How to Apply Rosin to a Violin's Bow

Applying rosin to a violin bow helps create the proper vibration.

Applying rosin to a violin bow is important to achieve the best musical tone. Too little rosin and the bow hairs will not grip the strings adequately to produce a beautiful vibration. Too much rosin will result in a scratchy sound. New rosin needs to be slightly abraded with fine sandpaper or crosshatched with a knife to remove the polished surface. This will allow the bow hairs to pick up the rosin easily.

Things You'll Need

• Fine sandpaper
• Knife

Instructions

1. Press the violin hairs against the rosin cake near the frog, or handle, end of the bow.

2. Pull the bow gently in both directions while applying slight pressure on the rosin cake.

3. Turn the rosin very slightly with each pass of the hairs. This will keep you from wearing a path in the rosin from continued pressure at one spot.

4. Pass the bow back and forth from tip to frog end several times.

5. Notice the slight change in effort that occurs as the hairs are drawn across the rosin. A subtle shift happens when the bow has enough rosin on it to make it move smoothly. Stop applying rosin at this point.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid touching the bow hairs with your fingers

References

• Folk of the Wood Violin Lessons: Lesson 2: The Violin Bow
• Violin Student: Violin Rosin
• Violin Online: Violin Basics