String instruments are the family of instruments that make sound from vibrating strings. They include the guitar, bass, violin, cello, and harp, and they are played in many ways – plucked, bowed, or struck.
The basic idea
Each instrument differs in the register it handles best, how the sound sustains, and how quickly it speaks. Layering several string instruments lets you create a thick string sound.
Playing and programming them
In music production you switch between articulations such as ordinary bowing, pizzicato, legato, and staccato. In orchestration, sort out the overlaps between registers.
How they differ from related terms
String instruments are a broad category: the guitar and bass are treated as plucked strings, while the violin family is treated as bowed strings.
Even with the same string library, changing the articulation alone can change the impression of a song a great deal.
