Definition

Noun: A musical instrument that produces sound primarily through the vibration of strings stretched between two points. Chordophones are defined by their primary sound-producing mechanism—the string—and are classified based on how the strings are caused to vibrate (e.g., plucking, bowing, or striking).

Examples of Usage

• The guitar, violin, and harp are all classic examples of a chordophone.
• The museum's collection features ancient chordophones from various cultures.
• Lutes and zithers belong to the chordophone family.

Advanced Usage

• In organology (the study of musical instruments), the term chordophone is a core category in the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, alongside aerophones, membranophones, and idiophones.
• An electric guitar is still considered a chordophone because its initial sound generation comes from vibrating strings, even though the sound is amplified electronically.

Variants and Related Words

• Chordophonic (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of chordophones.
  • The chordophonic principles of the instrument were clearly evident.

Synonyms

• Stringed instrument
• String instrument

Related Terms (Not Synonyms)

• Aerophone: An instrument where sound is produced by a vibrating column of air (e.g., flute, trumpet).
• Membranophone: An instrument where sound is produced by a vibrating stretched membrane (e.g., drum).
• Idiophone: An instrument where the body of the instrument itself vibrates to produce sound (e.g., bell, xylophone).
• Electrophone: An instrument where sound is generated electronically.

Noun

1. a stringed instrument of the group including harps, lutes, lyres, and zithers