Stringed Instruments

String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when the performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner.

Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the strings with their fingers or a plectrum—and others by hitting the strings with a light wooden hammer or by rubbing the strings with a bow. In some keyboard instruments, such as the harpsichord, the musician presses a key that plucks the string.

With bowed instruments, the player rubs the strings with a horsehair bow, causing them to vibrate. With a hurdy-gurdy, the musician operates a mechanical wheel that rubs the strings.

Bowed instruments include the string section instruments of the Classical music orchestra (violin, viola, cello and double bass) and a number of other instruments (e.g., viols and gambas used in early music from the Baroque music era and fiddles used in many types of folk music). All of the bowed string instruments can also be plucked with the fingers, a technique called "pizzicato". A wide variety of techniques are used to sound notes on the electric guitar, including plucking with the fingernails or a plectrum, strumming and even "tapping" on the fingerboard and using feedback from a loud, distorted guitar amplifier to produce a sustained sound. Some types of string instrument are mainly plucked, such as the harp and the electric bass. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, string instruments are called chordophones. Other examples include the sitar, rebab, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and bouzouki.

In most string instruments, the vibrations are transmitted to the body of the instrument, which often incorporates some sort of hollow or enclosed area. The body of the instrument also vibrates, along with the air inside it. The vibration of the body of the instrument and the enclosed hollow or chamber make the vibration of the string more audible to the performer and audience. The body of most string instruments is hollow. Some, however—such as electric guitar and other instruments that rely on electronic amplification—may have a solid wood body.

* Description and images provided by Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license .

Matching Stringed Instruments Colleges

The Juilliard School

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $51,230 average out-state tuition; $51,230 average in-state tuition

The New England Conservatory of Music

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $52,730 average out-state tuition; $52,730 average in-state tuition

Yale University

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $59,950 average out-state tuition; $59,950 average in-state tuition

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $49,300 average out-state tuition; $49,300 average in-state tuition

Rice University

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $52,070 average out-state tuition; $52,070 average in-state tuition

Manhattan School of Music

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $49,850 average out-state tuition; $49,850 average in-state tuition

Northwestern University

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $60,276 average out-state tuition; $60,276 average in-state tuition

Scholarships for Stringed Instruments Majors

Bullet name award deadline Link
 

Leonard Bernstein Fellowship - Brandeis University

Brandeis University

Up to $20,500 February 01, 2024 See Details
 

Leonard Bernstein Fellowship - Brandeis University

Brandeis University

award

Up to $20,500

deadline

February 01, 2024
See Details
 

McKnight Doctoral Fellowship

Florida Education Fund

Up to $18,000 January 15, 2024 See Details
 

McKnight Doctoral Fellowship

Florida Education Fund

award

Up to $18,000

deadline

January 15, 2024
See Details
 

Fine Arts Fellowship - Wabash College

Wabash College

Up to $15,000 Varies See Details
 

Fine Arts Fellowship - Wabash College

Wabash College

award

Up to $15,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Lawrence M. and Louise Kresge Isaacs Endowment for Music

Susquehanna University

Up to $12,000 Varies See Details
 

Lawrence M. and Louise Kresge Isaacs Endowment for Music

Susquehanna University

award

Up to $12,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Filene Music Scholarship

Skidmore College

$12,000 Varies See Details
 

Filene Music Scholarship

Skidmore College

award

$12,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Harriet A. Shaw Fellowship

Wellesley College, Graduate Financial Aid

Up to $11,500 Varies See Details
 

Harriet A. Shaw Fellowship

Wellesley College, Graduate Financial Aid

award

Up to $11,500

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Nordan Fine Arts Program Award - Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University

$10,000 Varies See Details
 

Nordan Fine Arts Program Award - Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University

award

$10,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Dolly Parton Songwriters Award

BMI Foundation, Inc.

Up to $10,000 February 15, 2024 See Details
 

Dolly Parton Songwriters Award

BMI Foundation, Inc.

award

Up to $10,000

deadline

February 15, 2024
See Details
 

Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Up to $20,000 December 16, 2023 See Details
 

Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

award

Up to $20,000

deadline

December 16, 2023
See Details
 

Thomas Mishler Music Scholarship

New Mexico Highlands University

$8,268 February 15, 2024 See Details
 

Thomas Mishler Music Scholarship

New Mexico Highlands University

award

$8,268

deadline

February 15, 2024
See Details