Explore Strings with music dictionary guides to violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, harp, bowing, plucking, tone, and range.
A fret is a raised strip embedded in the fingerboard of stringed instruments that shortens the vibrating length of a string to produce a specific pitch. It is a fundamental element in guitars, basses, mandolins and many other fretted instruments.
The violin is a high‑pitched, four‑stringed bowed instrument central to many musical traditions. It is known for its expressive range, technical versatility, and prominent role in orchestras, chamber groups, and solo repertoire.
The bass guitar is a low‑pitched, stringed instrument that provides rhythmic and harmonic foundation in many musical styles, bridging rhythm and melody.
The ukulele is a small, four‑stringed instrument of Portuguese origin that became central to Hawaiian music and later global popular culture. It is known for its bright, mellow tone and ease of play, making it a favorite among beginners and seasoned musicians alike.
An acoustic guitar is a fretted string instrument that produces sound through a resonating hollow body without the need for electronic amplification. It is widely used across many musical genres for both rhythm and melodic purposes.
A fiddle is a colloquial term for the violin when used in folk, traditional, and popular music contexts, distinguished by its playing style and repertoire.
A bow is a handheld device used to set the strings of violins, violas, cellos, and double basses into vibration. It typically consists of a stick, horsehair, and a grip, and its design has evolved over centuries to meet the expressive demands of Western art music.
The banjo is a fretted, plucked string instrument originating in Africa and developed in the United States, central to folk, bluegrass, and many other musical styles.
The mandolin is a small, plucked string instrument of the lute family, typically with eight strings in four courses tuned G‑D‑A‑E. It appears in classical, folk, bluegrass, and popular music worldwide.
Pizzicato is a playing technique for stringed instruments in which the strings are plucked with the fingers instead of bowed. It creates a short, percussive sound and is used across many musical styles, from classical orchestration to popular music.