String (music)

Common card · No. 380020

In music, strings are long flexible structures on string instruments that produce sound through vibration. Strings are held under tension so that they can vibrate freely. The pitch (frequency) at which a string will vibrate is primarily related to its vibrating length (also called speaking length), its tension, and its mass per unit of length. A vibrating string produces very little sound by itself. Therefore, most string instruments have a soundboard to amplify the sound. There are two main kinds of strings; plain and wound. "Plain" strings are one piece of long cylindrical material, commonly consisted of nylon, gut, or steel. "Wound" strings have a central core, with other material being tightly wound around the string . Prior to Second World War, strings of many instruments (including violins, lutes, and guitars) were made of catgut, a type of cord made from refined natural fibers of animal intestines. During the mid-twentieth century, steel and nylon strings became more favored in string...

Read on Wikipedia · Image jd, CC BY-SA 3.0