How to Rosin a String Instrument Bow

Rosin is a substance made from pine tree rosin and is absolutely necessary for playing any stringed instrument. The application of the rosin is especially important because it directly affects the quality of sound produced from an instrument. Not enough rosin can make the best instrument squeak and lower the overall sounds produced.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Tighten your bow. This is done by twisting the screw at the end of the bow, below the frog. You want the hair of the bow to be taunt but for the bow to retain the elegant curve in the main wooden section of the bow.
2. Open your rosin. Hold the rosin by the edges. Make sure not to touch the top of the rosin you are going to use on the bow; this will transfer oils on your hands to the bow. Most rosins will come with a protective cover or cloth to ensure that the rosin is protected.
3. Rub the rosin over the hairs on the bow. For a new bow or one that hasn't been rosined recently, use small back and forth motions to rosin the bow. Run the rosin in one motion over the bow to make sure that the bow is rosined evenly over all the hair.
4. Rosin the bow until there is a thick layer of rosin on the bow. There are two ways to determine there is enough rosin. The first is that the sound of the bow hairs over the rosin will change and become more raspy. For beginners, when you think there is enough rosin simply pick up your instrument and play a note with the bow. White rosin should fly off the bow when you first begin playing.
5. Rosin your bow often. Always rosin the bow before you begin playing; the bow may also need to be rosined during playing. Rosin creates a higher friction between the hairs of the bow and the strings. Without rosin, the friction decreases and the playing sound changes. This may cause squeaking or a less rich sound from the instrument and will indicate that more rosin is necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use the rosin specifically for your instrument. Not all rosin is the same. Rosin for a bass is less dense than that used for a violin. Bass rosin will make a mess out of a violin bow and vice versa.
• Never touch the hair on the bow. Oils from hands getting on the bow decrease the friction between the bow and string and will cause problems with the bow if it is touched. There will be a section of the bow just above the frog that your thumb will touch but nothing else.
• Wipe all extra rosin off the instrument. Rosin can wear away at the finish of your instrument and create pits and thin places in the finish. Use a clean cloth, a handkerchief is great for this, to wipe the instrument clean every time that it is played.