STRINGED INSTRUMENTS AND ITS WORKING

Stringed instruments produce sound by by the vibration of stretched strings. This may be done by drawing a across the strings , as in the violin ;or by plucking the strings , as in the harp and guitar. The  four modern members of the bowed stringed family are the violin , viola , cello (violoncello) and double bass. Each consist of a hollow , wooden body , a long neck and four strings . The bow is a wooden stick with horse hair stretched across its length . The vibrations made by drawing the bow across the strings are transmitted to the hollow body, and this itself vibrates, amplifying and enriching the sound produced . The harp consist of a set of strings of different lengths stretched across a wooden frame. The strings are plucked by the player,s thumbs and fingers - except the little finger of each hand - which produces vibrations that are amplified by the harp,s soundboard. The pitch of the note produced by any stringed instrument depends on the length, weight, tension of the string used. A shorter , lighter or tighter string gives a higher note.