string instrument
Bowed or plucked
A string instrument produces sound from vibrating strings stretched across a frame or body.
The strings may be plucked (guitar, harp, banjo), bowed (violin, cello, double bass), or struck (piano, hammered dulcimer).
String instruments form the backbone of orchestras and appear across virtually every musical tradition worldwide.
Bowed string instrument
- celloDeep-voiced bowed instrument
- violaMidrange bowed instrument
- double bassLargest bowed string instrument
- bowRespectful forward inclination
horsehair · rosin · frog · fiddle · erhu · morin khuur · arco · pizzicato
Fretted stringed instrument
- harpPlucked orchestral strings
- banjoFretted drum-stringed instrument
- mandolinPlucked eight-string lute descendant
- ukuleleSmall Hawaiian stringed instrument
lute · sitar · koto · balalaika · oud · shamisen · zither · dulcimer
Stringed instrument craftsperson
- tonewoodAcoustically selected lumber
- soundboardTone-amplifying wooden surface
- spruceNeat; also a conifer
- mapleSap-yielding hardwood tree
rosewood · ebony · mahogany · varnish · inlay · purfling · bracing · binding
Worries or string dividers
- fingerboardString instrument's pitch surface
- fretboardStringed instrument's neck face
- neckHead-body junction
- nutHard-shelled seed
capo · chords · barre · intonation · action · guitar · banjo · mandolin
Amplified oscillation at natural frequency
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
- toneQuality of sound
- timbreSound's distinctive character
- sustainKeep something going continuously
overtones · harmonics · projection · warmth · brightness · volume · sound hole · soundboard
violin
Bowed string instrument
- celloDeep-voiced bowed instrument
- violaMidrange bowed instrument
- double bassLargest bowed string instrument
bow · horsehair · rosin · frog · fiddle · erhu · morin khuur · arco · pizzicato · vibrato
guitar
Fretted stringed instrument
- harpPlucked orchestral strings
- banjoFretted drum-stringed instrument
- mandolinPlucked eight-string lute descendant
ukulele · lute · sitar · koto · balalaika · oud · shamisen · zither · dulcimer · veena
luthier
Stringed instrument craftsperson
- tonewoodAcoustically selected lumber
- soundboardTone-amplifying wooden surface
- spruceNeat; also a conifer
maple · rosewood · ebony · mahogany · varnish · inlay · purfling · bracing · binding · f-holes
frets
Worries or string dividers
- fingerboardString instrument's pitch surface
- fretboardStringed instrument's neck face
- neckHead-body junction
nut · capo · chords · barre · intonation · action · guitar · banjo · mandolin · ukulele
resonance
Amplified oscillation at natural frequency
sustain · overtones · harmonics · projection · warmth · brightness · volume · sound hole · soundboard · body shape
string instrumentwind instrument
Music maker requiring breath
brass instrument · percussion instrument · woodwind instrument · drum · trumpet
string instrumentwind instrument
Music maker requiring breath
percussion instrument · horn · drum · bells · gong
string, instrument, stringy, strings, stringing, stringer, stringless, stringed, unstrung