I decided to take a break from surfing the web on a rather upsetting topic,  picked up my fiddle, played a little and thought:

"Boy, this REALLY needs some more rosin- wonder why I didn't notice that before?"

And then, before I dug out the rosin, I noticed that when I picked up the fiddle, the shoulder rest had fallen off!

So I put it back on... and like magic, the sense of not having enough rosin disappeared!

Background.... over the last year, I've been using less and less rosin, and my recent move towards using a shoulder rest seems like it's working in with that tendency JUST GREAT!

About a year ago I stopped using a shoulder rest, so maybe I can't relate too well.
But, I play about two hours a day of violin , and I rosin about every other week.

I rosin more in these dog-days.  In the winter...not so much.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mandogryl

About a year ago I stopped using a shoulder rest, so maybe I can't relate too well.
But, I play about two hours a day of violin , and I rosin about every other week.

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Whenever I think I need more rosin, I check my bow hold! It's usually the hold. Once you get thebow hair well broken in, and if you don't have a heavy hand your really don't seem to need much rosin.

On topic - no, never noticed.

The shoulder rest may be changing the angle of the fiddle in a positive way for you. In other words, your bowing was ok but not for your violin hold. I recently moved my left elbow further to the right. A nice improvement in tone, but my bowing hasn't caught up yet.

Funny I should run across this thread today. Yes indeed! And it's more subtle than rest or no rest. This morning I would have said it's just that the old guys who didn't use shoulder rests rosined the bow every time they picked up the fiddle, and raised clouds of dust. Just custom.

But no. Lately I have been trying to get my new Bon Musica rest dialed in exactly right, and alternating with the old faithful Kun when I got a little fed up. Tonight I think I finally got it right. After raising the right hand claw about three threads, the angle was right somehow, and all of a sudden the fiddle sang. Not just as if I had put fresh rosin on, but everything worked.  And the rosin I thought I needed won't be required  for a few days. Don't ask why, but the esteemed fiddlepogo seems to be on to something.

Harold