Okay, I am new to the Violin. I was wondering if the rosin was supposed to be so hard. It's almost like rock hard, and it doesn't seem like it would take to the bow.. but maybe that's how it's supposed to seem, I don't know.

And my other concern was with the bow. How do you know when the bow is tuned tight enough to play? I just don't get it.

Any informatin on these problems would be reaaallly appreciated.

....thanks

Hi as I know rosin doesnt have to be hard or soft, ive never seen a soft rosin, so but the important thing is, the powder of the rosin gets into the bow. So if youre using your bow for the very first time, try to scratch the rosin with a sandpaper so it will get a little powdery, then you can apply it in the bow.

as for the bow, you will know if its too tight when you strike it in your violin and it gets so bouncy. try to loosen it up, bow should still have a little, how do i describe it, still have the curve, not too parallel with the hair, wish i get the description right

but for tips you can search the net, there are alot of recommendations there about bow and rosin.

alright.... thanks ALOT for the help. if i have any other questions ill post.

..thanks

On a new bow, youl'll need to apply quite a lot of rosin to get the hair "impregnated" with it.A new cake of rosin might need a bit of scratchin to get it started.Rub the rosin on the bow until it's clearly dusty, then wipe the excess off with a clean cloth. Later just a few strokes back and forth every now and then will be enough.I've noticed that after applying the rosin you'll need to play for a while before the bow starts to work like it should, probably because of the excess rosin being removed and the rest being "worked into" the hair. The quality of the rosin seems to influence the "bite", so you might want to try different kinds, I have a very cheap chinese violin and the rosin that came with it does'nt work as good as the Thomastik brand I bought later. The bow should alvays be curved "down" (closer to the hair in the middle than at the ends), but the exact position seems to depend on the elasticity of the bowstick (I have a couple of cheap chinese bows and they are quite different in stiffness, one must be tightened until it's almost straight, for the other about 8-10mm between the hair and the stick seems good). The feel of the bow determines the right tension, you'll have to experiment to find the right combination of "springiness" and grip on the strings. For me at least, for fast playing tighter seems better, for slower songs just a bit slacker seems to "grip" better. The harder you press on the bow the tighter it needs to be.

hey there!
don't worry when i started playing i didn't even know about the rosin! what the others have said about applying it is good, and as far as i know it always comes in a hard block. apply it in shorter strokes first that usually works. to test your bow put it on a string and push down a little on your first finger on your bow hand (pointer finger) if its way to hard to push down then its too tight. if the wood of the bow hits the string quite hard then its too loose. your hairs should have tension so theyre not flopping around the place but there should be a bit of give. if it bounces all over the place its too loose. Keep it up though, because when its right it feels better to play and you'll soon figure out whats best for you.

alright.. thanks alot everyone who replied. all the information really helped. i think i got it now, and if i don't, then im sure i will catch on.

..thanks!