How much rosin is too much rosin on the violin?

Question

I'm always applying rosin to the bow of my violin. How much is too much or how often do I need to apply rosin onto the bow.

Answer 1

It all depends on the amount of time you play or practice. If you practice for less than an hour, then you don't need to apply rosin every day. I put on a new coat of rosin after every three or four hours of practice and before performances.

The amount of rosin you need also depends on what kind of rosin it is, how much pressure you put into the bow, and what kind of bow and bow hair you have.

You will know if you have put on too much rosin when you play if the sound you produce is scratchier and more harsh than what it usually is. Also, a little cloud of rosin dust will appear wen you play. If that happens, take the cloth that you use to clean your strings and gently wipe the surface of the bow hair a few times.

It takes a little experience to get it just right, so experiment with how much you put on and adjust the amount to suit your needs.

Answer 2

It's a good idea to rosin your bow each time you're going to use it. However, the first time you use your new bow, you're going to need to rosin it for, say half an hour, until you can get it to "hold on" to the strings, to make them vibrate.

Well.. I'm not so sure on how much rosin is too much rosin, but you should put enough so that your bow can produce a loud, crisp sound. Sometimes, (if your hands are clean!!) you can pull on one of the bow-hairs, and release it to see if excess rosin floats off.

I hope this helped =] Enjoy playing the violin! It's a great instrument!!