The oldest surviving examples of string instruments come from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. However, many people believe that string instruments existed even before those civilizations were established. Today string instruments are found throughout the world.
String instruments use stretched strings that vibrate when plucked, struck, or rubbed with a bow. The body of the instrument is hollow, creating a resonating chamber that makes the vibrations of the strings louder. String instruments are divided into categories based on how the strings are attached to the body of the instrument. The main categories are harps, zithers, lyres, and lutes.
Lyres are usually found only in a few areas of East Africa. A lyre is made from an oval, round, or rectangular sound chamber. Two arms extend from the body. They are joined at the top by a crosspiece. The strings extend from this crosspiece to the body, where they are connected by a bridge. The strings are plucked by the performer.
A harp has many strings, each of which produces a different note. The length of the string determines the sound that the string makes. The shortest strings produce the highest notes. The harp used in modern Western orchestras has a roughly triangular frame. Arched harps were used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. From there they spread southward to Africa, where they are still played. These harps also are found in Central and Southeast Asia.
Zithers are instruments whose strings are stretched across a soundboard. The strings are the same length as the soundboard. Zithers can be many different shapes. They can have one string or many. Zithers are placed across a player’s knees or on a table or the ground. The strings are plucked or bowed. In some versions a small hammer is used to hit the strings. The Korean ajaeng is bowed, while the dulcimer of the Appalachian region of the United States is played with hammers.
Lutes are instruments with strings that are stretched over a long neck that extends from the body of the instrument. The stringed instruments of the modern symphony orchestra are in the lute family. These instruments include (from smallest to largest) the violin, viola, cello, and bass. The strings are rubbed with a horsehair bow or plucked with the fingers. The sound is changed by using the fingers to press down on the strings at different points of the neck. This temporarily shortens the part of the string that makes the sound. The wooden body of the instrument makes the sound louder.Guitars, banjos, and ukuleles also belong to the lute family. They are played by plucking the strings with either the fingers or a small piece of plastic or metal called a pick. The electric guitar uses an electronic device called an amplifier to make the sound louder.
Although string instruments are not a standard part of middle or high school bands, they are popoular instruments to play and remain an important part of musical cultures around the world.