Types of Violin Rosin
Drawing a bow across a violin string would not produce the beautiful, haunting sounds so many love without rosin. There are several different types of rosin available to a violinist. Each type of rosin has a specific set of qualities that affect the sound it produces, so how does a violinist choose which type of rosin is best?
Other People Are Reading
-
What is Rosin?
-
Rosin is a sticky substance that is applied to the bow hairs of a bowed string instrument. When the rosined bow is drawn across the strings, the rosin adheres to the string, pulling the string until the adherence is broken. That causes the string to snap back into place, hundreds of times per second with each draw of the bow. This causes the vibrations that produce the sounds of violin music.
How is Rosin Made?
-
Simplyviolin.com states that more than 100 types of pine trees are used for their sap to produce rosin. These trees are tapped for their sap, much like maples are tapped to make maple syrup. The sap of these trees is collected and used to produce cakes or bars of rosin by mixing them with other ingredients, pouring them into molds and allowing them to harden. They are then polished, packaged and shipped to music stores for customer purchase.
-
Types
-
There are several different types of rosin to consider. Light rosin is made from pine sap tapped in late winter or early spring, and generally is gold or amber colored. It is also harder and less sticky. Saps tapped in summer and fall produce softer, stickier rosin that is darker in color.
Light-colored rosins are harder and less sticky, and generally produce a smoother sound. These rosins can cost a bit more, but are usually preferred by professional violinists for the tonal quality they produce compared to dark rosin.
Dark-colored rosins are stickier and softer, and generally produce a grittier sound. They are not often used by anyone other than a beginning student, despite the lower cost. The exception to this is fiddlers, whose music often calls for a raw, gritty sound.
Other Considerations
-
Aside from light rosin and dark rosin, producers offer other qualities to consider in rosin choice. Different metals such as gold, silver and copper are added to rosins to produce different tones. According to stringsmagazine.com, some of the metallic rosins available are prized for specific qualities. Rosins containing gold are expensive, but are prized for the warm, clear tones. It is said gold rosin can soften the harsh sounds produced by some lesser-quality violins.
Those containing silver are said to produce clear, bright, concentrated tones, helpful to beginning performers in producing a clear and pleasant sound. Copper produces a warm and velvety sound when added to violin rosin.
Other combinations, including lead-silver, are used to enhance tone or clarity. Different types of rosin produce different amounts of dust during play. Some violinists are allergic to rosin dust, so producers have started manufacturing hypoallergenic, dust-free rosin.
Packaging
-
The final consideration in choosing rosin is how it is packaged. Many less-expensive rosins come packaged for use in a wood "box." The rosin is rectangular or square and is surrounded on three sides by a wooden enclosure. The downside of this packaging is that it is not difficult to catch the bow hairs on the wooden surrounds, causing bows to need restringing much more often.
Violin Online gives an additional choice for packaged rosin--"cake" rosin. It is round and molded into a cake shape, usually enclosed in cloth. This rosin is usually more expensive, but easier to use. The higher quality rosins are usually packaged this way.
-
