How to rosin a violin bow for the first time

A new violin bow makes almost no sound until it has rosin on it. Rosin is a hard cake of tree resin. Rubbed on the bow hair, it gives the hair enough grip to pull the string and make it ring. This page shows how to rosin a bow for the first time and how to keep it right after that.

What you need

• The bow
• A cake of violin rosin
• A soft cloth

Ask your teacher or the shop to do the first coat if you can. They will show you how in two minutes. If you are on your own, follow the steps below.

Step 1: tighten the bow

Turn the screw at the end of the bow to the right. The hair pulls tight and moves away from the stick.

Stop when the gap between the hair and the middle of the stick is about the width of a pencil. The stick still curves in toward the hair. A stick that is straight, or that bows outward, is too tight.

Step 2: get the rosin ready

A new cake of rosin is smooth and shiny, and it may not give up any powder at first. Some teachers scuff the surface a little with fine sandpaper or the edge of a key to help it start. Ask before you do this, since some players prefer to leave it alone.

Step 3: rosin the bow

1. Hold the rosin in your left hand and the bow in your right.
2. Lay the hair flat on the rosin, down at the end near your hand.
3. Draw the bow across the rosin, all the way to the tip. Use a slow stroke and light pressure.
4. Draw it back again.
5. Turn the cake a little every few strokes, so you do not wear a groove in one place.

A brand-new bow, or one with new hair, needs a lot of strokes the first time. Keep going until the hair looks a little dusty and white, and then test it.

Step 4: test it

Play a long, slow note on an open string.

What you hear	What it means	What to do
A clear, steady note	The bow has enough rosin	Stop
A faint, whistling note, and the bow slides	Too little rosin	Add more strokes and test again
A harsh, scratchy note, with a puff of white dust	Too much rosin	Play for a while, and wipe the strings. Do not add more for a few days.

After the first time

A bow that is already rosined needs far less.

• How much: three or four strokes up and down
• How often: every practice for some players, and every few days for others. Ask your teacher.
• How to tell: if the sound is clear, skip it. More rosin does not make a better sound.

Five rules for children

1. Do not touch the hair. The oil on your fingers makes smooth spots where the rosin cannot stick.
2. Do not drop the rosin. It breaks like glass.
3. Use slow strokes. They spread the rosin over all the hair.
4. Wipe up. After you play, wipe the white dust off the strings and the top of the violin with a soft cloth.
5. Loosen the bow. Turn the screw to the left before the bow goes back in the case.

A parent can rosin the bow for a child under six or seven. It becomes the child’s job when the teacher says so.

Light rosin or dark rosin?

Rosin comes in shades from pale gold to nearly black.

• Light rosin is harder and less sticky. Violinists often choose it.
• Dark rosin is softer and stickier. Cellists and bass players often choose it, and some players switch to it in cold, dry weather.

For a beginner, the cake that came with the violin is fine. Do not use bass rosin on a violin bow. It is much too sticky.

When rosin is not the problem

If the bow still slips after plenty of rosin, the hair may be old and worn, or someone may have touched it. A violin shop can put new hair on a bow.

If the sound is scratchy with only a little rosin, look at how the bow is moving. Too much pressure and a bow too close to the bridge both scratch. Ask the teacher to check.

Keep it in the case

Store the rosin in its cloth or box, in the small pocket of the case. Read violin accessories for beginners for the rest of what belongs there.

For the next steps, read how to hold a violin bow, how to tune a child’s violin, and first violin songs for kids.