bow hair
Violin friction source
Bow hair is the ribbon of horsehair stretched across the stick of a stringed instrument bow—violin, cello, double bass.
The hair grips the strings when rosined, producing sound through friction.
Bows typically use white horsehair, though bass players sometimes prefer coarser black hair.
Over time, bow hair wears out and requires rehairing by a luthier.
- rosinSolidified conifer sap
- horsehairStrands from manes, tails
- horse tailFlowing mane's counterpart
- natural fiberMaterial from living sources
- violinBowed string instrument
strings · cello · fiddle · string instrument · tension · ribbon · taut · white · coarse · grip · stroke · rehair · bundle · frog · stick · vibration · screech · smooth