Strings
Violin
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- G3–A7 (sounding); experts reach higher
- Its role
- Brilliant top voice of the strings, for melody, ensemble and virtuoso writing.
- Technique
- Arco, pizzicato, harmonics and double stops.
- Practice
- Keep intonation true through position changes, and plan how the bow is spent.
Viola
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- C3–E6 (sounding); higher possible
- Its role
- Warm inner voice with an expressive solo register.
- Technique
- Reads alto clef, and treble clef up high; bow articulation and shifting.
- Practice
- Read alto clef fluently and shape long sustained lines.
Cello
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- C2–C6 (sounding); advanced players go higher
- Its role
- Rich voice from bass to tenor, in solo and ensemble roles.
- Technique
- Bass, tenor and treble clefs; thumb position; pizzicato.
- Practice
- Make register changes smooth and shifts reliable.
Double bass
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- E1–G4 (sounding); written an octave higher; a low C extension reaches C1
- Transposition
- Sounds an octave lower than written
- Its role
- The bass foundation of the orchestra and the walking line in jazz.
- Technique
- Pizzicato and arco.
- Practice
- Place each note in time and keep left-hand intonation true.
Harp
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- C♭1–G♯7 (sounding), concert pedal harp
- Its role
- Resonant plucked harmony, arpeggios and color.
- Technique
- Its seven pedals each set one note name to flat, natural or sharp in every octave. Glissandos.
- Practice
- Plan pedal changes ahead and manage the resonance.
Classical guitar
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- E2–B5 (sounding); written an octave higher; more with extra frets
- Transposition
- Sounds an octave lower than written
- Its role
- Polyphonic plucked texture and intimate solo music.
- Technique
- Fingerstyle with p-i-m-a, slurs and harmonics.
- Practice
- Balance the melody against the inner voices.
Acoustic guitar
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- E2–B5 (sounding), typical; written an octave higher
- Transposition
- Sounds an octave lower than written
- Its role
- Song accompaniment and acoustic texture.
- Technique
- Strumming, fingerpicking and capo.
- Practice
- Make chord changes clean and keep the strum even.
Electric guitar
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- E2–B5 (sounding), typical; written an octave higher; 24-fret and extended-range models go further
- Transposition
- Sounds an octave lower than written
- Its role
- Amplified lead, rhythm and sound shaping.
- Technique
- Bends, vibrato, muting and distortion.
- Practice
- Bend accurately to pitch and keep unwanted noise under control.
Electric bass
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- E1–G4 (sounding) on a 24-fret four-string; written an octave higher; five-strings reach B0
- Transposition
- Sounds an octave lower than written
- Its role
- Low rhythmic and harmonic foundation.
- Technique
- Fingerstyle, pick, slap and muting.
- Practice
- Lock your attacks with the drummer.
Mandolin
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- G3–E6 (sounding), typical; higher frets extend it
- Its role
- Bright tremolo melody and chordal rhythm.
- Technique
- Paired strings, alternate picking and tremolo.
- Practice
- Keep picking even and articulation precise.
Banjo
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- Varies with the type and tuning; five-string banjo is written an octave higher than it sounds
- Transposition
- Sounds an octave lower than written
- Its role
- Percussive plucked texture in folk and roots music.
- Technique
- Roll patterns, clawhammer and open tunings.
- Practice
- Coordinate repeated picking patterns.
Sitar
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- Depends on the instrument and the tuning
- Its role
- Hindustani plucked melodic instrument, rich with sympathetic resonance.
- Technique
- Meend, gamak, the mizrab plectrum, and drone (chikari) strings.
- Practice
- Study raga phrasing with a qualified teacher.
Sarod
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- Depends on the instrument and the tuning
- Its role
- Hindustani fretless plucked lute with long, singing glides.
- Technique
- Fingernail stopping on a metal fingerboard, meend and a plectrum.
- Practice
- Control glides and melodic intonation.
Erhu
- Family
- Strings
- Range
- About D4–A6 (sounding) in the common D–A tuning
- Its role
- Chinese two-string bowed fiddle with vocal portamento.
- Technique
- Finger vibrato, sliding, and a bow that runs between the strings.
- Practice
- Shape pitch transitions and bow changes.
Other chapters: Woodwinds · Brass · Keyboard · Percussion · Voice · Global and Contemporary
Ranges are a guide. They vary with the player, the instrument and the style, and a voice type is never decided from a range chart alone. Ranges are given in sounding pitch unless the entry says otherwise.
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