Although all violinists used rosin, not many of them know its origins. Also, rosin is not just used for violinists. Lets take a look at where rosin came from and its many uses.

Whats in a name?

Rosin is also called colophony or greek pitch. The name colophony comes from ‘colophonia resina’ which is derived from the country Colophon which is an ancient Ionic city.

What is it made of?

Rosin as we know it is a tree resin in solid form. It is obtained from pine trees and other conifer plants. This raw material is then heated to vaporize the harmful element of it, the liquid terpene. This new purified form of rosin is then left to solidify and shaped into ‘cakes’ so they can be sold. When sold it is a golden yellow/brown color usually but can range from very light yellow to very dark brown/black. At room temperature it is very brittle and can smash when dropped but it does melt at very high temperatures.

Types of Rosin

Another facts that many violinists do not know is that rosin comes in two different versions for two different seasons. The lighter coloured rosins are more suited to summer and the darker rosins are more suited to winter. The darker rosins are softer and this means that they become sticky in the summer heat, making them unsuitable for use in the summertime. Lighter rosin is more suitable for the winter months and also more suitable for violins and violas, lower instruments like cellos and double basses need a darker rosin.

How it is used on a violin bow?

The rosin cake is rubbed along the hairs of the bow, as this action happens the rosin will come away onto the hairs of the bow in powder form. Violinists put rosin on their bows to lubricate it so that the bow hairs slide across the strings with ease.

Other uses for rosin.

• Rosin is a component in printing inks and can also be found in photocopying ink and laser printing paper.
• Gymnasts rub it on their hands to improve their grip
• Bull riders also use it for grip on their hands
• Ballet players sometimes rub rosin onto their shoes before performing to avoid slipping.

An interesting fact:

The dust that comes from rosin can sometimes be irritating to string players and some are even allergic to it, these days manufacturers make hypoallergenic rosin to combat this.

The bow is an essential part of playing the violin. Without a bow the violin can’t make much sound. Not many people know that it only takes one string to create a sound from the violin. A violin bow however has many hundreds of hairs attached to it.

A violin bow can be very expensive. Some violin bows can cost as much as the violin. As a general rule the bow should cost half the amount of money that the violin cost. Professionals however can pay thousands (and rarely millions) for their bows. A violin bow is made from wood and horse hair although some are made from synthetic hair, these are usually the cheaper and lesser quality bows.

In recent years bows have started to be made from fiber glass and it makes them fairly inexpensive. This is a great idea for violinist who is clumsy and tends to break their bows a lot. Fiber glass is a tougher material than wood and doesn’t break as easily as wood. So if you’re the kind of person who breaks things easily it may be wise to invest in a fiber glass bow. Fiber glass bows are also a popular choice as a practise bow.

Structure of the bow

At the end of the bow is a structure called the ‘frog’. This clamps the bow hairs to the bow at one end and has a metal adjuster which is twisted to adjust the tightness of the hairs on the bow. The hairs are clamped at the other end of the bow, which is the tip. The tip of the bow is the most delicate part of the bow and can break easily if the bow is not treated well.

How to care for your bow

Even though the bow hairs must be tightened in order for it to be played they must not be tightened when the bow is put away. If the bow hairs are tightened for a long period of time then it could cause damage to the bow. The hairs on the bow are also replaceable and must be replaced every so often. Professional musicians usually do this once a year or before if the bow looses too much hair. Vigarous violin playing can result in the hairs on the bow breaking and having to be removed. The hair on the bow must also be treated well. Violinist put a substance called rosin on their bows to lubricate it and help it slide across the bow. Rosin is a plant extract which is collected and formed into a cake to dry, that solid cake is then dragged across the bow and the rosin rubs off on the hairs.

Violin Cases

Violin cases typically come in two shapes, oblong and rectangular. Choosing a violin case isn’t an exact science it is more up to your price range and the style of case that you want. All cases have around the same amount of protection to the violin. There are some specialist cases for violins to travel in and these generally tend to be more padded than ordinary cases.

Hard Cases

The term ‘hard case’ refers to the outer coating of the violin case which is generally made from a hard plastic and lined with a velvety material to cushion the violin. A basic hard case will have slots for two bows but not any more than that. It will also have a small pocket inside the case for rosin and a cleaning cloth.

An example of a cheap hard case is this case from vivaceviolin.com

RRPing at £70/$140 this is a budget case but is hardwearing and does the job well. It weighs 2kg and measures 375mm in length. The outside of the case has two little locking clips to keep the case together. It is unclear from the website if the case has zips but most hard cases don’t have.

This next case is an example of a hard case with lots of extras. The price of this case is £400/$800 approximatley.

This case has a hard back but as you can see from the picture, a very sophisticated interior. This case  is meant for travelling, with its hard exterior and shock absorbant insides, any violin placed inside this case will be very well protected from any bumps or knocks. This case is constructed from a series of high performance materials , one of which being a three ply, AIREX structure. The technology involved means that the case is incredibly lightweight. It is also watertight due to the airseal around it. It also has four bow holders and a string tube for any spare strings that have to be kept straight.

One brand of violin cases (and all over instrument cases) is Gig. Known as Gig Bags these cases are ultra modern and have been very popular with children and teenagers. Unfortunatley even though they look good the same can not be said about their quality. The zips have often been reported as problematic in Gig cases and often break between 6 months and a year of use. Gig cases are often brightly coloured which makes them appeal to children even more. However if you are buying a case for your child don’t be fooled by the bright colours and kooky design, in my experience it is better to go for a duller looking case that does the job well.