Strings (music)
A
string is the
vibrating element which is the source of vibration in
string instruments, such as the
guitar,
harp,
piano, and members of the
violin family. They are lengths of a flexible material kept under
tension so that they may freely vibrate. Strings may be "plain" (consisting only of a single material, like steel or nylon), or they may have a core of one material with an overwinding of other materials to increase their mass and thickness. Such strings are called "wound strings."
Depending on the construction of the instrument they are used on, strings will usually have either a ball or loop at one end to attach the string to the instrument. Strings for some instruments may be wrapped with silk at their ends to protect the string. The color and pattern of the silk can be used to identify the string.
The tone of a string depends on its weight, and, therefore, on its diameter or so-called
gauge. Traditionally, diameter is measured in thousandths of an
inch, although,
metric units are also used. The larger the diameter, the heavier the string is. Heavier strings require more tension for the same pitch and are consequently harder to press down to the fretboard. Heavier strings will also produce a louder and thicker tone. (If a fretted instrument is restrung with different string gauges, it may be necessary to adjust the height of the string above the frets, called the "action", in order to make the instrument easier to play or to avoid the strings buzzing against the frets.)
Steel strings for 6-string
guitar usually come in the sets of matched strings. Sets are usually referenced either by the gauge of the first string (e.g., 9), or by pair of first and last (e.g., 9-42). Gauges are given either in
inches or
millimeters. Some manufacturers may have slightly different gauge sequences; the sample data below comes from
D'Addario string charts for regular, round-wound, nickel-plated strings.
| Name | 1
(E)
in/mm | 2
(B)
in/mm | 3
(G)
in/mm | 4
(D)
in/mm | 5
(A)
in/mm! 6
(E)
in/mm |
|---|
| Extra super light (8-38/20-97) | .008/0.20 | .010/0.25 | .015/0.38 | .021/0.53 | .030/0.76 | .038/0.97 |
| Super light (9-42/23-107) | .009/0.23 | .011/0.28 | .016/0.41 | .024/0.61 | .032/0.81 | .042/1.07 |
| Regular light (10-46/25-117) | .010/0.25 | .013/0.33 | .017/0.43 | .026/0.66 | .036/0.91 | .046/1.17 |
| Extra light w/heavy bass (9-46/23-117) | .009/0.23 | .013/0.33 | .021/0.53 | .029/0.74 | .036/0.91 | .046/1.17 |
| Medium (11-49/28-124) | .011/0.28 | .014/0.36 | .018/0.46 | .028/0.71 | .038/0.97 | .049/1.24 |
| Heavy (12-54/30-137) | .012/0.30 | .016/0.41 | .020/0.51 | .032/0.81 | .042/1.07 | .054/1.37 |
| Extra heavy (13-62/33-157) | .013/0.33 | .017/0.43 | .026/0.66 | .036/0.91 | .046/1.17 | .062/1.57 |
Typical
bass guitar strings come in the following gauges. Note that additional strings (5th and 6th) are usually sold separately. Bass guitar strings are sometimes made for a particular scale length and come in short, medium and long scale.
| Name | 1
(G)
in/mm | 2
(D)
in/mm | 3
(A)
in/mm | 4
(E)
in/mm | 5
(B)
in/mm |
|---|
| Light (40-100/102-254) | .040/1.02 | .060/1.52 | .080/2.03 | .100/2.54 | .130/3.30 |
| Medium (45-105/114-267) | .045/1.14 | .065/1.65 | .085/2.16 | .105/2.67 | .130/3.30 |
Steel forms the core for all metal strings; other natural materials such as
silk or
gut, or synthetics such as
nylon and
kevlar are also used for string cores. (Steel used for strings, called
music wire, is hardened and tempered.) Some violin E strings are gold plated in order to improve the tone quality.
Long ago they were made out of horse hair.
One of the most popular materials for the core of violin strings is stranded nylon sold under the trade name of "Perlon".
Aluminum is the most common for bowed instruments like violin and viola, while guitar and piano strings are usually wound with
bronze;
copper,
chrome and
silver are also used. Although silver is more expensive, it is preferred for its resistance to corrosion and
hypoallergenicity.
Strings wound with round wire are called
round wound; those wound with flat wire (giving a smoother surface) are called
flatwound. There is also a winding type called "ground round", where the winding is ground flat to an even smoother finish; these are only used as electric bass strings.
Some strings made for
12-string guitar, called "silk and steel", are bronze-wound steel strings with silk filaments running under the winding.
Tungsten, an especially heavy material, is also used in string windings.
A string vibrates in a complex harmonic pattern. Every time a string is set into motion, a specific set of frequencies resonate based on the
harmonic series. The
fundamental frequency is the lowest (and loudest) and it is determined by the
density,
length and
tension of the string. This is the frequency we identify as the
pitch of the string. Above that frequency, overtones (or harmonics) are heard, each one getting quieter the higher it is. For example, if the fundamental pitch is 440 Hz (A above middle C) then the overtones for a string tuned to that pitch will be 880 Hz, 1320 Hz, 1760 Hz, 2200 Hz, etc. The note names for those pitches would be A, A, E, A C#, etc. Due to the mass of the strings, however, the higher up the overtones go, the more out of tune (or "false") they are to the fundamental. This is an important consideration for
piano tuners who try to stretch the tuning across the piano to keep overtones more in tune as they go up the keyboard. See
Vibrating string for a fuller technical treatment.
*
Identify strings by their silk patterns*
The vibrations of strings with both ends fixed*
Guitar Strings From The Nineteenth Century To The Advent Of Nylon*
String Calculation; String Measurement; Mass Per Unit Length*
How to String a Guitar*
Custom String Gauge Design Terry Downs
