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How do stringed instruments produce sound?

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Koto — stringed instrument A Japanese musician plucking the strings of a koto with the right hand to generate a pitch and pressing the strings with the left hand to alter the tone.

Stringed instruments, known as chordophones, produce sound through the vibration of strings, which is then amplified by a resonator. The primary methods for setting these strings into motion are bowing, plucking, and striking.12

When a string is set in motion, it vibrates in a complex manner: the entire string vibrates to produce a fundamental frequency, while smaller segments vibrate independently to create overtones. Because the sound produced by a vibrating string alone is typically weak, the instrument requires a resonator—such as a wooden body or soundboard—to amplify the vibrations and define the instrument's characteristic timbre.23

The pitch produced by a string is determined by its tension, length, thickness, and density. Musicians alter these factors to produce different notes, for example, by changing the resonating length of the string through fingering or by using instruments with multiple strings of varying lengths and masses. The manner in which a string is activated also influences the sound; for instance, plucking with a sharp point emphasizes higher overtones for a brighter tone, while striking with a soft pad emphasizes the fundamental pitch.12