How to Rosin your Bow 🎻 [Get the BEST sound] 

Now that you've leveled up your rosin technique, go download Tonic to level up your playing too: tonicmusic.app/join-in 🎵

My luthier taught me to rotate the resin cake as you apply it to the bow to avoid creating a groove in the resin, which would cause damage to the hairs on the sides of the bow.

Your analogies are brilliant! I particularly love the wet hand on the balloon one-very tactile and vivid. Thank you for this video.

Never touched a violin in my life, I just really like listening to this guy talk so passionately about his stuff

I don't even play violin why am I here?

As a beginner violinist, I truly appreciate your videos. I was interested in playing the violin about 2 years ago but quit because I couldn’t find any videos that explained what I needed to do. Now I’m back in and luckily I found these videos so now I know what I’m doing.

Thank you for this video!! My son has been playing for about 1.5 years and wasn't taught how to properly rosin his bow. This is super helpful. Please make more of these types of tutorials.

Hey Ray, thanks for your videos, I recently picked up my violin that I had for almost 50 years, decided to remember how to play now that I'm 56 (was 8yo for about 2 years played). lol my fingers are no longer moving as fast... but your videos are inspirational, got me to really want to continue playing. Just wanted to say Thank YOU!

I don’t play violin either. I am here to support my favorite violinist and feel like part of the community.

I think Ray speaks faster than usual😅 He is full of thoughts that he wants to convey to everyone.

LOVE your performances ! It was nice to be able to se you off-stage and relaxed. Keep you the good work !

Simple but important...thank you for teaching how to do it correctly 💙

Thanks for the tips Ray. I divide my bow in four sections and apply rosin one section at a time across the bow. Didn’t know about the toothbrush technique. Now I have to try that.

This is very helpful! I didn't know about covering up the ferrul but this makes a lot of sense. Will definitely use these tips.

I appreciate the analogies when you explain things. makes my baby brain understand it better.

Thanks Ray! Glad you recommended the toothbrush method, which I have been doing for years. My colleagues question my sanity. I learned a bit as well. Great presentation.

Thank you for this video. I've been wanting to know exactly what you explained.

This video was super helpful even after thinking I knew how to apply rosin. You the man, Ray!

Im glad to see helpful videos like this since i remember having trouble with simple stuff like this when i started out playing!

Great tutorial! Will implement immediately! ! Thx

Thanks, helpfull and you have a fantastic positive vibe, love it

Just got a new bow in the mail today that is actually from the store of one of the rosins used in the rosin example image. It's the first bow that I've bought. My current bow came with my rental. Sure could have used the tips in the video to rosin up new bow, today. Didn't see the video until after I rosined my bow. Welp, will definitely use the tips in the future. Thanks!

lany thanks! learned so much! this is so helpfull

Thanks! I love the toothbrush idea.🎉

I'm loving these videos

His metaphors are so on point

I really love your contents!!😊

You're a great teacher I wish you had lots of lessons..

I'm waiting for the actual video, as a violin beginner I hope to learn something to improve my playing and maybe someday I'll be able to join an orchestra

Guys PLEASE don't forget to clean your bow and violin after playing!!!

Right Here Waiting ❤

Thank you, Ray... instantly better! How many years not knowing😢

You’re seriously so awesome! I’ve been wondering how to do this for about a year and a half now… lol…

I just came back from playing the violin ( i took some hiatus) and this video is so helpful for me

Ordering one soon! Havent played in 5 years i gotta relearn everything

Ohh thank you so much Rey I'm learning the violin by my self so thank you so much❤😊 luv u

Hi Ray! Awesome and very helpful video ........ I love your channel and your playing. its awesome. I would very much appreciate if you could do a video on how to properly clean a bow . i think that would be really helpful for my self and all of our fellow musicians..... Thank you!

I use Gustave Bernardel Rosin . Thank for the tips

Ray, thank you 😊

That toothbrush trick is great, my bow's gonna be so well rosined as soon as I pick up a toothbrush that isn't electric.

4:09 - the JAWS finger-nail scratch on chalk board analogy! Kidding only. I definitely learned some good techniques in this vid! Excellent vid.

It’s interesting you use the toothbrush technique because when I was 11 my orchestra teacher had us do this during our lessons. Although since then I hadn’t continued doing it but I think I will start using one again when I apply rosin.

Thanks

Thanks for the video Ray. I do it differently… You’re bowing your rosin! I think you should rosin your bow. It means that your bow should be kept still on your left hand, with the hair up and holding the rosin with your right hand you start moving it over the bow hair in the fashion you clearly explained. In that way we have much more control over the rosin direction and pressure over the bow hair . It works great! Try it.

Nice tip, very few explain it without hay 👍

Thank you! This is very helpful for a beginner - I can make a sound now! I just video called my mom and I couldn't play anything lol Also, I feel like I levelled up just by using a toothbrush :D

Thank you. My 6yr old begins her violin lessons today after receiving hers for a Christmas gift. We were going to cancel because we couldn't get any sound. Thank you for this video.

The toothbrush tip was new to me. Makes sense!

I appreciate you're a revered professional & I do love your playing 😊, but I repair violin family of instruments & the way I prefer to rosin a bow (especially from new) is to lay the bow across the lap (not great when dressed in black) with the hair up, holding it with the left hand. I then hold the round cake (as you do), but I constantly rotate it as I'm rubbing it on the hair to avoid wearing a groove through the middle of it, in small strokes (as you described). That way I can really get the rosin on where I want it more, like the middle areas that tend to get worn off more. I then bounce the back of the stick on my hand to shake off loose excessive rosin & then wipe off any rosin on the stick (an area I usually have to clean back during a rehair).

Thanks for sharing 😊 never heard that with the tooth brush before. How often you need to rosin your bow will also depend on how much you play I. My kid plays a lot less and doesn't need to rosin her bow that often. Also, my local luthier so messed up my bow (right after cleaning it) putting on some random rosin so I could test the new strings properly (worst luthier ever, made my sound post fall without being able to place it correctly again... my teacher had to fix that)...

Super super super tips Augustine violinist from Malaysia

That bow hair looks happy

Ray’s animations are just so funny

I’ve never heard of the toothbrush trick. I’ll definitely give it a shot.

When I was young my parents had my bow re-haired at the local band shop. They helped us out by applying powered rosin to the new bow hair. I’ve since wondered if that is a best practice.

Hi Ray! Thanks for all your help. I bet that toothbrush tastes kind of funny after using it to even up the rosin on your bow!

I find it so fascinating that in some videos Ray's accent skews more American and then in others his Aussie accent is much thicker! Just a fun observation knowing he's spent time in both places. Love the videos, Ray, and thanks for sharing these great tips! Retired cellist here but forever a classical music nerd.

Important video

To save time, I use 220 grit sandpaper on my new rosin. Then I follow up with the toothbrush after applying the rosin.

wish i could come and see you for your Sibelius violin concerto in Edinburgh.... :(

That's interesting, I recall a lyric in "The Devil Went Downed To Georgia", which I assumed was supposed to be "risened", but here we are: I learned a new violin-related thing.

OOOOOOOoooooooooppppppps. I have been doing the 16 bar technique and no wonder the rosin was making me sneeze.

A point worth making is to avoid moving the bow too fast or with too much pressure so as to avoid heating the hair and rosin. Let the hair cut the rosin but do it slowly. You can hear it cut too. Be patient with new hair. It may not seem like it's taking rosin but it is and build it up gradually and test the bow even when you think there isn't enough rosin on the hair.

A few seconds after Ray Chen said "take care of both your rosin and your instrument", I smashed my rosin on the floor of my living room. I think using a smashed rosin helped the tone of my playing. It immediately improved. But don't do it! I may be wrong.

Ok.. I don’t play violin… but I do use rosin. I remember scratching up my rosin w/ a paper clip to get the rosin dust out😅. I realized I was doing it wrong. Like, there were big lines across the rosin and many cracks.I broke my forbidden candy lol 😂 ( I got a new one with a new bow…. Which I might’ve dropped (both of them…)😅). Also, at 4:10, I never thought I’d hear Ray make that sound on the violin 😂

Hi Ray, Are you planning to make a video about what are you doing in normal day? Like a Vlog

This is an awesome video! I have seen some violinists quickly swipe their bow in the air like doing the mark of El Zorro 🎩 🦊 , I guess to get rid of excess rosin. Thoughts?

thanks for the toothbrush trick!

Thanks for the tip. Now I will try brush my bow😅.

@RayChen i play the violin i should've came here a long time ago after i got my violin i had just didn't know that you were on RU-vid the day when you and Karolina protsenko played together amd then that is when i found out about you thanks for the help and question how would you get the roain off of the bow with damaging it what is the safest way

what i like to do after applying rosin is to run a microfibre cloth between the wood and the hair of the bow to wipe the rosin off the wood - i know, i know, i'm just ocd.

Never considered a toothbrush to even out rosin. Appreciate the tip.

I’m going to play a solo in my violin club so this is really useful gotta rosin it everyday😂

The one really important lesson to take away from this is why he needed to rosin in the first place. PLEASE get your bow new hair with every change in seasons. Ray didn’t elaborate on WHY he had to put down new rosin. It’s because he had a rehair on his bow. I see so many bows where the hair is old and dry. You know your hair is fried if you can’t grab one of the many on your bow and pull it, stretch it. If it won’t stretch and just “snaps”. You need a rehair. Once you get that rehair then Ray’s video becomes so important. Play on!

Ia this live? Very cool

The Will Ferell edit secured a like and subscribe from me

I never do it and it helps me bluff my way through as the sound is mellow and less acrid when you do not use it.

Hi Ray, how often should I or can I do the toothbrush trick? It's seems very damaging to the hair and shouldn't be over used.

El movimiento de tu mano en el vibrato es de derecha a izquierda o de atrás hacia adelante ?

Buenos días, si voy a cambiar de rosin en el mismo arco? Hay que limpiar el arco de la rosin anterior?

Hi Ray! When you have a new cake of rosin do you scratch it or just work it in with the bow hairs?

Do you recommend scratching the surface of a fresh rosin? I was taught that when I first started but don't know if that's the right thing to do 😂

Can you attach a link to the best rosin please ray?

What rosin do you use?

What to do when halfway through the concert u find yourself having not enough rossin?

Never tried the toothbrush method, I’ll have to try it! What’s your favorite rosin brand?

Guys should I tighten my bow before or after rosinning ? Thxx

Thank you so much for this tip. I am having issues when I play in rehearsal with my strings sounded brittle and scratchy towards the end, it makes my violin sound terrible and me also as a player. My violin and strings are all very good quality (violin around £18k, strings are pirastro gold ) I mainly play baroque. I've put a humidifier pouch in the case and have a hygrometer but nothing seems to help. Do you have any tips??? Really struggling here. Maybe the church air becomes dry as its always cold in there... I dont know 😕

Whats your favorite rosin? Not sure if I'm using the good enough one or not 🫢 Gonna try the toothbrush!!! Thanks sm in advance, Dr. Ray! 🫶

Is it better to apply rosin before, during, or after practice? Or does it not matter? I’ve heard from a friend that rosining after lets it set, but I don’t know if that’s true or not.

So, what do you do when the rosin builds up on the strings? Do you wipe them down just with a cloth, or maybe some water? Or are the strings supposed to have a bit of rosin on them as well? I just find it messes with my bowing because it's unevenly distributed, so I cannot adjust.

Seems like Ray watches F1 race~~~Great~

i dont know if you will see this, is it possible to clean off rosin from the bow? my bow probably has tons of rosin on it and it needs a refresher but im unsure if its actually to clean rosin off without harming the hair or the bow

What about rosin on the double bass?

Is that Jade rosin? Do you use the same rosin all the time?

I'm going to have to try the toothbrush idea. My bow never felt grippy, no matter how much rosin i put on

What brand of rosin does he use?

I do have a question. I have been playing violin for about 6 years, and my mom( who has been playing since fifth grade) always taught me to bang on the rosin (not super hard) to get the powder out, and i noticed that it didnt look like you did that with yours. Is that healthy for the bow and rosin or can it damage them both over time, and should i stop doing that to my rosin?

F1 tires are extremely sticky!! Think about it, would u want something to skid when ur moving really fast?

Got a second- (or third-)hand violin for my 6-yo and it came with rosin but it's so hard I don't know if the film on top is supposed to be there or if I need to somehow take it off. Thanks!