Wikipedia

Bowed string instrument

Also found in: Dictionary.
(redirected from bowed stringed instrument)
"Bowed" redirects here. For the social gesture, see Bowing. For the playing technique, see Bowing (music).

Bowed string instruments are a subcategory of string instruments that are played by a bow rubbing the strings. The bow rubbing the string causes vibration which the instrument emits as sound.

The Arabic rabāb is the earliest known bowed instrument,[1] and the ancestor of all European bowed instruments, including the rebec, lyra and violin.[2]

List of bowed string instruments

Violin family

Niccolò Paganini playing the violin, by Georg Friedrich Kersting (1785–1847)
Variants on the standard members of the violin family include

Viol family (Viola da Gamba family)

Karl Friedrich Abel playing the bass Viola da Gamba, by Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788)
Variants on the standard four members of the viol family include:

Lyra and rebec type

Chinese bowed instruments

Two performers playing the Erhu, sometimes known as the Chinese fiddle.

Rosined wheel instruments

A performer playing the Morin Khuur, the Mongolian Horse Fiddle

The following instruments are sounded by means of a turning wheel that acts as the bow.

Other bowed instruments

See also

  • Bow stroke

References

  1. ^ "rabab (musical instrument) - Encyclopædia Britannica". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica (2009), lira, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, retrieved 2009-02-20
This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by its online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information, please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.