String
44 instruments
Guitar
Over 50 million guitars sold annually worldwide. The classical guitar has nylon strings, t...
Violin
The queen of instruments. Antonio Stradivari violins sell for over 15 million dollars. Ove...
Cello
The closest instrument to the human voice according to many. Four strings tuned CGDA. The ...
Harp
One of the oldest string instruments. Modern concert harps have 47 strings and 7 pedals. E...
Bass Guitar
Invented by Paul Tutmarc and later popularized by Leo Fender. Four strings tuned EADG, one...
Banjo
Origins trace to African instruments like the akonting. Popularized in American minstrel s...
Mandolin
Eight strings in four pairs, each pair tuned in unison. The Neapolitan mandolin is the mos...
Ukulele
Based on Portuguese machete brought by immigrants to Hawaii. Four strings tuned GCEA. The ...
Sitar
18 to 21 strings, only 6 or 7 are plucked. The sympathetic strings vibrate to create reson...
Erhu
A two-stringed bowed instrument known as the Chinese violin. No fingerboard, the strings a...
Shamisen
A three-stringed lute with a square body covered in skin. Played with a large plectrum cal...
Koto
A 13-string zither over 6 feet long. Tuning is adjusted by movable bridges. The oldest kot...
Santur
A hammered dulcimer with 72 strings. The ancestor of the piano according to some historian...
Balalaika
A triangular-bodied string instrument. Three strings, two tuned to the same note. The prim...
Lute
The most important instrument of the Renaissance. A pear-shaped body with a bent-back pegb...
Viola da Gamba
A bowed string instrument played between the legs. Six or seven strings with frets. The mo...
Saw
A handsaw played with a bow. Pitch is changed by bending the blade. Produces an ethereal v...
Electric Violin
First experiments in the 1930s. No sound box, relies entirely on amplification. Five and s...
Pedal Steel Guitar
The sound of country music. Ten strings on two necks with pedals and knee levers. The peda...
Dobro
A resonator guitar with a metal cone amplifying the sound. Played lap-style with a steel b...
Hammered Dulcimer
A trapezoidal zither struck with small hammers. Over 2,000 years of history. Found across ...
Autoharp
Invented by Charles Zimmermann in Philadelphia. 36 or 37 strings with chord bars that mute...
Hurdy Gurdy
A crank-operated string instrument. The wheel acts as a bow against the strings. Keys chan...
Nyckelharpa
A Swedish keyed fiddle. 16 strings, 3 are bowed, the rest are sympathetic. Over 670 years ...
Hardanger Fiddle
Norways national instrument. Eight strings, four are played and four are sympathetic. Deco...
Guqin
A seven-stringed plucked zither. Over 3,000 years of Chinese history. The instrument of sc...
Pipa
A four-stringed Chinese lute. Over 2,000 years of history. The name imitates the playing s...
Guzheng
A 21-string plucked zither. Over 2,500 years of history. Movable bridges allow tuning flex...
Baryton
A bowed string instrument with sympathetic strings. Over 100 strings on some models. Princ...
Viola
The middle voice of the string family. Larger than the violin with a deeper tone. Four str...
Double Bass
The largest and lowest string instrument. Over 6 feet tall. Four or five strings tuned in ...
Viola dAmore
The viola of love. Seven playing strings plus seven sympathetic strings. The flame-shaped ...
Chapman Stick
Invented by Emmett Chapman. A 10 or 12-string guitar-like instrument played by two-hand ta...
Warr Guitar
A touch-style instrument similar to the Chapman Stick. Up to 14 strings. Played by tapping...
Berimbau
A single-stringed bow instrument from Brazil. Used in capoeira martial arts. The gourd res...
Cuatro
A five-course string instrument from Puerto Rico. Ten strings in five pairs. The name mean...
Tres
A Cuban guitar-like instrument with three double courses. Six strings in three pairs. Over...
Charango
A small 10-string instrument from the Andes. Traditionally made from an armadillo shell. F...
Tiple
A Colombian string instrument with 12 strings in four courses. Over 200 years of Colombian...
Sarangi
A bowed string instrument from India. Over 40 strings, only 3 are played. The rest are sym...
Sarod
A plucked string instrument from India. Over 20 strings, only 4-5 are played. The rest are...
Veena
One of the oldest instruments in India. Over 3,000 years of tradition. Four playing string...
Tanpura
A drone instrument essential to Indian classical music. Four or five strings tuned to the ...
Esraj
A bowed string instrument from Bengal. Over 300 years of tradition. A hybrid between the s...