11/03/2021 01:58 PM
If you're learning the violin, you may have wondered why violinists apply a substance called "rosin" to their bows. Rosin is essential to playing the violin, and I'll explain why below!
WHAT IS ROSIN?
Violin rosin is a hard substance made from tree resin, which is similar to tree sap. When friction is applied to a block of rosin, small particles will come off as a sticky, powdery, white substance.
Rosin often comes in a round "cake" with a protective cloth, or is molded into a rectangular wood or plastic case. It comes in many shades, from yellow to green to dark brown!
WHY DO BOWS NEED ROSIN?
Violin bows produce sound by sliding across the string and causing the string to vibrate. Bow hairs in their natural state, however, are too smooth to cause any vibrations. If you were to slide a bow without rosin across a violin string, it would produce no sound at all! (You may have noticed this if you've ever tried to play with a brand new bow!)
The purpose of applying rosin is to coat the bow hairs in a powdery, sticky substance that will "grip" the strings and cause friction as the bow slides across the string. This is what causes the string to vibrate and produce sound.
HOW MUCH ROSIN SHOULD YOU USE?
Many people have different opinions about this, but as good general rule, you should apply a least a few swipes of rosin to your bow every time you practice.
I find it's more common for beginner violinists to not apply enough rosin than apply too much rosin. For this reason, I encourage all my students to get in the habit of applying rosin every time they take the violin out of its case.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T APPLY ENOUGH ROSIN?
Here's what happens if you don't have enough rosin on your bow: Your bow will slip around on the string as you play and will produce a very soft tone (or even no tone at all). You may find yourself needing to press your bow harder into the string to produce sound. You may also encounter rosin-less patches of your bow where the sound suddenly gets softer, even though your pressure is consistent.
If you notice this happening, you'll need to apply a lot of rosin to your bow. To do this, you'll want to apply a good amount of pressure when you rub the rosin against the strings. You can also use a back-and-forth "scrubbing" motion to get extra rosin in the crevices of your bow hairs. If you noticed a patch of your bow was worse than the rest, you may want to focus your rosin on that area.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU APPLY TOO MUCH ROSIN?
Here's what happens if you have too much rosin on your bow: You will notice "clouds" of rosin dust coming from the bow when you slide it across the string. Your strings and violin will end up with a coating of rosin dust, which, if left uncleaned, can damage the finish of your instrument.
If you think you have too much rosin on your bow, it's super simple to fix: Just play your violin for a few days or even up to a week without applying any more rosin to it. The rosin will naturally come off your bow as you play. Just make sure you are wiping down your violin with a cloth whenever you notice rosin buildup. (Check out our article, how to clean your orchestral string instrument, for tips on cleaning up rosin buildup!)
HOW TO STORE & CARE FOR YOUR ROSIN
Rosin should be always be stored at room temperature (just like your violin!) Most violinists store their rosin in a compartment of their violin case so it's easily accessible. It's also a good idea to keep your rosin in its case or pouch (whatever it came with) to prevent it from leaving rosin flakes in your case.
Rosin should be treated carefully, as it cracks very easily. Rosin can break apart into pieces or shed little "chips" of rosin if it is bumped or cracked. Rosin also has the potential to melt in extremely hot environments (Like if left in a hot car).
If you do break your rosin, you don't need to panic. A broken piece of rosin will function just fine, so you can save the pieces. (I've even had violin students melt their rosin pieces into a new cake of rosin if you're feeling ambitious!)
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU REPLACE YOUR ROSIN?
Though professionals and advanced players may change out their rosins as frequently as once a year, for the average violin student there's no need to replace your rosin. The differences in tone between old rosin and new rosin won't be perceptible to the average player.
TYPES OF ROSIN
You may have noticed there are a variety of shades and colors of rosin. Typically these shades fall into two categories: light rosin and dark rosin.
Light rosin tends to have a "lighter" tone* and is typically used for higher string instruments, such as violin and viola. Light rosin is harder and less sticky then dark rosin, making it great for those humid climates such as New Orleans.
Dark rosin tends to have a "darker" tone* and is preferred by lower instruments such as the cello and upright bass. Dark rosin is more soft and can be sticky, so it does better in dry or cool climates. If you're using dark rosin, you should be sure to wipe down your violin often to prevent the rosin from accumulating!
*Note that while rosin does affect the tone of the violin, the change in tone will be extremely subtle most likely not be perceptible to the average violin student. If you're interested in changing your violin tone, you'll have more success experimenting with different string types or having an experienced luthier adjust your sound post or bridge placement.
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If need help choosing the right rosin for you, learning to apply rosin, or just learning violin technique, a private violin teacher can help you! Sign up for lessons at NOLA School of Music by filling out the form below.