The Right and Wrong Ways to Use Bow Rosin

The beginner violinist may think a small disk of coniferous tree sap, rosin, plays a minor or even unnecessary role in the creation of music. Au contraire! The right rosin, applied with expertise, can significantly affect how the instrument is played and the sound it creates.

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.

But it’s possible to have too much or too little rosin, or you might mishandle the rosin in ways that are detrimental to the bow or the instrument itself

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So let’s break that down:

The Goldilocks of Rosin: too much, too little ­– or just right

It IS possible to play without rosin on your bow but not advisable. It’s more work for the violinist or cellist who has to press harder on the strings. 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