See also:  Harp, Guitar

To learn more about the different instruments, click the appropriate instrument on the image above.

The strings on string instruments are usually made of gut, nylon or wire.  The strings can be divided into two categories; the orchestral strings (Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass which make up the Violin family) and the solo strings, instruments such as the guitar and harp more frequently seen on their own or in small groups.

The orchestral strings are the mainstay of the modern orchestra.  The rich expressive tone of the violin family allow it to provide gentle accompaniment for a solo instrument or captivate the audience with powerful, sweeping melodies.  Another common use of the violin family is in the string quartet, typically two violins, a viola and cello.

The members of the violin family first appeared, in the 16th century and descend from earlier bowed instruments such as the Viol and Fiddle which they quickly replaced due to their richer and more expressive tone.  They are all played with a bow and have 4 strings each, tuned a 5th apart using the tuning pegs at the scroll except the Double Bass which is tuned in 4ths.  The Violin and Viola are played under the chin, whilst the Cello and Double Bass rest on the floor, with the Cellist seated and the Bassist standing or seated on a high stool.

The sounds are produced when the bow is drawn across a string.  The vibrations are transmitted via the bridge and soundpost into the hollow body of the instrument where they are amplified.  This sets the air within the body vibrating, producing sound waves which emerge from the shaped sound holes.

Only the scroll is a purely decorative feature.   The purfling, a narrow strip of laminated wood inlaid into the rim of the instrument for example, adds strength and the shape of the instrument allows the bow a complete clearance when playing the outer strings.  The singular most important features in the instrument's construction, as far as tone is concerned, are the sound post and the bass bar.  The sound post is positioned under the right foot of the bridge to transmit the vibrations to the back, whilst the bass bar stiffens the belly and distributes the vibrations.  The materials with which the instrument is made are specially chosen, and along with the precise shape have a critical bearing on the quality of sound and tone of the completed instrument.  The design of the bow with which the instrument is played is just as important as the design of the instrument itself.   The modern bow is designed to be flexible and versatile to allow the accomplished player to extract as much feeling from the instrument as possible.

Unlike its predecessor, the Viol, none of the members of the Violin family have raised frets on the fingerboard to guide the player's fingers, making accurate playing a more difficult task whilst also offering the artist a freedom of expression no other instrument can match.  Playing the instrument involves the principle of waves on strings.  By pressing the string on the fingerboard, the player effectively reduces its length, thus increasing the frequency of the sound wave and subsequently raising the pitch of the note.  A second method of varying the pitch involves placing a finger lightly on the string, creating a node through which the wave must pass, and this also raises the pitch of the note.  See Virtual Experiment 2 - Exploring Harmonics.

The solo strings tend to provide their own melody, harmony and accompaniment, and as a result of this versatility have increasingly found their way into folk and popular music.  Because they don't belong to any one family, we need to consider these instruments separately.

You can learn more about Strings by reading about the First Violins, Second Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses.