Rosin increases the friction of the bow as it is drawn across the strings. Too little rosin can lead to a faint whispery sound or no sound at all, while too much rosin can cause a scratchy sound. Even before you can play notes, your ear will be the best way to tell if your bow is properly rosined.

A new violin bow needs to be primed with more rosin before first use than a used bow, and the rosin cake may need to be prepared as well. More complete information is available here:

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page369.htm

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