There are various families of musical instruments, such as the percussion family, brass family, woodwind family, and string family.All of these families consist of numerous instruments. For example, timpani, tambourine, and bass drums belong to the percussion family. The string family consists of instruments that produce sound by vibrating strings such as viola, double bass, violin, and cello.The string family has different string instruments, and it is also the largest family in an orchestra. All of these different instruments are played by using a bow and have different lengths and pitches. The instruments primarily have four sizes. The double bass can be considered the biggest, while the viola is considered the smallest of all the instruments.The body of these instruments is made up of wood and is hollow inside. The bow that is used to play the string instruments of an orchestra is made up of horsetail and wood. The double bass is also considered the lowest instrument in terms of pitch.Besides these instruments, the harp has been contemplated as a part of the string family, although it may differ from others and is played by plucking the strings with the fingers. It is known to comprise melody and harmony, and there are 47 strings, which is the most number of strings that a stringed instrument has. The strings are made up of either nylon, gut, or steel.String instruments have evolved through the years, and any child over three years can learn how to play stringed instruments. Of course, there have been some really exceptional cases where children of a younger age have started learning to play these instruments.What are string instruments?String instruments are also known as chordophones, as the sound produced is the result of vibration that is made by the musicians when they pluck, strike, or bow the strings. The string section in an orchestra will mostly be played with a bow. However, these string instruments can also be played by plucking, which is a technique called pizzicato.Some common examples of string instruments would be guitar, banjo, ukelele, mandolin, and violin. A guitar has five primary chords, which are the set of notes that can be played concurrently. Guitars can be either plucked or strung with a guitar pick or fingers. They are usually made of wood. It is largely assumed that guitars were influenced by the Spanish vihuela. Another way that a musician can play guitars or other stringed instruments is by strumming, which is often confused with plucking. In the modern era, guitars are extensively used for composing a wide variety of music and sound genres such as pop, rock, punk, and folk.Which instruments are included in the string family?The string family comprises stringed instruments that belong to classical music orchestras. The musicians can play notes on them with bows or their fingers, and the pitch of such notes is adjusted by loosening or tightening the string. It contains the violin, which is seen as the infant of the family. Then violas are treated as the brothers or sisters of violins. These two are the smallest of all the string instruments.The violin family instruments are an integral part of and are the fundamental structure of the contemporary symphony. The violin family consists of violins, violas, double basses, and cellos. The wooden body is usually curved and hollow, and a bow is used to play them. Both the violin and the viola are played by placing them by the neck, under the chin, while pressing the strings with one hand to hit different notes and holding the bow with the other hand.Violins are further divided into two segments in an orchestra which are the first violins and the second violins. The double bass has a low pitch and a wooden body, but they are much bigger than the violin or viola. The structure of the double bass can be considered the same as a cello. However, it can be played with four or five strings, while the cello can only be played with four. Cellos are made to stand on cello rests and have to be played by a seated musician.The harp is very different, it is still a part of the family but not of the violin family. The harp is an ancient stringed instrument and has been a part of human culture since ancient times. The size of a harp may vary; nevertheless, there are always 47 strings on this instrument.Origin Of String Family InstrumentsThe origin of the string instruments is said to be inspired by the ancient bow and arrow of cavemen. The string instruments that we see today differ a lot from the instruments that existed in the past; however, the mechanism to play is more or less the same. For example, violins that originated in the 15th or 16th century were inspired by other instruments such as rebec, vielle, and lira da braccio. Most bowed instruments draw their inspiration from the 9th century. The Lyres of Ur is known to be the oldest string instrument.The string family is an amalgamation of different instruments, and not all of them have an origin from the same time. However, the idea or influence behind each instrument can be a common factor. The violin has an origin in Italy in the 16th century, similar to the viola and cello. The first evidence of violin was documented from the painting of Gaudenzio Ferrari and had just three strings.However, the origin of bowed instruments in Europe can be traced back to the 9th century. The viola originated in the northern part of Italy, but the exact year of the invention has not been documented. The cello is also known as violoncello and has only four strings. This instrument started gaining popularity in 1550. Andrea Amati was the person credited with creating it and gifting it to Charles IX of France. Double bass originated during the 15th century but initially had three strings. Regardless there are plenty of arguments regarding the lineage of this instrument.Each string of a harp produces one note and there are 47 strings. The length of its strings is in ascending order; therefore, the pitch also varies according to the length of the strings. There is evidence of a harp existing in 3000 BC and the sound was produced by plucking.Different Parts Of String Family InstrumentString instruments are the primary example of craftsmanship and imagination that spread rapidly across different cultures. The material that is used in making these instruments is crucial in creating sound from their natural vibration. The body is mainly made of wood, with a complex structure that is hollow on the inside. Both the outer and inner components are important for any instrument to create different tunes.Be it violin, viola, or cello, they initially have the same mechanism of producing sound, harmony, or melody. The major difference is the size as violin and violin are the smallest instruments of the string family.Some major parts in common include the scroll that is present on the top of the instrument, then peg, pegbox, nut, and neck coming down to the soundboard. The neck extends from the body and ends over the soundboard.The musician controls the tension with the help of the peg. The shape is curved, which is also called the waist and then purfling, tailpiece, and ultimately the end button. The wooden part of the bow is called the bow stick, while the thin string underneath is called bow hair that creates sound. Other parts of the bow may incorporate the tip, screw, and frog.
There are various families of musical instruments, such as the percussion family, brass family, woodwind family, and string family.
