The hair of the bow is smooth and slippery. The Rosin gives it a proper texture and resistance.
Table of Contents
Types of rosin
Rosin made up of stick a reason of coniferous trees. It has a different range of colours and densities. Dark coloured rosin, light in colour rosin and medium colour rosin.
Darker rosins are heavier and stickier than others. It is better for the largest instruments.
Lighter rosin is comparatively lighter in density and stickiness.
It is more suitable for violins and violas.
In that climate also plays a major role.
The temperature and humidity effect on rosin. If the climate is hotter there is a different type of rosin that should be used full. when the climate is humid then we should prefer other types of rosin.
Here, the plastic fork or serrated plastic knife should be used. Because New cake rosin is shiny and smooth in looking. That means it takes a longer time to polish the bow hair.
Here is again have two types according to the shape of rosin :
Boxed rosin and cake rosin
Boxed rosin is available in low cost than cake forms. boxed rosin is easier to handle. But the cake rosin has higher quality as well as pure composition.
How to choose rosin?
Most of the violinists use lighter to amber rosin. Because it gives a smoother sound.
1) Bass rosin are soft and have a sticker side it provides a richer tone and also increases friction.
2) Every type of string work better with the different formula of rosin.
There are 3 types of string
i) Gut core
ii) Synthetic core
iii) Steel core
Note :
The fine dust of rosin may produce allergies to the lung or skin depending on sensitivity. There may be cause hypo allergy like a sneeze, itching.
Take all-natural rosin products and minimize the risk.
How much rosin have to apply?
If you noticed that there is no rosin on hair or hardly any rosin are there, then it creates a very hollowly and pales sound. We also have to press harden to get any sound. Then it needs to apply rosin. Simply take a sharp instrument or knife and slightly stretch the surface of the rosin cake. It makes the surface smoothen and shiny like the new one.
White hair easily accepts the rosin and yellow hair have difficulties accepting rosin.
The violinist does not apply more rosin on the bow because the string has a thinner gauge.
If applied too much rosin then it produces a sound like “gritty” or “scratchy”.
Test to determine rosin applied or not
To determine the quantity of rosin applied on the bow. Then simply swipe bow hair towards the frog area by the backside of a finger. Don’t use the front side.
How to apply rosin?
To apply rosin takes more efforts when the bow hair is new and are rosin free.
When the bow is pre-rosined you can play it few times and then required to rosin the bow again.
The new bow shows some spots of rosin.
Here, we are seeing how to rosin bow .?
1) You have to need some rosin. Tightening up the hairs simply by moving the screw in a clockwise manner. The stick still has a curve on it. Just give a normal tension. Don’t give more tension. If you tighten the bow by using a screw more then the stick becomes parallel to the hair.
2) Apply rosin on hair.
Before applying rosin on the hair just rub the surface 5 to 6 times. so that, the glossy surface of your resin is formed. Stroke on the hair.
You can apply a long full line stroke on the full length of the bow or you can also apply short and fast-growing on the hair. Do it with your own style as you are comfortable. There is no particular method to do this.
Note: There is a precisely different method of strokes for different type of folks.
If you have a new bow then it will need to do proper rosin. Must do 4 or 5 passes.
3) I’m going to prefer a short stroke. For a small stroke let’s take 6 inches. Rub resin and keep going on until you see powdery rosin on the string.
Note: due to the quick-moving of Rosin it produces friction and it generates heat that can cause solidify the Rosin cake.
4) After that you will start to wear a groove in your rosin cake. You can also keep the bow on its track it may be easy to apply. In another way, you can also rotate the rosin so that it will be using it all evenly.
5) Don’t touch to hairs where we applied rosin by finger. It will cause a rosin kind of clouding gloss. The oil of your finger affect hairs and make rosin harder to stick.
6) Keep a soft cloth with you in case the rosin Applied more than need. Just wipe off excess rosin of string and instrument.
As time passes you will develop a sense of applying the amount of rosin on hair.
Wipe your violin and bow every time when you start to play.
Note :
i) Keep rosin in the instrument case. It should have humidity regulating accessories.
ii) During purchasing the instrument and bow, confirm that the bow is Pre-resinated.
See Also…
How To Sleep With Curly Hair(Opens in a new browser tab)