Rosin on strings

[karl]

When I put the bow away rosin from the bow gets all over the string. And when I play the next time, my fingers get sticky which makes sliding very unsmooth. I have to clean the string before I play. Is this a rosin problem , or and I putting too much rorsin on?

[YouLanFengChune]

Rosin is a big problem.

For advanced players, they used to recommend a "powderless" rosin JADE,by Thomastik.
Try finding it

[davidmdahl]

You might try a different rosin that is not quite so sticky. I use Pirastro Obligato and I don't have much trouble with sticky rosin on my strings. If you are using a cello rosin, that might be the cause of your trouble as it is stickier than it should be. I have noticed that cello rosin is often sold with a new erhu. Violin rosin is much more appropriate.

Best wishes,

David

[YouLanFengChune]

Either ways, clean it up using Alcohol swab. jUST be VERY careful not t let it touch the paint of the erhu.

[spansar]

While we're on the subject of rosin, I find it important to recount a bit of recent conversation with a fiddler. I picked his brain a little about rosin, and he said that he always wiped his violin bow before he stowed his instrument (LOL!!) Most importantly--the point, he explained, was that rosin eats finish. I was taken aback by this claim. Anyone care to corroborate/refute?

[calden]

True. The resins in the rosin (nice turn of phrase, that...) soften violin varnish and makes it gummy. When rosin sits on a violin for a long period of time, especially in warm climates, it becomes impossible to get off - it kind of bonds with the varnish, which is already soft, being mostly linseed oil and shellac and some other gums. It wouldn't be nearly so damaging to a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, the spray finish that's on most good-quality guitars, and might be seen on lower-quality erhus. Yinhao, what are erhus typically finished with anyway?

Carlos

[YouLanFengChune]

calden said:

It wouldn't be nearly so damaging to a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, the spray finish that's on most good-quality guitars, and might be seen on lower-quality erhus. Yinhao, what are erhus typically finished with anyway?

Carlos

Most (not all)High quality woods are un-painted. They are simply
1) buffed to smoothness
2) lacquered
3)waxed

[paulv]

karl said:

When I put the bow away rosin from the bow gets all over the string. And when I play the next time, my fingers get sticky which makes sliding very unsmooth. I have to clean the string before I play. Is this a rosin problem , or and I putting too much rorsin on?

I've seen most erhu players carrying a cloth in their case to wipe off the strings and neck stick. I've been doing the same since I first started playing and don't have any problems. There's not a large amount of rosin that transfers to the strings when storing the erhu.

Regards,
paul

[YouLanFengChune]

hmmm...

most players in my area use T-shirt cloth as a cover for the strings when they keep Erhu

[karl]

youlanfengchune said:

hmmm...

most players in my area use T-shirt cloth as a cover for the strings when they keep Erhu

So you wrap the erhu neck with cloth before folding up the bow?

[YouLanFengChune]

They cover the neck and the string. Keeps the gum off tyhe strings.

[kittyglitter]

I use a pretty purple dinner size napkin.

Wipe the rosin off the strings where you've been playing with one side. Lay the opposite side down over the strings with the points covering the pegs with the top point, like a diamond (which is why it's nice to use a napkin).

Lay the bow over the napkin and tuck over the pegs. Take 1 side of the napkin and fold it over the bow and around the neck until you run out of napkin to fold. Follow it with the other half of the napkin in the same direction.

It also avoids the irritating 'which way does the bow want to go' dance when you get ready to play. :-)