How to use rosin on my violin bow? Rub back and forth for a few times?!
Question: This is a perfectly legitimate question. I personally, never scratch up my rosin. I start with a brand new cake and hold the rosin in the same position the violin would be if I was playing it. (Some people that I respect very much use a fine grade of sandpaper to rough up the surface a bit by the way) Then, I run the bow back and forth, from frog to tip, several times the same way I would bow a long tone on the violin. This is not only excellent bowing practice, but it is far easier on the cilia that actually cause the string to vibrate. If you scratch up the rosin or scrub the bow in any way, it can damage or even pull off the cilia (tiny hairs connected to the long hairs. This is what keeps hoses warm in really cold climates, and why Mongolian Horses hair is preferred to hair from a warmer climate) causing dead spots in the bow
If your bow is brand new, it needs to be primed. You prime the bow the same way, except for the fact that it takes anywhere from fifty to one hundred and fifty strokes (yes, back and forth) to get the bow "sticky" enough to cause the strings to vibrate properly.
Answers: This is a perfectly legitimate question. I personally, never scratch up my rosin. I start with a brand new cake and hold the rosin in the same position the violin would be if I was playing it. (Some people that I respect very much use a fine grade of sandpaper to rough up the surface a bit by the way) Then, I run the bow back and forth, from frog to tip, several times the same way I would bow a long tone on the violin. This is not only excellent bowing practice, but it is far easier on the cilia that actually cause the string to vibrate. If you scratch up the rosin or scrub the bow in any way, it can damage or even pull off the cilia (tiny hairs connected to the long hairs. This is what keeps hoses warm in really cold climates, and why Mongolian Horses hair is preferred to hair from a warmer climate) causing dead spots in the bow
If your bow is brand new, it needs to be primed. You prime the bow the same way, except for the fact that it takes anywhere from fifty to one hundred and fifty strokes (yes, back and forth) to get the bow "sticky" enough to cause the strings to vibrate properly.
If it's a new cake of rosin, get a pin and cross-hatch the top with scratches (first time only) and then just run the bow hair from tip to frog. Don't overdo it, and dust off the excess with a clean, dry cloth. Silly.