A1: The String Family

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All orchestral string instruments produce sound when a vibrating string causes a hollow wooden body to reverberate. On all instruments except the harp, the strings are usually set into motion with a bow, although they can also be plucked. Modern bows are strung with horsehair, while the strings themselves are made out of various metals. Because string instruments are not very loud, there are usually a lot of them in an orchestra.

Violin

The violin is the smallest modern string instrument. It has four strings and plays in a high range. In an orchestra, there are two sections of violin players: the first violins and the second violins. The first violins often have the melody, while the second violins are more likely to play harmony in a lower ranger.

Viola

The viola looks nearly identical to the violin, but it is somewhat larger. Although it also has four strings, they sound at a lower pitch. As a result, the viola plays in a lower range and produces a richer timbre.

Cello

The cello sounds one octave lower than the viola. It is also much bigger, and is held vertically between the knees instead of on the shoulder. It is supported by a metal rod called an endpin.

Bass

The bass is the largest member of the string family, and it sounds in the lowest range. Although it looks somewhat like a large cello, the shape is different: notice how the upper part of the body slopes into the neck. The bass is also tuned differently. It is the least agile of the string instruments and seldom gets time in the spotlight, although a virtuoso performer can do amazing things with it.

Harp

The harp is only distantly related to the other string instruments. Each of its 40+ strings is tuned to a different pitch, and they are plucked to produce sound. The harp is inaudible when the rest of the orchestra is playing, but it is often assigned important solo passages.