instrumentsstrings

Instrumentsstrings is a broad category of musical instruments whose primary sound-producing element is one or more vibrating strings. The strings may be set into motion by bowing, plucking or plucking with fingers, or by striking, and the vibration is often amplified and colorized by a resonant body such as a soundboard, hollow box, or other chamber.

They are commonly grouped into bowed, plucked, and struck in traditional classifications. Bowed instruments include families such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, as well as many regional varieties. Plucked instruments cover guitars, lutes, harps, mandolins, zithers, and related instruments. Struck or hammered string instruments include the piano, dulcimer, and similar keyboard or percussion-string hybrids, where hammers or plucking mechanisms interact with strings.

Materials and construction influence tone. Strings can be made of gut, metal, or synthetics, and their tension, length, and mass per unit length determine pitch and timbre. The instrument’s body often acts as a resonator, shaping sustain and projection. Playing techniques—bowing, plucking, strumming, hammering—produce a wide range of dynamics and colors across musical genres.

Historically, string instruments appear in many ancient cultures and evolved through medieval, Renaissance, and modern periods. The violin family became central to Western art music, while plucked and hammered varieties achieved global significance in folk, popular, and traditional repertoires. Electronic amplification and transduction have extended the reach of many strings-based instruments in contemporary music.