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How does a violin produce sound when played with a bow?

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Koto — stringed instrument A Japanese musician plucking the strings of a koto with the right hand to generate a pitch and pressing the strings with the left hand to alter the tone.

A violin produces sound through the vibration of its strings, which is amplified by the instrument's hollow wooden body.12

When a player draws the bow across a string, the friction between the bow's horsehair—typically coated with resin—and the string causes the string to vibrate. These vibrations are transmitted through the bridge to the violin’s top plate, or soundboard.321

Inside the instrument, the soundpost and bass bar play a crucial role in distributing these vibrations throughout the body. As the wooden body vibrates, it sets the surrounding air into motion, which creates the sound heard by the listener. The specific quality of this sound is influenced by the instrument's construction, including the size and shape of the resonating body and the materials used for the soundboard.124