Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Rosin gives the hair enough friction to catch the string and release it. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a music fact?

Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A bow makes sound by sticking and slipping

Rosin gives the hair enough friction to catch the string and release it The motion is called stick slip, and it repeats hundreds of times a second. Hair tension is set by a screw at the frog. Players rehair a bow as the hair stretches and loses its grip. It sits in Mondo's music collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Science trivia

More facts like this

Halving a string raises it an octaveOther simple length ratios give fifth, fourth and third A string quartet is two violins, a viola and a celloFour lines let the parts be heard separately without a conductor A grand piano carries around 20 tonnes of string tensionA cast iron plate holds the load so the case does not fold A violin's four strings are tuned in fifthsG, D, A and E cover two octaves and a sixth between them There is no maximum bow draw weightArchers may pull as heavy a bow as they can control repeatedly In a brass instrument the lips make the soundThe tube only amplifies and filters what the player's lips buzz

Tags: strings, bow, physics

A bow makes sound by sticking and slipping: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Rosin gives the hair enough friction to catch the string and release it. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a music fact?: Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.