The Frequently Asked Questions of Violin Rosin
Your violin will not produce that lovely sound unless your bow has no violin rosin. So it is absolutely important that you don’t consider this detail as a trivial matter. Generally, there are different kinds of rosin. And each kind of the violin rosin creates a certain kind of sound when used on the bow. Now, how does one go about choosing what rosin to use?
What are Violin Rosins?
Basically, violin rosin is a viscous, almost sticky substance used on the bow. It is applied on the bow hairs prior to using the instrument. Once the rosined bow is drawn or dragged across the violin’s strings, some of the rosin gets transferred to them (the strings). The recurring drawing to and fro of the bow creates a vibration hence, creating the sound you hear.
How is Violin Rosin Produced?
According to experts, violin rosins are made by collecting tree sap from 100 different kinds of pine trees. After collecting the required amount, the sap is then mixed with other different ingredients. The mixture is then transferred into a mold and allowed to harden. The bars of violin rosin are then polished, packed and shipped to different music stores across the world.
What Are the Different Types of Rosin?
1) Light Rosin
The light violin rosin is tapped during the late winter or sometimes in early spring. The saps during this time have a very golden or amber color, hard and not sticky. When used on the violin bow, this rosin usually produced a very smooth sound.
Normally, the light rosin is pricey so it’s not for any fiddler. But because it creates a good sound quality, professionals are willing to invest on it.
2) Dark Rosin
Saps tapped during the summer and fall is the primary ingredient of dark rosins. Unlike its light counterpart, dark rosins are softer and very sticky. The music it creates is kind of coarse and gritty. In spite of its low cost, this rosin is only used by students and musicians whose sound needs to be raw and rough.
What Factors Determine Rosin Choice?
When choosing what type of rosin to buy, you should consider some important factors. Some of these factors are:
1) Dust Tolerance
This factor is greatly dependent on your health situation. Certain types of rosin accumulates more dust than others so if you have any allergic reaction to dust, avoid these rosins. Usually, it’s the light violin rosin that you want to steer clear of.
However, if you have decided to use light violin rosin then get the hypoallergenic kind. Some stores offer such products. You may ask your local music stores about it.
2) Humidity
Rosins become very sticky when subjected to a humid climate. So if you are living in a humid area, you may want to invest on some light rosin. Because this variety is not initially sticky, it will offset the excessive stickiness that the climate will bring. On the other hand, if you’re living a dry area then you may want to use the dark rosin variety.
