plockinstrument

Plockinstrument, or plucked string instrument, is a family of chordophones in which sound is produced primarily by plucking the strings with the fingers or with a plectrum. This method distinguishes plockinstrument from bowed or struck string instruments. The category covers a wide range of instruments across cultures, from ancient lyres and lutes to modern guitars and beyond.

Common examples include guitar, lute, mandolin, banjo, and zither, as well as East Asian instruments such as koto, guzheng, and pipa, and other regional plucked instruments like the kora and oud. Some are mainly finger-plucked (picking or fingerstyle), others use a plectrum, and many support both techniques. Harp-family instruments are also treated as plucked string instruments in many classifications.

Historically, plucked instruments appear in multiple ancient civilizations including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Europe. The lute and guitar families became central to Western music, while East Asian zithers and Indian instruments such as sitar and sarod shaped regional repertoires. In the modern era electric versions—such as the electric guitar—expand the range of timbres and techniques.

Construction-wise, plockinstrument typically features a neck, a resonant body, and one or more strings whose vibration is amplified by the body or a soundboard. Pitch is determined by string length, tension, and thickness, and by fretting on instruments with a fingerboard.

Plockinstrument play a foundational role across classical, folk, and popular music worldwide, and the term is used to categorize instruments whose primary mode of sound production is plucking.