Hi friends! Today we’re going to revisit a topic that we’ve previously discussed. You can read our violin rosin buying guide, if you haven’t already.
If you have and are still on the hunt for that perfect rosin, this article is for you.
IN A RUSH? CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MY RECOMMENDED ROSIN.
I’ve put together a list of great rosins for everyone. These rosins vary in price, but they are all of good quality.
Obviously, some will be of higher quality than others, and I’ll make sure to point out the pros and cons of each rosin on this list.
As a violin instructor, I want the best for my students. Our violins can’t produce quality tone (or even notes at all) without quality rosin. Is rosin really that important?
Yes, it is!
With that in mind, let’s take a look at this list and see which is the best for you and your needs.
Light Rosin
As mentioned in the previous rosin article, light rosin is less sticky and often a bit on the hard side. These are generally desirable traits for violinists who live in climates that are regularly warm and humid.
The more humid the climate, the less sticky your rosin needs to be because the moisture will help the hair and rosin grip your string. If this describes your area of residence, then light rosin might be right for you. Here are some rosins to look at.
Sound Harbor Light Rosin
I won’t lie, this rosin brand’s advertising is just about as sketchy as it comes.
Hyperbole in their advertisements, obviously strange translation choices, and happens to be an off brand. However, don’t write it off just yet.
Some reputable online retailers promote this brand as their top choice.
The package comes with two cakes of rosin, wrapped in bubble wrap, and the rosin lasts a long time.
Finally, this rosin sells at a great low price for what you’re getting.
Definitely worth a try if you are in need of an economically priced rosin.
D’addario Light Rosin
A classic violin rosin, this brand and type comes with many a beginner violin package.
But don’t let that degrade your perception of its quality. D’addario Light Rosin can hang with the big boys.
Being a violinist, I find that having a cheap alternative to my expensive brand is a godsend when I run out of my go-to and get into a jam.
This particular rosin is spectacularly priced to be affordable to literally anyone.
Its actually somewhat shocking the quality of this rosin at the price the company sells it for.
Although this rosin is a true workhorse, there are some considerations.
For example, some players report their tone being converted into a brighter version of what they achieved with other rosins.
If you have a dark, mellow sounding violin and you need to brighten it up, this will work just fine.
Additionally, this rosin seems to be fairly brittle, but at its low price, you can just buy 5 in bulk and not worry about this aspect of the product.
If you’re on a budget, enjoy a bright tone, and need a quality backup, this rosin is kind of a no brainer. But in a positive way.
The Hill Original Light Rosin
Oh, how sweet it is.
Yes, my friends, now we’re into the good stuff.
First, The Hill Original Light Rosin for the violin is simply beautiful.
But I care less about the superficiality of such things.
This rosin is high-quality. It produces a sonically pleasant “bite” and grips the strings very well.
Also, one consideration is to either clean your bow hair or thoroughly use the rosin currently on your bow to see the greatest benefit from this single type of rosin.
With this rosin, you’re going to experience a very smooth tone. This rosin isn’t going to be terribly bright, which is something blue grassers might consider.
If you’re looking for a high quality rosin that is worth the extra $6 over entry level rosins, this might exactly what you’re violin is looking for.
Melos Light Violin Rosin
Melos Light Violin Rosin is manufactured in Greece and is made from Greek pine-tree colophony.
This particular rosin has no fillers or extra chemicals, so if you’re interested in relatively pure rosin, this might be right for you.
It’s the closest thing I’ve found to “organic rosin”.
On the sound production side, this particular light rosin has very low dust production.
It is very unlikely to cake up and dampen the sound of your strings.
The draw across the bow will be very smooth and unobtrusive.
However, this means that there will be less “bite” to your sound. If standing out and heavy articulation isn’t a major priority, this shouldn’t be an issue.
To be clear, this is a high-quality rosin. You will definitely be creating high-quality sounds. If you’re a beginner or even intermediate, the tone production capabilities experienced from using this product will supersede anything you’re likely to have been using.
If you are a semi-pro or professional player, you may be a tad more discerning and require more of that “bite”, depending on your genre of music.
Sherman Light Violin Rosin
This Sherman rosin is a no-frills, reliable product.
It’s a light rosin, so normally best for summer in most locales, but it’s also a great rosin for a student.
It’s not expensive, so you don’t need to worry about losing money if you actually don’t like it, but it’s unlikely that will happen.
To be clear, a semi-pro or professional player may require a rosin with more particular characteristics.
However, this rosin seems to help learning violinists in producing fewer crunches and high pitched shrieks.
Finally, though some of my peers say that this rosin is on par with some rosins three times its price, I would say it’s more of a mid-quality rosin for an entry-level price.
Great for the bank account.
Also, this rosin is made in the US. If this sounds like your cup of tea, don’t hesitate to give it a try.
Medium Rosin
Medium violin rosin is the jack of all trades. I tend to take a medium rosin with me when I travel, as it has something for every environment.
It won’t be quite as effective as dark rosin in environments with the least humidity, but it will certainly give me more grip than light rosin.
However, in areas where there are high levels of humidity, most medium rosins I’ve used will pull bow hair rapidly from my bow. Mind you, this is primarily during outdoor performances.
If you always play indoors, you probably won’t have this issue.
Medium rosins tend to be stickier than light rosins, so they can pull double duty fairly well. For example, if you play violin and viola, you can use your medium rosin for both. Remember that that general rule of thumb is this: the thicker the string, the stickier the rosin needs to be that is applied to it.
Generally, the darker the rosin, the stickier it is. Here are a few good medium rosins for you to check out:
Bernardel Medium Light Rosin
Made in France, this Bernardel Medium Light Rosin is actually quite famous.
Many a performer has rosined up their bow with this product.
From orchestra performers to beginners alike, most players find a noticeable increase in the quality of their sound after applying.
This rosin is a bit on the light and soft side. It actually produces a fairly substantial grip on the strings, making it easy to perform some advanced techniques such as sautille.
There is a bit more dust production than some rosins, but this rosin isn’t the worst offender when it comes to dust creation.
Just remember to have a soft cloth to wipe down your instrument after a session.
It comes with a very nice carrying pouch and performs far beyond it’s price tag.
For the total value of this product, I’d say you’re getting a mid-priced rosin that plays like a professional tier product.
In my opinion, it’s absolutely worth looking into this rosin.
Salchow Medium Dark Rosin
This rosin from Salchow comes highly rated.
There are very few detractors that can be found concerning its quality.
It produces minimal dust, but there is still some.
It produces a solid bite for a medium rosin but isn’t so sticky that you couldn’t use it in the summer.
Most players who have used this rosin say they prefer it over some of the higher priced brands
Unfortunately, I think that is a matter of personal preference, so I can’t make a definitive statement on this.
However, since this rosin is in the mid-range for price, you can afford to try it out without breaking the bank.
I use a medium rosin, and I can testify to the benefits of having a rosin that will be effective in both the summer months and the winter months in temperate climates.
If you don’t want to carry around multiple rosins but are looking for a high-quality, reasonably priced violin rosin option, this may be the product for you.
Dark rosin
Dark violin rosins come in a few different colors. You can have a very dark brown, a nearly black rosin, or even a dark green rosin.
No matter the color, dark rosins are generally very sticky and well suited to dry climates. Additionally, they do well in cold climates since they are better at creating friction.
If you live in a warm climate with fair to heavy humidity and end up with dark rosin, one tip I have for you is to use it sparingly.
You may need no more than 2-6 swipes of the rosin on your bow for full effect.
A benefit of this may be less dust production on your violin. In any case, dark rosins are both beautiful and potent. Here are a few to consider:
Hill Dark Rosin
Let’s get this out of the way: don’t be afraid to return this product if it’s cracked/broken or melted beyond use.
Why?
Because this really is excellent dark rosin but the shipping is of utmost importance and enough people have received defective versions to bring this up.
WITH THAT SAID, Hill Dark rosin is of very high quality. It is a very “grippy” rosin perfect for dry climates and especially the winter months.
By no means does this exclude it from being used in humid climates and summer months, but you will likely use less rosin due to its stickiness.
This particular violin rosin produces minimal dust and doesn’t seem to cake quite as much as other rosins. These characteristics definitely increase my personal rating.
Being one of the most popular rosins on the market (or rather, the most sold), there are a vast number of users which helps to flesh out it’s virtues and it’s flaws.
I recommend this product for advanced players who need solid contact with their strings and for professionals. I find that classical violinists tend to use Hill Dark rosin, but it has a fair following among bluegrass and country players due to its enhanced grip.
Though this rosin is a few dollars above mid-range, it’s worth the investment.
Sherman Violin Rosin Dark
If you’re upgrading from your standard violin package rosin that comes in the case, you’re probably going to love this rosin.
No need to scratch up the cake, this rosin easily comes off onto your bow.
Additionally, it’s quite sticky so you don’t need to make too many passes to get enough rosin for you bow.
A benefit of this rosin is the low dust production. It’s not going to compete with some of the higher priced products on this list, but it will certainly display its quality over the more inexpensive options.
Less cleanup means more time playing in my book.
A personal note would be that the wood holder is both a blessing and a curse. I have found that I’ve broken far too many bow hairs while accidentally hitting the wood grains during rosining.
However, the wood holder also serves to better protect the rosin than the soft cloth that covers most round cakes.
This rosin’s main plus is the price. In my opinion, this is an economy line rosin. It simply doesn’t cost that much money.
Budget friendly, and very good quality, you may find that this dark rosin takes the place of your backups, or even becomes your main.
Definitely sticky and soft for the winter months, it will still be useful in summer. Don’t rosin up too much and you should be fine.
L’Opera Jade Rosin
Jade rosin is really a tale of two extremes.
Many people absolutely love it, but there is a sizeable minority that do not care for it, opting for the more expensive rosin options available.
I personally think that for the price, Jade is an excellent choice for advanced players and professionals who need a rosin that isn’t going to damage their varnish.
In fact, it’s one of the lower producing rosins on the market.
Still, I’d keep a soft cloth in my case to clean off the strings and violin when done playing.
The price for Jade rosin is excellent. Not a budget brand, but not a premium brand, you can afford to test it on your instrument.
This being a dark rosin, I usually say that it will work for multiple classical stringed instruments, but enough cellists don’t like it for me to provide a disclaimer here.
However, if you don’t like it, you can simply return it.
This rosin has a very pleasant dark green hue to it.
Some have wondered if it turns your bow hair green. Well, again we find us in embroiled in conflict.
Some say it does, some say it doesn’t. My guess would be the frequency of use.
If you use this for years, perhaps it will slightly change the bow hairs color, but I highly doubt it.
If this were possible, I imagine my bow hair would be black by now.
Hidersine VP-036V Series VI Bow Rosin for Violin
Coming in at a reasonable mid-range price, Hidersine Series VI dark violin rosin is specially formulated for steel strings.
Keep this in mind when looking to purchase. If you are using steel core strings, this rosin will be absolutely perfect.
Series VI helps produce an even draw across the strings, mitigating the pitch fluctuations that can occur when attempting Sforzandos or applying heavy accents.
It is also perfect for fiddle and bluegrass players who tend to use steel strings more often.
Of note is also this product’s low dust production. You’ll find that, though it’s not dustless, it’s on the cleaner side when you use it to rosin your bow. Series VI rosin is a black rosin, making it very dark and sticky.
This also helps with dust production because you will naturally require fewer swipes across the rosin to get enough onto your bow.
Being a dark rosin, I recommend this more for cooler and drier climates. If you live in a warm and humid climate, it’s still worth consideration, just remember to use the rosin sparingly.
For beginning students, Series VI rosin tends to help smooth out the tone production.
Many new students are discouraged when they can’t produce a quality tone.
I feel that this particular Hidersine rosin inspires more confidence since this rosin helps to forgive some of the imperfections in an early player’s form.
A final consideration: use with synthetic strings will vary. Reports of players who use both synthetic strings and Hidersine Series VI range from “superb” to “flubby and flat”.
This leads me to believe that Series VI may be a very violin specific rosin in that it’s qualities will change depending on the personality of your instrument.
Made in England, this rosin is high quality and at it’s price point, is definitely worth a look to see if it fits your playing and style.
Specialty rosins
There are violin rosins that serve special purposes or have unique characteristics. These rosins can have a myriad of attributes, but they all stand apart from the rest of the pack.
Due to the fact that each has its own use, they will be featured in the descriptions below. Read below to see if there’s a rosin you didn’t know you couldn’t live without:
Magic Rosin Blue
Magic Rosin is unique in that it is a clear rosin that the company adds designs or colors to.
It’s a bit of a gimmick that happens to be of relatively high quality. D
on’t get me wrong, this is not a warning. Magic Rosin is top shelf stuff with some benefits you may want.
For example, this rosin grips very well, better than some of the darker rosins on this list, in fact.
Additionally, it seems that due to its purification process, this rosin seems to help stave off allergies for those who have had pine allergy issues.
To be clear: this product does NOT advertise that it is hypoallergenic.
One thing of note is that the rosin sits inside a container that has a 360-degree lip, which means theoretically, you may get to a point where you can no longer reach the rosin that’s left at the bottom.
Also, it seems the product is not quite as large as the images make it seem.
Regardless, the music designs and colors make for great Christmas or birthday presents and the rosin being quality means it isn’t just another throwaway gift.
Finally, if it being made in the USA is important, this product is made in Minnesota. Give it a shot, it’s a neat idea that could work well for you.
String House Light Gold Swirl Rosin
A beautiful rosin, this product will certainly help you look the part of a professional.
This rosin sports good grip and naturally low dust production.
However, the gold dust in the rosin is not real gold.
At this price point, it’s a mid-tier rosin, so that is to be expected. Additionally, this rosin is easily applied to most bows.
This rosin is usable for a professional, but it is geared a little more toward the student.
And advanced student might benefit from it as well.
A word of caution: this rosin seems to suffer from poor packaging.
Do not be afraid to send it back for a new one if it arrives broken. Don’t just take what the delivery company does to it. The rosin is good enough to warrant your receiving an unbroken example of the product.
Pirastro Goldflex Rosin
Not to be confused with Evah Pirazzi Gold, or simply Pirastro Gold, Pirastro Goldflex violin rosin has actual gold dust in it, according to the manufacturer.
Due to this addition, it carries a bright, clear tone. It also produces a very solid grip on the strings.
You may find that you require less rosin because it grips so well.
If you’re a beginner, you may not have the touch required to produce whisper quiet pianissimos when using this rosin, but you will immediately notice the improvement in sound quality.
Compared to the rosin that comes in most violin packages, Goldflex is superior in just about every way.
It’s definitely worth its higher price tag, though I would say when it comes to producing an excellent sound, it’s worth the investment.
A major word of caution: this rosin is known to cause allergies. With certainty, I cannot say that it is due to the gold dust.
However, it is very likely. If you know you have a gold allergy, I would recommend trying a friend’s Goldflex first, or buy from an online retailer that will allow you a trial period.
That way, if it does produce an allergy for you, you can send it back without hesitation for a refund.
Super-Sensitive Clarity Hypoallergenic Rosin
A perfect segue from our previous rosin, this Super-Sensitive Clarity Hypoallergenic Rosin is specifically created to NOT produce an allergic reaction to violinists.
Pine and additions like gold are known allergens.
The primary allergen in pine resin, and most rosins, is abietic acid. Clarity rosin is completely free of this.
There are a few positive changes when using Clarity. This product is “hydrophobic” which means, unlike regular rosin, it won’t absorb water from the atmosphere.
This means that this rosin is completely free of the effects of humidity in your environment. You will find this to be a huge plus for traveling musicians. One can better predict how their equipment will function with less variability.
Additionally, Clarity rosin produces a solid grip and produces excellent vibrations. Though it is strong and “grippy”, this product is actually non-corrosive to instrument varnishes, which is a big plus if you possess a quality instrument.
A final consideration is that you cannot clean Clarity with alcohol, it requires mineral spirits. If you need to completely rid your setup of previous pine-based rosin, this is the only effective way.
However, one suggestion is to wipe down your strings and bow with a microfiber cloth until nothing comes off, then you can apply Clarity. This will work if you’re terribly concerned about ALL of your pine rosin being removed.
A word of caution: consult a certified guide for bow hair cleaning before you attempt to clean the hair with any substance be it mineral spirits or alcohol. My suggestion would first be to try a soft degreasing soap and water on your bow hair before moving to hard chemicals like mineral spirits.
Evah Pirazzi Gold Rosin
Evah Pirazzi Gold rosin is premium territory. This rosin was designed specifically for the Evah Pirazzi Gold line of strings (which I can attest are wonderful as I use them rather frequently) but will work beautifully for most strings.
If you want a rosin that will allow you to play whisper soft pianissimos and powerful, thunderous fortissimos, look no further.
This may the product for you.
After applying this rosin, you’ll find it’s easier to draw out an even sonic spectrum from your strings and instrument. It feels as if the bow has full control of both volume and EQ.
While some rosins will produce powerful sounds, they can also draw out harshness with the power.
Not so with Evah Pirazzi Gold. If your technique is solid, your louder tones will be articulate with strength.
This rosin is nearly dust-free. While none are completely dustless, you’ll find your clean up is dramatically reduced with this product.
A side bonus is going to be your having to use less rosin to produce quality sounds. Because there is plenty of friction produced, you may actually make only one or two passes with your bow where other rosins would require up to six or seven.
There really aren’t many detractors here. I could be picky and say that, for the money, I wish they had made a better package, one where I could just pull off the top and rosin up, but that’s minor.
For the quality of sound production and the drastic drop in dust-production, I can’t complain.
This is definitely on par with Andrea Solo rosin.
However, remember at the end of the day that every player and every violin are different, so your needs may vary.
Personally, this is one of my favorite rosins.
Final thoughts
I hope these products helped you! My goal is always to inform, illuminate and inspire. I hope this article did just that.
Final tip: always remember to rotate your rosin and never rosin up on the exact spot you last drew the bow.
In this way, you will keep from creating ruts in the rosin that will hinder you from using it fully, thus lowering its life span. Keep practicing and remember, music is magic!