Enhance Your Tone with the Right Rosin for Your Violin, Viola, Cello, or Bass

Rosin helps the bowhair grip the strings, and make them speak or vibrate clearly. Rosin is inexpensive, but with so many options making the right choice can greatly affect your playing agility and tone. Every rosin maker has their own, carefully hidden, formula. Some rosins emphasize smooth engagement of the string. Some offer more powerful response. Finding the right one that matches your playing style is important.

We can help advise on the qualities of the different rosin options.

GRADE

Student-grade - Cheaper, often has a grittier sound, produces more powder.

Professional-grade - Created from pure resin, generally produces a smoother, more controlled tone.

TYPE

Light Rosin - Harder and denser, not as sticky, preferable for faster, active bowing, and warmer climates, a good fit for violin and viola.

Dark Rosin - Softer, Better suited to cool, dry climates, and supports strong attack and engagement with the strings.

FORMULATION

Rosin’s range in degree of suppleness (softness) to heighten bow response. Larger instruments need softer rosin as do people looking for stronger tone-response. Colder climates also benefit from softer rosin formulations.

Harder rosins enhance bow agility, quick engagement with the string. Every manufacturer finds ways to balance the benefits of soft and hard into their specific formulations. To prevent rosin buildup from damaging your instrument, keep a soft cloth in your instrument case and thoroughly clean your strings, your instrument, and the stick of your bow after each time you play.