capefiddle - Posted - 05/01/2025:  16:58:00

Hello. An issue I sometimes have is my bow slides unintentionally up and down the strings (from between bridge to finger board). It could be because I've not yet learned to effectively control the bowing action. The other thing I'm wondering if the rosin I use had more grip to it.... if that would help. The rosin I've used came with the rental and probably is a fairly low grade rosin. I'd like to try another rosin but have no idea which brand to try. Any suggestions?
Thanks
John

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 05/01/2025:  18:12:26

There is a great deal to learn about rosins. What is best is what's best for you and your style. The darker rosins are said to be "stickier" where the lighter rosins are said to be 'smoother". I use Motrya because many years ago it was recommended to me. It seems to work well .... but that's for me playing Bluegrass. Some rosins don't mix well with others. I recall years ago an article comparing rosins. Here's a good place to start. thestrad.com/featured-stories/...9.article

RinconMtnErnie - Posted - 05/01/2025:  19:50:32

Hill Dark is a go-to rosin for me. It's popular for fiddling and affordable.

ChickenMan - Posted - 05/01/2025:  22:05:01

It's your bowing. Play long bows on scales in front of a mirror for a few minutes each time you practice. Focus on staying in the sweet spot. One trick that helped me was to put a quarter on back of my bowing hand and let it ride up and down without falling off. This requires you to flex your wrist as your moven up and down. Think of bringing your wrist to your nose. That's an odd way of looking at it, but works for some folks.

Edited by - ChickenMan on 05/01/2025 22:06:47

ChickenMan - Posted - 05/01/2025:  22:09:36

Cecilia solo rosin, half cake. Pricey, I suppose, but you will not be disappointed. Lasts forever if you don't drop it. Use sparingly, three sweetie from end to end is plenty. The cake will last a long time.

DougD - Posted - 05/02/2025:  04:24:54

Chances are the rosin that came with the rental is not the best, but I agree with Billy that its probably your bowing. The bow isn't supposed to go skittering around on its own - you need to control it.
Also, where are you right now? If you're down here it's been very humid lately, and generally might be more humid than you're used to at home.
Lots of people like Hill dark, but complain that it breaks easily if dropped, but I've never dropped mine. My favorite is probably Pirastro Oliv. You can spend a lot of money on rosin, like some in UsuallyPickin's link, but I never have, so I don't know if its worth it.

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 05/02/2025:  05:41:43

One thing I forgot to mention. Rosin can build up in your instrument strings. Keeping it cleaned off will help with the tone and playability. Cleaning it off .... I use a disposable alcohol wipe, another thing that works is to use a cork. Play on you have years of interesting fun to look forward to. R/

Erockin - Posted - 05/02/2025:  05:59:48

What Chicken Man said! Going on my 3rd year, I still stop and long bow from tip to tip on each string and each set of double strings for as long as I can tolerate! Mainly when no one is home. ;)

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 05/02/2025:  06:23:26

Rosin is supposed to produce enough friction to get the string to stretch and then snap back into place in a slipstick motion, but that's the extent of its purpose. Too much friction will make the tone rough. The bow’s position between bridge and fingerboard is very important for sound, as there is a sweet spot at about 1/3 of the distance from the bridge. Going far enough in either direction causes significant changes in tone (e.g. sul tasto or sul ponticello).



For most playing, keeping the bow moving in a straight line along the sweet spot is key to a pure and rich tone. One of the biggest lessons that new players must learn is to keep the bow moving straight. In order to do this, the wrist must actually take a C shaped path; that’s confusing to a lot of beginners because it feels like the bow must be anything but straight if the wrist is moving in such a round manner, but looking in a mirror makes it easy to see what’s going on: by moving the wrist and arm in the proper path, the bow itself ends up straight on the string at all times in the bow stroke. Of course it’s easy to lose this straightness of bow path as one gets caught up in other parts of playing, but analysis of any great violinist will reveal just how much this matters. Many problems with uneven tone stem from this problem.



If the bow is naturally skating toward the fingerboard, one thing immediately comes to mind: check the position of the violin. The body of the violin should be parallel to the floor, with a clear sight line to the scroll. If the violin is drooping, gravity will naturally send the bow toward the fingerboard. Simply holding the violin up will help the bow track better on the strings and will make it easier to play with a cleaner tone.

Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 05/02/2025 06:24:17

wrench13 - Posted - 05/02/2025:  07:18:34

Bow control is how you prevent the bow from moving out of the 'sweet spot' - those exercises I gave you will help a lot for that, John.

There are books worth of information and opinions on rosin. basic rule - don't over rosin! Other then that, well some folks obsess over rosin and some put a few swipes of what ever is handy and everything in between. I knew one fiddler that would put 1 swipe of this brand and 2 swipes of something else and a final swipe of a third brand, and he swore by it. Did it work? He sounded pretty good, not fantastic. I think it was more of a psychological boost than a practical use of rosin, but who knows!

The only time you need a LOT of rosin is when the bow is rehaired. A common beginner error is to slather it on - I used to put so much on, the friggin bow would SMOKE rosin dust! Made my luthier laugh. 2-4 swipes on a well rosined bow should be good for a few hours of playing

Dick Hauser - Posted - 05/11/2025:  12:08:27

I read something this surprised me. The author said an excessive amount of rosin can be as big a problem as an inadequate amount of rosin. It has the same affect. Youtube has shown me how to do lots of things. I would browse "violin + rosin" and check out the videos.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 05/11/2025:  13:49:45

As Rich Maxham sez....

capefiddle - Posted - 05/11/2025:  14:36:44

Thanks again for the comments and suggestions. I wound up getting the Pirastro brand to try. I cleaned the hairs on the bow with denatured alcohol and gingerly ran a toothbrush through the hair....and let it all dry. The next day applied just 3 or 4 swipes of the new rosin. I "think" it gave a bit more resonance to the strings when bowed but I think in the end, I just need to get better at my bowing. Been playing scales, long bowing and trying to get that bow to stay between the bridge and the finger board.
John

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 05/11/2025:  18:09:10

quote:

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Originally posted by capefiddle

...but I think in the end, I just need to get better at my bowing. Been playing scales, long bowing and trying to get that bow to stay between the bridge and the finger board.

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Keep at it! Bow control is the hardest part of violin playing, and even after you've gotten to the point where you have a good feel for the bow, developing the nuance to draw different colors out of the violin is a lifetime pursuit.

As is often pointed out, the violin is not the most ergonomic instrument, and to play it well you have to adapt to the instrument's demands. In early stages of learning, everything feels unnatural and awkward, and there are just so many fine motor skills being combined at once to simply get a decent tone. It really does change with practice, though, and eventually the violin and bow begin to feel like part of your body. The awkward movements start to feel more natural than anything else you do.

One of the most enthralling aspects of the violin for me is that it is so difficult to play well, and that to develop command of the instrument, you must first bend to its will in a sense by learning how it needs to be played. Imposing your will on the instrument as you're learning either fails entirely or leads to a severely limited outcome. 

ShawnCraver - Posted - 05/22/2025:  19:40:02

definitely skip the cheap no name rosin... spend the 15-25 on something respectable.

I have a Hidersine medium lately I've been liking. Smells like a white pine...which I like. It was 15$?

bowing... does have a ton to do with rosin/vice versa. but forget about the details for now and just get you a good cake of rosin and focus on playing your tune. you'll feel the rosin eventually. it does have everything to do with the bowing... bowing is (tone-timing-execution) but remember to enjoy the tune you're playing... it will inform your bowing. rosin preference will follow... some day... maybe... welcome!

TuneWeaver - Posted - 06/01/2025:  06:46:17

Yes, expensive rosin really is a bargain considering that a good cake can last years...unless you drop it and it shatters..

Edited by - TuneWeaver on 06/01/2025 06:46:41

wrench13 - Posted - 06/02/2025:  17:51:52

Amen Lee. I have yet to use a rosin until there is nothing left of it. Always I either drop it or lose it. Or some one clipped it but what fiddler would do that!

Old Scratch - Posted - 06/03/2025:  07:28:15

quote:

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

Yes, expensive rosin really is a bargain considering that a good cake can last years...unless you drop it and it shatters..

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Which you do, and it does - don't you, and doesn't it?

Dick Hauser - Posted - 08/01/2025:  14:36:20

After watching Youtube videos on bowhair maintenance, I used 000 steel wool and cleaned my strings and bowhair. I switched to a lighter rosin to minimize my tendency to use too much rosin. I had not been getting much "traction" with my bowhair. I watched a Kennedy Violin video are increased the tension on the bowhair. All

Dick Hauser - Posted - 08/01/2025:  14:54:33

Through personal experience I have learned that removing old rosin can be as important as adding more rosin. I learned to clean my strings and bowhair with 000 steel wool. I also did some checking and found that my bowhair should be tighter;
I did these these things and bowhair traction problems disappeared. I have a couple of bows I don't use often, so I will use them to practice rehairing a bow. I play alone, so I have to solve my own problems. After I learn to rehair bows, I will start using Mongolian bowhair. Spending a couple of grand or more on a fiddle and scrimping on bowhair does not make sense.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 08/01/2025:  15:32:59

quote:

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Originally posted by Dick Hauser

Through personal experience I have learned that removing old rosin can be as important as adding more rosin. I learned to clean my strings and bowhair with 000 steel wool. I also did some checking and found that my bowhair should be tighter;

I did these these things and bowhair traction problems disappeared. I have a couple of bows I don't use often, so I will use them to practice rehairing a bow. I play alone, so I have to solve my own problems. After I learn to rehair bows, I will start using Mongolian bowhair. Spending a couple of grand or more on a fiddle and scrimping on bowhair does not make sense.

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Please don't use steel wool on your hair and strings! It destroys them by abrading their natural texture away. 

 

Read this article for an explanation with good photos:

shop.warchal.com/blogs/what-s-...r-strings