The vibration of a bowed string has been studied since the 19th
century, and today this problem is the only example of vibration
excited by friction which can claim to be reasonably well understood.
Musical acoustics is a subject in which fine details can be very
important, and current theoretical models embody many of the
complicating features of real strings, instruments and bows. The
models can be used to explore questions directly relevant to
instrument makers and players. This colloquium will review the
history of bowed-string research and highlight recent developments,
including experiments with a computer-controlled bowing machine
carried out at CUED by Paul Galluzzo.
