Types of Rosin

Hey everyone. I'm back to writing on here and now I'm going to finish up on what you need for the violin to play and that's the rosin. With the rosin you'll be able to make the bow stick to the strings and get the sound out of them. If you try to play without rosin then the bow will slide across the strings and you'll get nothing.

So, what rosin do you choose?

There are three different rosin types: light, dark, and jade. The differences between them are rather straight forward.

Light Rosin: This is a harder type of rosin primarily for violins and violas. It's also a better fit for playing in warmer temperatures.

Dark Rosin: This is a softer type of rosin and works better in cooler climates. It's usually used on cello bows and not recommended for violins or violas. If used in a very warm weather it could get extremely sticky and cause a lot of problems while playing.

Jade Rosin: This is more of a "catch all" rosin. It can be used with violins, violas, and cellos alike. So, if you play the cello and the violin or viola you might want to get this one just to save yourself some money.

Now, I've used both light and jade rosing for my violin and I personally prefer the light rosin. It seems to let the bow grip the strings better than the jade does but it's still a good rosin none the less.

I like to use Pirastro Goldflex Rosin:

For me, it just seems to give a better sound than the jade rosin I used. Of course it's all up to personal preference.

When you apply the rosin you might (key word there: might) need to scratch the top of the rosin a bit to get it to stick to the bow hairs better. If you put the rosin on a brand new bow you'll need to go across the hairs slowly and a number of times. Once your bow has had rosin on it for several sessions then you'll only need to go over the hairs three times for the following session.

Next time I'll give you a heads up on the Suzuki and Rubank methods. All of my teachers have had me use the Suzuki method but the Rubank seems a bit more methodical. I'll get into that next time. Have fun making some noise with your newly rosined violin bow.

Violin Bow Types

As promised I'll be going over the different violin bows I've come across. You might not realize or even think about it but there are 2 different types of bow sticks and 2 different types of hair used for the bows.

If you buy a brand new violin you'll have a bow that comes with it. But it might not make a good sound on the strings. That's because the bow that comes supplied with the violin is often cheaply made or even warped. Of course all bows have a bend that goes tip to screw but it should only bend down. What I mean when I say warped is that the stick bends to the side. I've had 2 bows that were like that and when used it made awful sounds because the hair wasn't moving straight down the strings. With that you'll need to buy a new one from a music store. So here's the different types.

Stick Types:

1. Wood: This is the most common stick type for all bows. This is the one you'll have come with your violin and it's the one you'll need to inspect to make sure it's not warped. Just hold it at a down angle and look along the top of the bow. You'll see if it's bending left or right. If it does, pass on that one and go to the next bow. Wooden bows are the favorite of my violin teacher because they are heavier and easier to control. This is especially helpful for new players.
2. Carbon Fiber: Carbon fiber bows are expensive but there's no risk of getting one that is warped. They are also lighter than the wooden bows and, although harder to learn to control, they do make it easier to play for a longer time (in my personal opinion). They also come in a number of colors: I've seen standard black, painted to look like wood, blue, and green. I personally have a black carbon fiber bow. It looks more elegant to me.

If you go into a music store they could have all the violin bows just lumped together and no readable label so if you're looking for a particular stick type there's 2 tricks to tell the difference so you won't get a wood painted carbon fiber bow if you wanted a wooden bow. First, look at the price. If the price is substantially higher you likely have a carbon fiber bow in your hand. Second: look at the width of the bow near the bowgrip. If the bow is thick you have a wooden one. If it's thinner then you are looking at the carbon fiber.

Hair Types:

1. Horse Hair: This is the traditional material used for the bow hair. Horse hair, like all hair, is never perfectly smooth. Although it will feel smooth and slick no real hair ever is. It's this roughness that allows the hair to hold the rosin and grip the strings well. Horse hair bows are best for gripping the strings and making a nice sound. 
2. Synthetic Hair: These bow hairs can be made from various materials. Most of these bows seem to be made from fiberglass. They can hold the rosin but not as well as true horse hair bows can. This makes the sound they produce of lesser quality and also means they need to be rosined more often. 

There are a number of methods to telling if a bow's hair is synthetic or horse hair. Honestly I'd prefer to rely on the label, help from a store clerk, or from the product description on the website. I saw someone tested if there bow was horse hair or synthetic by using a lighter... but I'd prefer not to risk ruining the bow I'm using just to see. I'd rather just ask.

Ok, that's it for this week. Next time I talk about the violin I'll go into the strings. You can't make music if you don't have the strings, right? 😝