More World Strings (A to O)

World Strings include folk and ethnic musical instruments such as the Balalaika, Bouzouki, Cumbus, Lute, and Oud. These exotic instruments have a long history, with many dating back thousands of years. In addiiton, worlds strings such as the lute are precursors to a variety of similar string instruments, including the guitar. Stringed instruments are played by plucking with the fingers, picks, or a variety of plectrums as well as by strumming. The number of strings can vary greatly, with some instruments having a single string (such as the Indian Ektara) and others having multiple strings, often in "courses" of two. The later is common with lutes and 12-string guitars, while a Turkish Oud has five courses of two strings, plus a single one. Harps have multipe strings, with a concert pedal harp featuring a total of 47 individual strings. The pitch of a string instrument depends not only on string length, but also on its thickness, weight, and tension. A vibratiing string creates sound, which is amplified by the instrument's hollow body and soundboard. The combination of vibrations and air displacement creates rich harmonic overtones, and each instrument will have its own unique character.

Due to the great variety of world string instruments, we have divided our catalog alphabetically into two sections (A to O & P to Z). We also listed the more popular folk and ethnic string instruments (including banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, harps, and others) directly under the "World & Folk" category.