Bowed clavier

Imagine a piano that you can play by moving your hands up and down instead of pressing keys with your fingers. That's what a bowed clavier is!

Instead of hammers striking strings like in a traditional piano, the bowed clavier has a long, narrow box with strings stretched across it. The strings are played by a bow, which is a long, thin stick with horsehair stretched tightly between the two ends.

To play the bowed clavier, you hold the bow in both hands like you would a jump rope, and you move your hands up and down across the strings. As you move the bow, it makes the strings vibrate, just like when you rub your finger along the edge of a glass to make it "sing".

The sound of the bowed clavier is different than a traditional piano because you can create longer sustained notes, like those you might hear from a violin or cello. It's a unique and beautiful instrument that can create a range of sounds and moods, depending on how it's played.