How do you rosin your bow?

Michele

Some people stroke the rosin in one direction from frog to tip only, others start at the middle and stroke from middle out to the frog and then out to the tip. Most just stroked the full length of the bow one way and then back the other way. Another one used short strokes, 6" or so, and worked up and down the length of the hair.

Is there a preferred method of rosining a bow and, if so, does it make any difference to the quality of the sound generated?  Is there any other advantage of one method over another?

ruby

I may not be the best person to answer as I probably rosin my bow less than anyone I have ever encountered (maybe once for every 10-20 hours played, whereas most rosin up every time they pull their instrument out). I really don't think it matters how the rosin is applied, just try to get a nice dusting evenly distributed. I personally use kind of teh 6 inch back andforth method starting at the frog and working toward the tip, then wipe the bow on a rag to smooth it out and remove excess rosin - but remember I don't use much, have never needed it, yet I do get a very large soloist quality tone, (I play both chamber music and concertmaster an orchestra). I find too much rosin actually hampers tone production, you want the bow to stimulate vibration but never hamper it,which I think can happen if it is too sticky.

lulumi

I use a light rosin, but that sort of thing is completely subjective. I have used the same Rosin since I was a kid - hidersine and have probably only bought about 4 cakes in 40 years. It is inexpensive and I have never had a reason to question it's effectiveness. Out of curiousity I bought a cake of the Dominant Rosin a few months ago and don't like it at all, it seems waxy to me. I've borrowed other people's rosin from time to time, but have really not noticed anything good or bad about any of those rosins, just the Dominant.

ada

As a general rule, cellists play with dark rosin.  use as little as possible, and certainly do not rosin every time.
I start by using just a few quick strokes at the tip to warm it up (with friction, I mean...), then use maybe 3-4 light passes, full length.
Don't make the mistake of warming up the rosin at the frog, you'll end up with too much at a place you're not going to need it.
I can tell you the real secret is practise, but you already knew that!