Rosin on hands for grip
Over the weekend I was out playing disc golf and someone in my group had a thing called Gorilla Snot. It smelled like rosin but was very gooey, even more than Pops bass rosin. It basically makes your fingers sticky to help hold onto guitar picks, drumsticks, etc. I had an idea to try it out for holding the bow. This way my hand could stay more relaxed while not worrying about losing hold of the bow.
The stuff came in and it even says it's rosin on the box and it says on the packaging besides guitar picks in drumsticks that it also is used for bows. So far I like using it and it really does feel like I can stay more relaxed. Has anyone tried using this or put rosin on their fingers on the right-hand before?
So, the package says it dissolves away with no sticky residue and I thought that was impossible. Well, and three hours of use, my hands feel gunk-free and my bow feels like nothing was ever on it. My thought is that it is like lotion and just gets absorbed into the skin.
Replies
Bev is right.
Also, if it is absorbed by the skin you might end up with some terrible illness ...
I agree with the idea of a false sense of security. I have been playing for 20 years so am no way just trying to find a shortcut though. At least for the time I tried the stuff I was able to keep my regular bow hold, but stay even more relaxed on it. I don't think I would give it to my new students, but instead some of my older and more experienced students once they have a firm understanding of how to control and manipulate the bow. Time to experiment!
As far as getting some illness, I find that to be ridiculous. It seems to be made of a natural tree resin/oil like the most natural lotions available which are 100% safe.
I'm trying to get past the disgusting-ness of that brand name! But as for the concept, here is something that I've done for many years which has been very helpful and has not had the slightest harmful effect on my skin or relaxed and flexible bow hold:
If I'm perspiring or it's humid - or at the opposite extreme, it is very dry, I sometimes feel that my skin on the tip of my 4th finger, which I keep on the bow almost all the time and the tip of my thumb, slide a bit off the wood of the bow. In that case I put a bit of rosin on those areas from the side of the rosin cake or the cloth it is glued to, or the back of the bow hair. It actually promotes more relaxation, as I don't have to make any effort to stay in contact with the bow.
I'd certainly recommend trying this before trying any rubber tubing on the bow, which changes the weight, balance and feel quite a bit. And if anyone is worried about getting rosin on two tiny spots of the bow from this procedure, it is absolutely miniscule compared to what gets on the whole shaft of the bow from normal playing.
"As far as getting some illness, I find that to be ridiculous. It seems to be made of a natural tree resin/oil like the most natural lotions available which are 100% safe."
Rosin is a strong allergen and would be rarely used in any skin contact application. Just Google "Rosin Allergy"
Actually, athletes, particularly gymnasts I've noticed, use rosin on their hands to improve their grip.
Steven, it's often more like powdered chalk. The main use of the chalk is to counteract the slipperiness of sweat, and make the skin feel dry-ish. Perhaps the powdered rosin you speak of is a different, processed type from what we are familiar with?
On an unrelated note, pointe ballet dancers crush rosin and apply it to the points of their shoes so they do not slip on the wooden floors. Got a destroyed cake of rosin? Give it to a dancer.
Baseball pitchers used powdered rosin, too. It's true that anyone can be allergic to different things and allergies are known to come and go. My skin is sometimes sensitive, but rosin in the use I described above has never bothered it. The crushed rosin that bow makers use to get the hair started after they re-hair it is actually a bit coarse and super sticky. What I advocated above is much finer and more subtle - the dust that Jeannie alluded to.
Football (rugby league ) players have been using 'Grippo' in Australia for over 40 years. These products are not new.
I fail to see how such a thing is useful for playing the violin. Your bow grip is very important and it should not depend on access to some sticky lotion.
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July 8, 2015 at 05:33 AM · It's an interesting concept, but I don't recommend using it. Using a substance like that provides a false sense of security and control over the bow that the player doesn't actually have. Part of developing a controlled and effective bow hand is learning to hold, and use, the bow in a relaxed and flexible way. Anything that causes your hand i.e. fingers to hold to a certain position isn't helpful and will eventually cause problems. If a person is having an issue with stability/slipping in their bow hold, then they need to reevaluate the fundamentals of how they're holding it - preferably with the assistance of a skilled teacher.
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in playing for over 30 years is that the "process" can't be rushed and there are no shortcuts. One may learn faster than another but we travel the same path to get there. To me, that's the true beauty (and frustration) of what we do.
Good luck!