String instrument rosin than players of lower-pitched instruments, who tend to favor darker, softer rosin. The ravanahatha is one of the oldest string instruments. Ancestors of the modern bowed string instruments are the rebab of the Islamic Empires, the Persian kamanche and the Byzantine lira. Other bowed instruments are the rebec, hardingfele, nyckelharpa, kokyū, erhu, igil, sarangi and K'ni. The hurdy-gurdy is bowed by a wheel. Rarely, the guitar has been played with a bow (rather than plucked) for unique effects. The third common method of sound production in stringed instruments is to strike the string. The piano and hammered dulcimer use
Hurdy-gurdy German name, "Bauernleier", means "peasant's lyre". In Italy, it is called the "ghironda" or "lira tedesca" while in Spain, it is a "zanfona" in Galicia, "zanfoña" in Zamora, "rabil" in Asturias and "viola de roda" in Catalonia. In the Basque language, it is known as a "zarrabete". In Portugal, it is called "sanfona". The Hungarian name "tekerőlant" and the alternate "forgólant" both mean "turning lute." Another Hungarian name for the instrument is "nyenyere", which is thought to be an onomatopoeic reference to the repetitive warble produced by a wheel that is not even. This term was considered derogatory in the