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7 Best Violin Scale Books

Improve your violin technique with scales!

Practicing scales is great to improve your intonation, bowing technique, confidence on the fingerboard and violin playing in general

Like Itzhak Perlman points out in his masterclass I followed, scales should be part of your daily practice routine to get to know the fingerboard and play in tune confidently. When Heifetz tested him at the age of fourteen, he had to play scales to really test his violin technique.

Music is made out of scales

If you have scales, arpeggios and double stops in your fingers, it will take so much less time to practice a new piece of music. You can focus on expression and musicality much earlier without getting lost in the technique.

What scales should you practice?

According to Itzhak Perlman’s practice schedule, you spend around a third of your practice time on scales.

Each day you can:

  • Practice a different scale each day to maintain and improve your technique in general.
  • Pick a particular exercise, like scales in octaves, and play them in each key.
  • Do various exercises in the key that matches the piece you’re currently playing.
  • Apply different bowing techniques to (for example) a three octave scale.

This all depends on your level of playing and what you want to improve on right now. Never practice scales mindlessly. Always have a clear goal in mind and correct yourself like you’re your own teacher standing in the room.

Beginner to Intermediate Violin Scale Books

When you’re new to the violin, complete advanced scale books like I mention later in this article, might be very intimidating.

As a beginner or intermediate violinist, you might want to look into a scale book that’s more of a curriculum and tells you exactly what to start with and which scale to practice next. You want a scale book in order of difficulty.

Sensational Scales

Please forgive me for tooting my own horn, but I’d like to start with my own free violin scale book Sensational Scales. Not because I have the arrogance of thinking it’s the best (don’t worry, I don’t). I just to give you a free possibility right away to get you started with violin scales today.

With my students I’ve always missed a book that takes them from first scales in the first position to all three octave scales and beyond. Easy scale books were too easy, but complete scale books like you see later in this article were too difficult and intimidating.

I wrote a scale book that is based on sequence of finger patterns you learn in the first years of violin playing

In this way the scales will match the method book you’re working from and will feel logical to you.

In the book I’ve included fingerboard maps for each scale that show you exactly where to find the notes in the violin

In that way you never have to guess if it’s a large or small distance.

After this book you can move up to a complete scale method like the ones described below.

The best part about my scale book is that it’s FREE. Click here to download the PDF.

FREE Violin Scale Book

Sensational Scales is a 85 page violin scale book that goes from simple beginner scales with finger charts all the way to all three octave scales and arpeggios

Download!

Serrano – Learn Music Theory & Violin Scales

A Fun & Comprehensive Approach To Learning Theory & Violin Scales

If you’re looking for a violin scale book that not only gives you the sheet music for all the violin scales, but also teaches you about music theory, this book ‘Learn music theory and violin scales’ by Amy Serrano is the best book I can recommend.

It’s very easy to understand and shows you finger charts, circle of fifths and all the violin notes in the scales. You learn exactly what the different scales are and the distances between the notes. At the same time you’ll really understand scales, chords, keys and arpeggios. It goes up to three octave scales, so this book can guide you on your violin journey for many years.

A cool thing is that she not only covers major and minor, but also goes into ‘sassy scales’ like blues scales, which is great for violin players of today who not only play classical music. Click here to buy!

Hrimaly – Scale-Studies for the Violin

This is also an accessible scale book to start out with. It’s categorized per exercise and shows them in all keys. In this way it’s different from Sensational Scales, which works from the finger pattern sequence you learn.

This book teaches you up to three octave major scales and prepares you very well for these throughout the book. I also like the great number of bowing variations this book offers.

The downside of this book is that it starts with very simple exercises, but it gives them in all keys. As a beginner you must be able to judge which keys you can play with the finger patterns you’ve learned. Also you don’t know for sure if you’re playing the right notes, as there are no fingerboard maps.

This is a great book if you’re working with a private teacher and he/she can guide you by pointing out the scales you should practice and correct you along the way.

Click here to get the Hrimaly violin scale book.

Advanced Complete Violin Scale Books

When you’ve worked through your first scale book and know how to play in different keys and positions, it’s time to get yourself a complete violin scale book.

For the rest of your life you’ll have a love-hate relationship with this book.

Flesch – Scale System

This is the book I grew up with. It’s very complete and organized per key. You can pick for example the key of the piece you play and do all kinds of scale exercises in it.

It starts with one octave scales, arpeggios and broken thirds in one octave on one string. After that the same in three octaves on multiple strings (I love the fingering), thirds, sixths, octaves, fingered octaves, tenth’s, harmonics and double stops in harmonics.

The only downside might be that there are not much bowing and rhythm variations, but I was always used that my teacher gave me assignments about this.

Click here to buy the Flesch violin scale book in the edition I recommend.

Galamian – Contemporary Violin Technique

A very complete scale method that I can warmly recommend!

Volume 1 includes scales organized per exercise. So each exercise (like scales on one string) is given in each key. Flesch is organized per key and gives all exercises in that key. It depends on your practice strategy what you like best. Of course it’s handy to have both variations, so you can do both.

Good thing is that this book also includes the four octave scales!

The book includes an insert with bowing and rhythm patterns that you can apply to the scales. Very useful!

Volume 2 is focussed on double and multiple stops in scale and arpeggio exercises.

I recommend buying both volumes including the bowing and rhythm patterns. Click here to buy volume 1 and here to buy volume 2.

Sevcik – Scales and arpeggios

Just as Galamian this book is organized per exercise and gives this exercise in all keys. It walks you through the positions with specific scale exercises for each position. Sevcik includes bowing patterns throughout the exercises, so you don’t have to look them up separately.

I know a lot of accomplished violinists who grew up with Sevcik instead of Flesch. This can differ per country. I’d say you play the same things in both, but the difference is that you can either do all exercises in one key (Flesch) or do one exercises in all keys (Sevcik).

Sevcik is organized in a clear way and you can easily find the exercise or position you’re looking for.

Click here to buy the Sevcik violin scale book.

Hi! I'm Zlata

Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.

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Schradieck – School of Violin Technics

This is a great bundle of the three violin technique books by Schradieck and his scale studies book.

Book one gives dexterity exercises in various postions, which are great to improve the confidence, speed and flexibility of your left hand. Really helpful!

Book two gives exercises in double stops. Practicing double stops is so great for your intonation and left hand technique in general.

Book three is all about bowing exercises.

The three books total 100 pages of great violin technique exercises. You might want to get these in addition to one of the above scale books.

After the three books you’ll find a full scale book. It’s good, but not so comprehensive as the three books mentioned above.

With this bundle you’ll have a complete encyclopedia of violin technique. As the scale book is a bit limited I recommend getting this bundle as an addition to one of the three books mentioned above.

Click here to buy the Schradieck bundle.

 

6 Best Violin Scale Books to improve your violin technique: #violinist #violin Share on X

What violin scale book do you use?

Do you practice scales on a daily basis? Let me know in the comments below what book you use and what your scale practice strategy is at the moment.

Being grown up with Flesch and used to practicing lots of things in one keys a day, now I’m using Sevcik to become more flexible in changing between keys. There were times I practiced scales for almost two hours a day, but to be fair those days are gone, haha! I use scales a (almost) daily warm up at the moment.

Stradivarius violins: why are they so special and expensive?

How many Stradivarius violins are there, how much do they cost and why? What’s so special about them?

When you learn something about violins, you probably came across the name Stradivarius and know that they are very special. In this article I answer the questions I get most from my students about Stradivarius violins.

What is a Stradivarius violin and who was Stradivarius?

A Stradivarius violin is one that was made by Antonio Stradivari, who was an Italian luthier (violin-maker) who lived from 1644 to 1737.

Historians hypothesize that Stradivari began his violin-making career when he was around 12 years old, studying with another famous luthier, Nicola Amati, although there is some debate around this topic because of differences in their craftsmanship. Stradivari’s violins lack a small dorsal pin (a small hole just underneath the arching), a common characteristic of Amati’s violins and all of his well-known pupil’s instruments as well. Compared to Amati’s, Stradivari’s violins also have stronger builds, less rounded curves, and the purfling is set farther in. If Stradivari did not study with Amati, he most likely was a student of Francesco Rugeri, another well-known luthier of the time.

antonio stradivarius violin maker

Stradivari most likely produced his first decent instrument in 1660 at the ripe old age of 16! He quickly gained notoriety as a high-quality luthier, which allowed him to take a more experimental approach to violin making. Stradivari is credited with several design innovations and refinements that helped bring the violin into its modern form. These include: creating the modern form of the violin bridge, deepening the color of the varnish, and setting the proportions of the modern violin, with a shallower body that creates a more powerful sound than those that came before him.

Stradivari’s ‘Golden period’

The period of 1700-1725 is known as Stradivari’s “Golden Period”, in which he created his highest caliber of instruments. This is of course due to his increased experience with violin making, but his notoriety, which brought him financial gain and therefore helped him purchase higher quality materials, such as better wood and varnish, also played a part. Instruments produced during Stradivari’s Golden Period are the most sought-after and most expensive of his violins. The instruments made after this period show signs of his advancing age; they are less beautiful, heavier, and the craftsmanship wasn’t as refined (although the sound is still incredible!)

What’s the difference between Stradivarius and Guarneri violins?

You may have heard of violins made by Giuseppe Guarnerius, commonly called Guarneri’s. Stradivari and Guarnerius were contemporaries who both made superior quality violins, that differ in a few ways.

Stradivari is known to have executed his violins with excellent physical elements. His violins are perfectly symmetrical, and every curve was executed flawlessly.

Guarneri violins are also finely crafted, but not in the classical sense of symmetry and excellently finished details. Guarneri violins are often lopsided! Many of his violins have one shoulder that is a bit higher, the f-holes are not aligned, and neither are the two sides of the scroll.

Can you see the difference between a Stradivarius and a Guarneri?

Guarneri violins have slightly narrower and longer F-holes, a more refined scroll and typically have a slightly rounder and wider lower bout than that of Stradivarius violins. That means that the soundbox is more curved in Guarneri violins.

stradivarius vs guarneri violins

Stradivarius and Guarneri violins also significantly differ in sound

Guarneri’s tend to have a richer, warmer sound than Strads, and tend to be stronger and louder. Stradivarius violins sound more bright and crisp.

Players that prefer a darker, silkier tone are more likely to gravitate to the Guarneris, and players who prefer precision and refinement tend to prefer a Stradivarius.

Some well-known players who play (or played) on Guarneri’s include: Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, Fritz Kreisler, Eugene Ysaye, and Sarah Chang. See below for the Strad players.

How old are Stradivarius violins?

All Stradivarius violins are around 300 years old. The earliest surviving Strad is ex-Sachs Stradivarius made in 1666, making it 356 years old today (in 2022). The latest surviving Strad is the Paganini-Ladenburg Stradivarius made in 1736, making it 268 years old today (in 2022).

How many violins did Mr. Stradivari make?

Historians estimate that Stradivarius made a total of 1,116 instruments throughout his career, 960 of which were violins.

How many Stradivarius violins exist today?

Although we believe that Stradivari created 960 violins, only 650 remain today, most of which are in the hands of private collectors. There are also about 55 cellos and 12 violas made by Stradivari that still exist today.

How much is a Stradivarius worth?

Stradivarius violins sell for millions of dollars. Yes, millions with an S! The most recent sale of a Stradivarius happened just a few days ago on June 9, 2022. The auction house Tarisio sold a 308-year-old Stradivarius (made in his Golden Period) that once belonged to Toscha Seidel, a student of Leopold Auer. The instrument sold for 15.34 million dollars. This is the second-highest amount ever paid for a Stradivarius, with the highest being 15.9 million dollars paid for the “Lady Blunt” Stradivarius in 2011.

Why are Stradivarius violins so expensive?

There are four main reasons why Stradivarius violins are so expensive.

Supply and demand. There are a finite number of Stradivarius violins left and no more can be made. Simple economics tells us that when the demand outweighs the supply, the value increases.

The quality. As we previously discovered, musicians believe that Stradivarius violins are the highest quality instruments available to the public.

The condition and history of the instrument. Any Stradivarius violin that exists today is around 300 years old, making it a significant historical artifact. The better the condition, the higher the price.

Stradivarius violins are a status symbol. Since they are so rare and expensive, owning a Stradivarius is definitely a status symbol. They are also a great investment as they will never decrease in value.

How can I tell if a violin is a real Stradivarius?

How can you spot a Strad and know if you happen to have one in your attic?

Nowadays, there is certainly no shortage of violins bearing the name “Stradivarius”. It is very common for makers to model their violins after Stradivari in hopes of boosting their sales!

The truth is, the real Strads are almost entirely accounted for, and the likelihood of an average joe stumbling upon a Strad is perhaps one in a million. This is not to say it’s impossible, just extremely unlikely.

The only way to tell for sure if a violin is a real Stradivarius is to have it examined by a high-quality luthier, however here are some common characteristics of a real Strad label. For the date, Stradivari only printed the first digit “1” and the last 3 digits were handwritten. Towards the end of his life, he would also mention his age, writing things such as “I made it in my 89th year”, written in German. If your violin label does not have these characteristics, it is definitely not a Strad!

Who owns a Stradivarius violin?

The majority of Stradivarius violins belong to either museums or private collectors, who often loan the instruments to well-known violin soloists.

Below are some famous violinists who play on Strads:

  • Anne Sophie Mutter actually alternates between two Stradivari: the Emiliana (1703) and the Lord Dunn Raven (1710).
  • Itzhak Perlman owns the Soil Stradivarius (1714), formerly owned by Yehudi Menuhin.
  • Joshua Bell owns the Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius (1713).
  • Leonidas Kavakos owns the Willemotte Stradivarius (1734).
  • The Oistrakh Stradivarius (1671) was owned by David Oistrakh, but now resides in the Glinka Museum in Moscow.
  • The Ex-Marsick Stradivarius (1715) is owned by the Fulton Collection, but it is on loan to James Ehnes. This instrument was previously owned by David Oistrakh.
  • Maxim Vengerov owns the Kreutzer Stradivarius (1727).
  • The ex Adolf Busch (1716) is owned by David Garrett. He also sometimes plays on the San Lorenzo Strad (1718) which is owned by Georg Talbott.
Check out this article all about Stradivarius violins #stradivarius #violinist #violin Share on X

What makes a Stradivarius violin so special?

Many musicians consider Stradivarius violins to be musically superior to any new instruments. Stradivarius violins obviously hold a lot of historical value, but they also have a brilliant sound, depth, and character unlike any instruments created since. But how is it possible that, despite our many technological advances, we cannot create violins that sound better than the ones created in the 17th and 18th centuries?

Scientists are still searching for the reason why Stradivarius violins are so special. An early hypothesis was that Stradivari added something into his unique varnish, but it has since been chemically tested and nothing unusual about his varnish was revealed. Scientists hypothesize that the Little Ice Age (1300-1850) may have been a factor since it would have caused the wood Stradivari used to grow more slowly, and thus be denser, creating a unique sound. They have also found that the wood Stradivari used was treated with various chemicals, such as aluminum, calcium, and copper, which may alter its acoustic properties.

FREE Violin Scale Book

Sensational Scales is a 85 page violin scale book that goes from simple beginner scales with finger charts all the way to all three octave scales and arpeggios

Download!

Hi! I'm Zlata

Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.

READ MORE

Do Stradivarius violins really sound better?

Yes and no. There is no doubt that Stradivarius violins are of extremely high quality and fine craftsmanship. They are easy to play, project well, have a sweet sound, and allow the player to create an extremely wide range of different sound colors. With that being said, Stradivarius violins are most often played by some of the most well-known and highly regarded violin players in the world. This begs the question: is it the instrument or the player?

Until recently, Strads have been thought of as the epitome of violins. There have never been and never will be instruments that compare. However, in 2012, a study was done by the research group of Claudia Fritz, CNRS researcher at the Institut Jean Le Rond d’Alembert which may contradict this long-held belief. Violinists played several different instruments, including those made by Stradivari alongside newer instruments. This study showed that violinists preferred newer instruments to famous Italian violins and were actually unable to distinguish between the two.

How to Hold a Violin Bow: 3 Easy Steps and 5 Bowing Exercises

The violin bow hold is SO important to let your violin sing

Maybe you just started playing the violin and although you know you have to start with simple songs, you do long to create such a beautiful resonant sound from your violin.

You might have tried to make some bow strokes, but it feels very uncomfortable and all tutorials out there may make your bow hold feel so unnatural.

It can be so frustrating that when your favorite violinist plays, it looks so easy, but for you it’s a struggle. This article will help you get a violin bow hold that feels great and with which your violin playing sounds great.

Let’s look at the violin bow hold from all sides

Before I go into my three easy steps to build a proper violin bow hold, let’s first see what it should look like.

Violin bow hold front

You will see that the fingers are curved and over the bow. The hand looks relaxed. The violin bow hold is slightly tilted in the direction of the tip of the bow. The fingers are flexible and can move along the bow strokes like a spring system. In this way you can bow smoothly and create a beautiful sound on the violin.

Pictured is a Franco Belgian bow hold. I will go into Russian vs Franco Belgian further in this article.

Violin bow hold knuckles

The knuckles of the hand are low and in line with the stick of the bow or slightly tilted towards the left.

violin bow hold knuckles

Violin bow hold pinky

The pinky is curved. You will notice that every bow has eight edges (octagonal) at the frog. You don’t place the pinky on the top edge, but the one just before. In that way the pinky doesn’t slip off the bow while playing that easily.

violin bow hold pinky

Violin bow hold from below

The thumb is slightly curved and not locked. It can move along smoothly with the bow strokes.

violin bow hold from below

Violin bow hold thumb

In this violin bow hold from the side you see the placement of the thumb. You don’t push your thumb into the whole of the frog. Instead you let the bow rest on the edge of your thumb nail. The thumb touches the bow just between the thumb leather and the frog.

violin bow hold side

3 EASY Steps to a Perfect Violin Bow Hold

With this step by step guide you’ll find a violin bow hold that works for YOU and your hand, so you can play the violin comfortably and beautifully.

Make sure to hold your violin bow with your left hand while you build up the bow hold with the right hand. In that way you can build up a relaxed violin bow hold without worrying that you drop the bow.

Step 1: Place your fingers relaxed and gently over the violin bow

This is not yet the correct position of your thumb and pinky, but the aim here is to build up a relaxed and proper violin bow hold step by step.

To prevent scratchy and squeaky sounds, it’s extremely important that you let your fingers rest on the violin bow.

The tip of your ring finger should be on the Paris eye.

Your knuckles should be in line with the stick of the violin bow. The fingers should be equally spaced apart and just a little bit.

Step 2: Place your thumb just between the thumb leather and the frog

The violin bow rests just on the edge of your thumb.

The edge of your thumb nail touches the violin bow stick just between the thumb leather and the frog.

You don’t need to push your thumb into the hole of the frog. That would make your bow hold very uncomfortable and tensed.

It’s personal how you place the thumb exactly, depending on the shape of your hand and your violin bow.

Make sure the ball of your thumb feels relaxed. Don’t curve the thumb too much. It should be in a slightly curved natural position.

Step 3: Place your pinky on top of the bow

Place your pinky just on the edge before the top edge of the bow. Every violin bow is octagonal at the frog.

If you place your pinky on the top edge, it will constantly slip off when playing. Very frustrating!

If you place your pinky just before, it has some stability and will stay in it’s place.

violin bow hold step 1
violin bow hold step 2

Franco Belgian vs Russian Bow Hold

The two most common violin bow holds are the Franco Belgian and the Russian bow hold. Historically this depended on where you were trained as a violinist. Nowadays we see great violinists use both bow holds not really depending on which country they are from.

Choosing between the two is a matter of trying out what first your hand best and with which bow hold you can bow the best. If you take private lessons, you can consider assuming the same violin bow hold as your teacher, because he/she can coach you better on this.

Franco Belgian violin bow hold

In the Franco Belgian bow hold the index finger rests on the bow between the second and third knuckle. Automatically the bow hold is not so much tilted towards the tip and the arm is relatively low.

In the Franco Belgian bow hold you see more finger action in the lower half of the bow as the pinky is more curved.

violin bow hold side

Hilary Hahn is a famous violinist who uses the Franco Belgian bow hold

Russian violin bow hold

In the Russian violin bow hold the index finger rests on the bow between the base knuckle and the second knuckle. The bow hold is tilted more towards the tip and the arm is automatically held higher.

The pinky is a bit straighter than in the Franco Belgian bow hold, but it’s not stiff or locked. It moves along with the bow strokes.

russian violin bow hold
russian bow hold from side

Ray Chen is a famous violinists who uses the Russian bow hold

Wow, this article is SO great for learning a proper violin bow hold! #violinbow #violinist #violin Share on X

Your violin bow hold moves while playing

Besides that a violin bow hold is highly personal and each violin player needs to find out what works best for the shape of your hand, the violin bow hold also moves along while playing.

To create a beautiful sound on the violin, one must bow smoothly and let the fingers of the bow hand move along with the bow strokes.

See the pictures below for the violin bow hold at the extreme frog and tip. Learn more about bowing smoothly in this video lesson.

Violin bow hold at the frog

At the frog you curve your fingers and bend your thumb. Your wrist goes up a bit. The balance of the bow hold is towards your pinky.

violin bow hold at the frog

Violin bow hold at the tip

At the tip you stretch your fingers without overstretching them. Your wrist goes down a bit, but never collapses.

violin bow hold at the tip

3 Violin Bow Hold Exercises for a Relaxed and Flexible Bow Hold

Now you’ve learned a good bow hold, we can do exercises to ensure that you make the right movements while bowing, so you can make a beautiful sound.

Your fresh violin bow hold might feel a bit weird and it might be hard to relax your hand and maintain a good bow hold while playing. That’s when violin bow hold exercises come in.

To bow smoothly on the violin, we should train the finger movements that you make while bowing separately.

How to practice your violin bow hold

First practice the coming exercises with a pencil, which is a lot less heavier than the violin bow. It’s important to perform the bowing exercises correctly and fluently, not to train immense strength. Training just for power, will give you a tensed bow hold.

When the exercises go well with the pencil, do them in the balance point of the bow (which is usually about 1/3 from the frog). Move bit by bit to the frog all while checking that you still do the movements relaxed and fluently. If you tense up, go back to the balance point or the pencil.

Tap the violin bow

Tap each finger a couple of times (pinky, middle fingers, index finger) while your hand is in the bow hold. This will relax your hand and train your fingers to move independently:

Bridge

There are two ways to do this famous exercise. For stability of the bow hold, do it with your lower arm and wrist. For pinky strength move just your pinky like this:

Vertical bowing movements

Practice the vertical finger action in your violin bow hold:

Horizontal bowing movements

Practice the horizontal finger action in your violin bow hold:

Circular movements

Combine the horizontal and vertical movements in a circular motion:

Pronation and Supination

You might have heard violinists say something like ‘put weight into the bow’ or ‘lift weight off the bow’.

In the standard violin bow hold the hand is tilted slightly towards your index finger. The index can be placed slightly further up the bow for more control.

Your index finger is very important while bowing. You transfer the weight from your arm through your index finger into the bow to create a full and deep sound on the violin. This feels like your arm is resting on your index finger without pushing.

Like you would turn a key to the left you can put more or less weight on the bow. By tilting the hand towards the pinky you lift weight off the violin.

It makes a lot of sense to practice this movement separately.

Hi! I'm Zlata

Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.

READ MORE

Finding your Perfect Violin Bow Hold

As a beginner violinist the violin bow hold can seem simple, but it can be so hard to do yourself. Don’t worry if it takes you a long time. Building up good basics in violin playing is very rewarding over time.

All violinists need to find a violin bow hold that’s perfect for their hand. It’s highly personal. This article gives you the general principles and some great exercise to develop your natural bow hold.

Interested to learn more about violin bowing? You’ll LOVE this:

When you’re a bit used to your violin bow hold, you can focus on learning to bow smoothly and create a beautiful sound. This video is all about smooth bowing.

You might have heard of different violin bowing techniques like detaché, martelé, staccato and spiccato. What to learn first? This video teaches you all about the six basic bow strokes.

How to Rosin your Violin Bow

Learn to use rosin on your violin bow for the best sound

Choose the right rosin and rosin like a professional violinist

Rosining your violin bow is easy and a great first step on the violin. Also it’s incredibly important: without rosin your violin can’t make sound.

Help, I’ve rosined my violin bow, but it doesn’t make sound!

When you just bought a violin set, the rosin is very new, shiny and smooth. This causes the rosin to glide over the violin bow without leaving any rosin. No matter how much you rosin your violin bow, it won’t make a sound on your violin.

First make the surface of your rosin a bit less smooth by treating it with sand paper. When the surface of the rosin is a bit more rough, the rosin will leave on the bow hair when you rosin your violin bow.

Buy the right rosin for your violin and climate

When you bought a very cheap violin online, the rosin sometimes is of such a bad quality that it doesn’t function and needs to be replaced.

What rosin to buy? There’s light rosin and dark rosin.

Light rosin

Light rosin is ideal for smaller instruments like the violin and for warmer climates. The light rosin is a bit harder and not so sticky. Sometimes it’s called summer rosin.

Dark rosin

Dark rosin is bit stickier and suitable for colder climates and larger instruments like the viola and the cello. If you play violin, but live in a cold climate, dark rosin might be great.

How to rosin a new violin bow

When you’ve just bought your violin bow or when it’s just back from a rehair, you need to rosing those smooth hairs a LOT. It takes a while for the rosin to be all over the bow hair and in between the hairs to make a good sound.

You could ask your violin maker to pre-rosin your violin bow. He usually does this with powder rosin and this goes faster as the rosin will apply all between the bow hairs.

If you’re doing it yourself, just rosin the whole bow hair a lot.

How to rosin your violin bow

  1. Tighten your violin bow
  2. Start at the the frog and make small movements back and forth while applying gentle pressure to the rosin. Move over the whole bow bit by bit.
  3. Make a couple of smooth movements over the whole bow to make sure that the rosin is applied evenly

Tips for rosining your violin bow

  • When you rosin at the frog of your violin bow, hold your thumb on the ferrule of the bow. In this way the rosin can’t hit the edge of the frog of the violin and break into pieces.
  • Don’t forget to rosin the side of the violin bow hair for when you play with a tilted bow.
  • Rotate the cake of rosin regularly, so the rosin doesn’t wear down on one spot. Your cake will last longer that way.
  • A lot of players have the tendency to rosin most at the frog and the tip of the violin bow. However, rosin more where you play more. This can be the whole bow or mainly in the middle.
  • At the end of your practice session remove rosin remains from the strings and the soundbox of your violin.
  • Don’t leave your rosin in the sun. It can melt and become too soft to use well.

 

rosin a violin bow at the frog
rosin a violin bow at the tip

How often to rosin your violin bow

I recommend rosining your violin bow regularly, but just a little bit. In this way you’ll have about the ideal amount of rosin on your bow all the time instead of a lot just after rosining and a little just before rosining.

Rosin about every four to six hours of playing

In the end it’s personal how much you rosin. You will feel the sweet spot of the amount of rosin after some experimenting. It depends how much you rosin every time and how intensively you play.

 

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What happens when you don’t rosin your violin bow

Without rosin the violin bow hairs are very smooth and won’t bring the strings in motion, which means you won’t produce sound.

And when you rosin too little?

You will notice that the response isn’t so good. The bow can make the violin sound, but it all feels a bit slippery and doesn’t make as much sound. Time to rosin your violin bow!

And when you rosin too much?

When you’ve overdone it, the sound will be harsh and you will see the rosin dust coming off your bow. Also bowing will feel a bit sticky.

Usually the problem will solve itself as the rosin goes off your bow while you play.

If you really want to clean off built up rosin on your violin bow hair, then watch this tutorial.

What is violin rosin made of?

The main ingredient is pine sap. Often beeswax and other ‘secret’ ingredients are added by each different manufacturer. 

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How much does violin rosin cost?

Violin rosins are sold between $ 3 and as high as $ 67.

Does more expensive rosin really make a difference?

From my experience the D’Addario rosins of around $ 4 work fine certainly in the early stages of your violin journey.

Personally I use Pirastro Evah PIrazzi Gold violin rosin that costs around $ 25. I find that it’s finer. The bowing feels smooth yet the response of the sound is good. Also you don’t have to rosin that often.

Some violinists use more expensive rosins of $ 50 or more and really believe it’s worth it.

Just as everything it’s personal and a matter of testing which rosin works best for you.

Click here to buy rosin for your violin

22 Shocking Violin Facts

A horse peed on your bow hair!

and 21 more interesting violin facts. Did you know this about your violin?

The violin is over 500 years old!

Although no one knows for sure, historians believe that the very first violin was made by Andrea Amati in the 1500s. He created at least 2 three-stringed violins in the 1540s and was commissioned to create the first four-stringed violin by a wealthy family, the Medici’s, in the 1550s.

… but the violin has changed a lot since then!

Our modern violins are not the same as the ones made prior to the 18th century (the 1700s). Instruments made before this are now referred to as “Baroque violins” (the word “Baroque” refers to the time period from about 1600 to 1750). These instruments had longer necks, smaller bridges, no chinrests, and the bows held a convex (outward) curve. In 1786, Francoise Xavier Tourte created the modern bow which has a concave (inward) curve and standardized the length and weight of the bow. This invention spurred several details on the violin to be changed as well: the fingerboard was made longer so that players could play higher notes, the bridge was made larger to hold the tension of the longer strings, and the chin rest was added for comfort. It’s safe to say that the violin got a major makeover!

Violins are named after cows

The word “violin” comes from the Latin word “vitula” which means “calf” (a calf is a baby cow). It’s fun to think that the violin was named after cows, however, “vitula” has an alternate meaning: stringed musical instrument (which is probably more likely).

Violins are extremely complex

Violin making is no easy job! Violin makers, called luthiers, go to school for up to 2 years to learn how to make violins, which are typically made from over 70 pieces of spruce or maple wood.

What’s about the cat intestines?

Some violin strings aren’t vegan…

Nowadays, most violin strings are made out of steel. However, in all the violin centuries before around 1900, violin strings were made out of sheep’s gut, which was stretched, dried, and twisted. Gut strings still exist today but are most often used in Baroque period practice, which is when the players try to get as close to the original conditions of the music as possible. To do so, the performers gut strings, period instruments, and tune the instruments down.

The truth about gut core violin strings…

The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up. Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past also from horse, mule or donkey intestines. Whatever was available if you were a budding 17th century fiddler. Otherwise catgut could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Rosin is made out of tree sap

Rosin is used to help the bow stick to the strings. When the bow hair rubs against the rosin, small particles will come off as a sticky, rubbery, white substance. This substance helps the bow hair “grab” the string by creating friction. Rosin is made by heating the tree sap until it becomes solid. On a side note, please do not lick your rosin, it does not taste good!

The horse hair on your bow may be synthetic

Yes, you read that right! Not all horse hair is created equal, and synthetic hair is often used on less expensive bows. The next time you’re in the market for a bow, be sure to ask if the horse hair is real or synthetic (which is made out of nylon).

If your horse hair is real, it is most likely that your hair came from a horse in a cold climate, such as Siberia, Mongolia, or Canada. The cold climate causes horses to produce hair that is thicker and stronger than that produced by horses in warmer climates.

And no, the hair is not taken from living horses. It is taken from horses in slaughterhouses.

No matter if your horse hair is real or synthetic, each bow is made up of approximately 150-200 strands!

A horse peed on your bow hair!

For the finest bows Mongolian stallion hair is used. Why boy horses and not girl horses? The urine of the stallion makes the hair extra resilient.

Violins come in a wide variety of sizes

The smallest violin size is a 1/64 size, which is about 23 inches long (or about the size of an adult’s arm!). Violins also come in 1/32, 1/16, ⅛, ¼, ½, ¾, ⅞ (which is commonly called the “lady’s violin”, and full size (4/4).

Got 18 million dollars lying around for your fiddle?

That’s how much the most expensive violin in the world costs! This instrument dates back to 1741, made by Giuseppe Guarneri and played by Belgian virtuoso, Henri Vieuxteumps. This instrument, aptly named the Vieuxtemps Guarneri, was anonymously donated to American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers.

The world’s biggest and smallest violins

The world’s smallest violin was created by Chen Lianzhi, and measures just one centimeter (or 0.4 inches) long! It is impossible to play on because its strings are so thin.
The world’s largest violin was created by 15 violin makers from the Vogtland Masters of Violin and Bow Making. The violin is 14 feet long (or 4.3 meters) and four and a half feet wide (or 1.4 meters). The bow is 17 feet long (or 5.2 meters), and the violin sounds three octaves below a normal-sized violin.

Left-handed violins

Typically, violins sit on a player’s left shoulder and are fingered with the left hand and bowed with the right. However, there are such things as left-handed violins, which sit on the right shoulder, are fingered with the right and bowed with the left. Contrary to popular belief, lefties can play a normal violin just fine (and may even have a slight advantage over right-handed people due to their increased left-hand dexterity!)

Before conductors, violinists were the leaders of the orchestra.
The concertmaster (who is the first chair violinist) would lead the orchestra from their position. This gradually changed as orchestras got larger, and the role of the conductor was officially established in the 1900s. It’s no surprise that orchestras delegated another leader besides the concertmaster; playing the challenging repertoire while leading the orchestra is no easy feat!

Is it a violin or a fiddle?

They’re the same instrument! Violin and fiddle are typically used to describe the type of music one plays. If a player plays more classical music, they will most likely call the instrument a violin, but if a player plays more fiddle or folk music, they will most likely call the instrument a fiddle.

Playing the violin burns approximately 170 calories per hour

Although playing the violin is not typically seen as exercise, it does require a good amount of right and left-hand movement. Burning 170 calories is about the same as walking for an hour, or drinking one soft drink! Personally, I think playing the violin should be counted towards music and PE credit 😉

Like fine wine, violins get better with age

The more a violin is played, the better it will sound. Dr. David G. Hunt from the University of London found that continuous forced vibrations to pieces of spruce change the nature of the wood. The wood increases in stiffness and decreases the dampening coefficient, which in turn helps the tone become sweeter and notes to be heard for longer (which is a good thing!)

Violinists are smarter than the average person

Based on research measuring the different levels of cognitive processing, violinists have shown to develop faster processing speeds compared to the average person. String players have also been shown to have larger brains. This is due in part to the complex motor skills and reasoning required to play the instrument. A study from Harvard University found that early training in violin improves several cognitive skills, such as memory, nonverbal reasoning, and attention.

Do you feel smart now?

I’m just trying to imagine how silly and chaotic I would’ve been without the violin.

If you want to outsmart your friends on social media, share this article on Twitter:

Did you know these 22 shocking violin facts? #violinist #violin Share on X

Violins and the Titanic

In 1912, a ship named the Titanic crashed into an iceberg and tragically killed over 1500 people. Wallace Hartley, first violinist, and leader of the ship’s music ensemble, decided he and his ensemble would play to help keep the passengers calm. We can not know for sure what the last piece they played was, but survivors recall hearing “Nearer My God to Thee” as the ship was sinking.

Violins and war

Fritz Kreisler, a famous violinist, served as a captain in WWI. His extremely refined ear allowed him to determine the location of the artillery by listening to the changing pitch of the shells coming across the battlefield. Playing the violin can save lives!

Have you ever tried to play your violin while riding a bike? Backward?!…

Christian Adam from Germany has! He currently holds the world record for cycling backward with a violin for 60.45 kilometers (or 37.56 miles) in five hours and nine minutes. Don’t try this at home (or with an expensive violin!)

FREE Violin Scale Book

Sensational Scales is a 85 page violin scale book that goes from simple beginner scales with finger charts all the way to all three octave scales and arpeggios

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Hi! I'm Zlata

Classical violinist helping you overcome technical struggles and play with feeling by improving your bow technique.

READ MORE

Did Paganini really sell his soul to the devil?

Paganini’s music is some of the most challenging violin repertoire ever written. It is said that Paganini sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his virtuosic talent. However, historians now believe that two genetic disorders attributed to Paganini’s skill. The first, Marfan syndrome, gave Paganini extremely long fingers, which helped him reach octaves, tenths, and beyond, much more easily than the average player. The second, Ehler-Danlos syndrome, caused increased flexibility which helped him play at the speed of light.

Famous people who played the violin: Albert Einstein, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Charlie Chaplin

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from Albert Einstein: “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music…I cannot tell if I would have done any creative work of importance in music, but I do know that I get the most joy in life out of my violin.”

Which violin fact blowed your mind? 

Leave a comment! Or do you know another shocking violin fact? I’d love to read all about it.