The musician can play different notes by pulling more or less on the washbasin mast due to the tension applied on the string.
This is because the more the mast is pulled, the more the washtub bass string is stretched and this increases the tension on that string. The stresses determine the type of note that will be exposed. This is because the higher the desired note, the more tension must be applied to the string, so the mast must be pulled harder.
