rosin used for instruments depends on the diameter of the strings. Generally, the larger the instrument, the softer the rosin. For example, double bass rosin is typically soft enough to remain pliable with slow movements. If left in one position for several months, especially in warmer weather, a cake of bass rosin will show signs of flow.
Where to Buy Rosin?
Our rosin products are available for sale at www.ChemicalStore.com. For large orders please call in advance and verify the availability, wholesale discounts and shipping options. If you cannot find any product in the online store of your choice, please use the search option of the store or call (973) 405-6248 for further assistance.
All orders will be shipped from our warehouses in the United States (USA). We ship worldwide (Only wholesale quantities) to most countries including Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, and many other countries. International buyers must have experience in importing, be familiar with all import regulations, and have a valid tax id.