Double Bass Rub vs. Swipe?

[Who da Ville]

I've known a couple of violin and/or cello players over the years. They all have applied rosin to their bows using quick a back-and-forth rubbing motion. On the other hand, it seems that bass players usually apply their rosin with one or more long, smooth swipes.

I'm curious to better understand why the different techniques?

My best guess is that because violin and/or cello rosin is harder/drier, the quick back-and-forth rubbing motion is needed to warm up the rosin so that it will stick to the bow hair?

If the above theory is true, maybe when a cake of Pop's goes rock-hard two weeks after purchase, all we need to do is change our application method from long swipes to quick rubs? In the past, my response to rock-hard Pop's is to throw it away, or re-melt the rosin mixed with something more long-lasting (such as Oak).

 

[User4843936]

Violin/cello rosin doesn’t need warming up, particularly, it just dusts onto the string because it’s more dry like a powder as a default.

 

[User4843936]

It should read that it dusts onto the HAIR, even!

Although, a teacher of mine did once mention he saw students applying rosin to the strings in an orchestra class (I think more for a reaction from him than anything else).

 

[AGCurry]

The "long swipe" was taught to me by my teacher. I suspect it's simply (cue Fiddler on the Roof) TRADITION. But is there another (more rational) explanation?

 

[Sean Riddle]

The "long swipe" was taught to me by my teacher. I suspect it's simply (cue Fiddler on the Roof) TRADITION. But is there another (more rational) explanation?

How it was explained to me is that the barbs of the horse hair are angled towards the frog. So doing one long swipe from frog to tip ensures you get a good amount of rosin in your hair. I don't know if it's scientifically true, but I've always done the long swipe and have no intention on changing my rosin applying method. It works well for me.

 

[J. Montgomery]

I was taught the frog to tip, long swipe method as well

 

[Selim]

Long swipe, frog to tip (the “rubbing the bow on the rosin” method..).

That rationale behind that was imparted to me as a way to get a consistent amount of rosin over the entire length of the hair. The “rubbing the rosin on bow” method was explained to me as a way to put extra rosin on a specific area of the hair.

 

[AGCurry]

How it was explained to me is that the barbs of the horse hair are angled towards the frog. So doing one long swipe from frog to tip ensures you get a good amount of rosin in your hair. I don't know if it's scientifically true, but I've always done the long swipe and have no intention on changing my rosin applying method. It works well for me.

I have heard this explanation as well. It doesn't answer two questions:

1. Wouldn't the other viol players then benefit from swiping in one direction?

2. If true, wouldn't downstrokes be much stronger than upstrokes?

Inquiring minds want to know. @Selim , I suspect, may have a simpler and truer explanation... but I really don't know.

 

[Inky13]

Mentally/OCD I don’t think I could go tip to frog. It’s been ingrained into my routine from literally day one.

 

[Ryan in PDX]

In the interests of science, I just "took one for the team." 3 swipes of Kolstein Soft from frog to tip as usual, followed by a half-swipe from frog to middle, and (brace yourselves) a half-swipe from tip to middle.

I started my long tones, scales, and Simandl. Everything seemed normal until the one hour mark, when my bass exploded in a flash of green light. Check the classifieds for a set of Mittels (light char) later this evening.

Frog to tip, folks!

(Okay, my bass didn't actually explode. I honestly didn't notice any difference whatsoever. We've all been lied to.)

 

[Inky13]

Witnessed a guy going both ways tonight. (Rosining) !
I might be scarred for life.

 

[Don Kasper]

How it was explained to me is that the barbs of the horse hair are angled towards the frog.

Hmmm...I have never heard of this, or seen any "directionality" specified on the hanks of bow hair I've purchased for my DIY rehairs.
Just sayin'.
Thanks, Sean.

 

[Sean Riddle]

Hmmm...I have never heard of this, or seen any "directionality" specified on the hanks of bow hair I've purchased for my DIY rehairs.
Just sayin'.
Thanks, Sean.

Gosh darn I was just at Brianna Goldberg’s shop yesterday and could’ve asked her what she knows. Seems like there’s so much conflicting folk wisdom on this matter.

 

[Don Kasper]

Gosh darn I was just at Brianna Goldberg’s shop yesterday and could’ve asked her what she knows. Seems like there’s so much conflicting folk wisdom on this matter.

Keep me posted.
Thx, Sean.

 

[Leif Dering]

I was taught frog to tip and was told that doing tip to frog can actually pull out the hair from your bow. I've never seen it happen, but my teacher at the time was pretty serious about it when she said it.

 

[Don Kasper]

doing tip to frog can actually pull out the hair from your bow.

Nope. Old Wives/Husbands Tale, IMO/IME.
I've been "bi-directional" for decades, rosinally speaking.
Just sayin'.
Thank You, Leif.....

 

[Leif Dering]

Nope. Old Wives/Husbands Tale, IMO/IME.
I've been "bi-directional" for decades, rosinally speaking.
Just sayin'.
Thank You, Leif.....

When I get my bow rehaired, the guy does it on the spot since it's a bit of a drive, and seeing the process done, it is pretty hard to believe just rosin could pull all the hair out. Dunno, I just go frog to tip out of habit at this point.

 

[jj.833]

I was trying there and back with my Pops a few times way back. Before I learned the right way. The Pops had a tendency to stick to the hair when I was changing the move, and tear out a hair or two, or leave an rosin artifact in place. Frog to tip, I never had any problem.

 

[jj.833]

But I've seen people applying the rosin with frenetic there and back moves, especially with newly rehaired bows. I guess it is a way to apply more of the stuff. It worked too.