How does a string instrument work?

Answer 1

There are 2 main categories of string instrument.

Plucked Strings (i.e. Mandolin, Guitar, Balilika, Bass Guitar etc) These work as the name suggests by plucking the string, either with finger tips, nails, plectrums or hooks. The different pitches are created by placing the finger at different points along the string and hence shortening it to produce a higher pitch than the open string alone.

Bowed Strings (i.e. Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Viola da Gamba etc) These work by the action of drawing a bow across the string. Bows are made of many materials, but Brazil wood, Pernumbuco and carbon fibre are 3 of the most commonly found. Horse Hair (long tail hairs) are then suspended from each end of the stick.

Rosin is rubbed onto the hair in order to make it "sticky". When this is drawn across the string the friction causes the string to vibrate which sets up sympathetic reactions/vibrations in the wood of the instrument and the other open strings to create the sound.

The pitches are created in the same way as with the plucked string family by the placing of fingertips onto different positions along the string to shorten it and cause it to vibrate faster, giving a higher pitch as you travel up the string.
String instruments are: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Harp and Piano (although the latter is formally considered a percussive instrument).

Answer 2

There are several types of organs available. The original instrument, the pipe organ, is a complicated instrument comprised of many components, each belonging to a different class of instrument.

The first organs were trackers, meaning that a purely mechanical system was employed. (i.e., no electricity) When a key is depressed, or a stop is drawn, a tracker opens a valve that allows the stored air in the windchest to be conveyed to the appropriate pipes.

Electric instruments rely on a series of magnets and switches to achieve the same function as a tracker, without the mechanics of tracker action.

The pipes are windblown, with their air supplied by a blower. The air is compressed by several wind-conveying chests and regulators to achieve the necessary pressure. The lengths and diameters of the pipes determine the pitch, timbre, and color of each stop. Metal and wood are the materials that serve most commonly for the pipe work, and each pipe can be categorized based on its character.

Answer 3

Musical Instruments work when someone plays it. The instrument will vibrate causing sound.

Answer 4

Instruments produce vibrations of sounds. For example if you plucked a string it vibrates and makes a sound.