What should violin rosin feel like

Old rosin seems to be dryer and dustier then new stuff, and I suspect you end up putting more on because of this. I've seen people advise that you change it every few years. But anyway, rosin has to be the cheapest consumable in violin playing so I'd agree with Fairview Fiddler and say you might as well get yourself a new block and see if you prefer it.

I picked up a block of Super Sensitive dark resin to give it a try. The bow did feel like it sticking easier. If I shave the old blocks, would that get me past the dried out part into the good stuff again ont he old ones? Quote from: caeman on Sep 16, , AM. Now that I have a new block on hand, I just may try sawing one of the old blocks in half and checking it out. OK, youzz piqued my curiosity.

Hi ho, I'm off the to the bandsaw to see if I can make a clean cut in a chunk of rosin. I think I'll try the light stuff in the wood block first, making it into three chunks with one power cut and one with a hand saw. I'll let yez know how it goes. On second thought, I don't think I want to try it with a hand saw. Maybe I just don't know how to do it yet, but frankly, Ernest, I don't plan to spend any time learning how. My old chunks of rosin aren't surrounded by wood.

I might have better results. Easier to just drop it on a hard surface, and not from any great height, either. Still, I think that shows that old rosin will crystalize all the way to the bottom I don't think new rosin would shatter like that, unless it was Hill Dark, which shatters if you look at it sideways!!! Some rosin sellers say that you should buy a new block every year because it deteriorates I have some rosin from I kid you not, it came from the shop of a long-dead luthier.

The stuff works great, though it is a bit hard. I've heard of folks saving all their broken pieces, then heating them up to make a new, usable chunk. I wonder if that would also make it soft again? Quote from: frodopogo on Sep 16, , PM. If you have the spare rosin, try the heating trick and see if you can essentially build a new block of rosin. Quote from: Cableaddict on Aug 20, , PM. Member Posts: 46 I can't be bothered to edit my profile The end goal of having just the right amount of rosin is to create warm, rich tones, with just the right amount of friction that enables smooth movement of the bow over the strings.

It IS possible to play without rosin on your bow but not advisable. And even with that the results are a hollow, pale sound. Add a little but inadequate amount of rosin and the sound will improve. But the friction the rosin is intended to create will tend to be spotty, as will be the music. Too much rosin will make the bow feel stickier as it moves across the strings.

Excess rosin can generate a cloud of rosin dust as you play, and the sound will be harsh and scratchy. Rosin debris will fall onto the surface of the instrument and, over time, can damage the varnish and the wood. For this reason, when working with fine instrument bows and fine stringed instruments , understanding of the proper rosining techniques is of utmost importance.

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! 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. 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 is harder and less sticky then dark rosin, making it great for those humid climates such as New Orleans. 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!

How to apply rosin properly on a violin bow The violin bow can only make the strings sound, when there is enough friction between the string and the bowhair. How can you tell if there is sufficient rosin on the violin bow? Here are two possibilities:. Acoustically: you shall strike the bow across the strings as a test.

If the bow does not slide easily and produces no sound or only a faint, thin sound, then the bow hair does not have enough rosin. But if the bow is very scratchy, then it may have gotten too much rosin. Optically: you can scrape across the bow hair with the thumb nail.

If there is some rosin sticking to the thumb nail, then there currently is enough rosin on the hair. There are many different varieties of rosin. This is due to the different variety of the raw material and on the number of different additives. However, the question, which rosin is the best, is difficult to answer.