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.

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.

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

His metaphors are so on point

Great tutorial! Will implement immediately! ! Thx

Thanks! I love the toothbrush idea.🎉

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

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

lany thanks! learned so much! this is so helpfull

I'm loving these videos

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!

I really love your contents!!😊

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'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

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

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!

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

Right Here Waiting ❤

Ray, thank you 😊

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

Nice tip, very few explain it without hay 👍

I use Gustave Bernardel Rosin . Thank for the tips

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)...

The toothbrush tip was new to me. Makes sense!

Thanks

Ray’s animations are just so funny

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.

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

That bow hair looks happy

Super super super tips Augustine violinist from Malaysia

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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

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

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.

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!

thanks for the toothbrush trick!

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

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 KZfaq 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

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

Important video

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?

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

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, 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 😂

The Will Ferell edit secured a like and subscribe from me

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

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 😕

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

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.

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

Ia this live? Very cool

Seems like Ray watches F1 race~~~Great~

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.

Probably a dumb question but--is it ever appropriate to wipe rosin off of the strings when there is a large buildup? Sometimes when I feel like I can't get the sound I want no matter what I do, I try cleaning built-up rosin off of the strings with a cloth. Sometimes there is a ton caked on! I can't really tell if cleaning is a net benefit or not but I've never heard anyone talk about doing this. I also buy pretty inexpensive rosin so that may impact how gunky the strings get.

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?

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

You mentioned 2 minutes to rosin can you share with us how many times up and down required for fresh rehaired bow. Because each person 2 minutes might be different And I seen other say for fresh rehair you go up down up to 30 times (15 up 15 down) is that correct? Another violinist KZfaqr say you also need rosin on both side of the hair is that correct? Look forward to your answer thank you

I get a lot of airy, slippy and white noise from my bow. Its properly rosined, not too much nor too little... and my hairs dont feel like theyre gripping the strings, its like bowing with flour on the bow. So powdery and dry feeling. Does this mean I should switch to dark rosin? So its be stickier and grip better? And if so, can I just wipe my existing bow hair down with a clean cloth to remove 'most' of the old light rosin before applying the new black? Please advise, I have had rosin problems for 2 years 😂 The struggles of being self-taught.

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

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

I know you're a professional and I"m an amateur, but I am curious if the "semiquaver" technique might ultimately be counterproductive? I've heard rubbing the rosin too fast or in too short a motion will heat it up faster due to increased friction, which will in turn diminish the lifespan on the rosin. Is this true?

Het, Ray! my rosin always tends to become brittle and it breaks. I need a sure fire video on vibrato. I CAN'T DO IT despite lessons!

I may not know how to play the violin but at least now i know how to rosin a bow 😅

The fact that I didn't know this during my 6 years of playing is crazy tho...

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!

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! 🫶

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

What I had done with my rosin is that I would crack it in order to coat the rosin on the bow. After watching this video, how badly would that damage my bow? Would I have to get a new one?