Guitars are string instruments, grouped by how sound is made
The guitar belongs to the string instrument family, also called chordophones. This family includes any instrument that makes sound by vibrating strings — a violin, a cello, a harp, a banjo, and a piano all belong here too. What ties them together is the method, not the shape or size: pluck the string, bow it, or strike it, and the vibration travels through the body of the instrument to make sound.
Within the string family, guitars sit in a smaller group called lutes. Lutes are stringed instruments with a neck and a body, where the strings run parallel to the neck and are plucked or strummed. A mandolin, a ukulele, and a banjo are also lutes. The lute family has roots going back centuries — the name itself comes from the Arabic word al-'ud, an instrument that influenced European design.
The reason musicians and instrument makers use these categories is practical: they tell you how the instrument works, what it can do, and how to care for it. All string instruments share certain needs — the strings need tension and tuning, the body needs protection from humidity and temperature swings, and the wood needs occasional cleaning. Understanding that your guitar is a string instrument helps you understand why those needs matter.
Key Takeaways
- Guitars are classified as string instruments because they produce sound through vibrating strings.
- Within the string family, guitars belong to a subset called lutes, which are plucked or strummed instruments with a neck and body.
- Other lutes include mandolins, ukuleles, and banjos; other string instruments include violins, cellos, harps, and pianos.
- The string instrument classification helps explain why guitars need similar maintenance — humidity control, string tension, and regular cleaning.
How the string family is organized
Musicologists organize string instruments by how the sound is produced. The main divisions are plucked (guitars, harps, banjos), bowed (violins, cellos, violas), and struck (pianos, dulcimers). A guitar is a plucked string instrument — your fingers or a pick pull the string and release it, and the string's vibration creates the sound.
Another way to sort string instruments is by their construction. Guitars have a flat or curved wooden body, a neck with frets, and strings that run the length of the neck. A violin has a smaller, more curved body and no frets — the player's finger position on the neck determines the pitch. A harp has no neck at all; the strings are attached directly to a frame. These differences change how you play them and what sounds they can make, but they are all string instruments.
Why guitars are called lutes
The lute category is narrower than "string instrument" and more useful if you want to know how a guitar actually works. A lute has a neck (the long part you hold), a body (the hollow part that resonates), and strings that run from the headstock at the top, down the neck, and across the body. When you pluck a string, it vibrates; that vibration travels into the body, where the wood amplifies it and sends the sound out through the sound hole.
A mandolin works the same way — neck, body, plucked strings. So does a ukulele, though it is smaller and has fewer strings. A banjo is also a lute, even though its body is made of a drum head stretched over a wooden or metal ring instead of a solid wooden box. The shared feature is the neck-and-body design and the plucking method, not the materials.
Instruments that are not lutes include violins (bowed, no frets, different body shape), harps (no neck, strings attached to a frame), and pianos (struck strings inside a wooden case). These are still string instruments, but they work differently enough that they belong in their own categories.
What the classification tells you about how a guitar works
Knowing that a guitar is a string instrument tells you that sound comes from vibrating strings, not from air being blown through a tube or a membrane being struck. That means the quality of the strings matters — old, worn strings vibrate differently than new ones. It also means the body of the guitar matters enormously. A solid piece of wood resonates differently than a hollow body, which is why acoustic and electric guitars sound different even when played the same way.
The string classification also explains why humidity and temperature affect guitars. Wood expands and contracts with moisture and heat. When the wood moves, the tension on the strings changes, the neck can warp, and the sound can shift. That is why guitarists keep their instruments in cases and avoid leaving them in hot cars or damp basements — the wood is part of the sound-making system, not just a container.
How guitar classification compares to other instruments you might know
If you have heard of wind instruments (flutes, saxophones, trumpets) or percussion instruments (drums, cymbals, xylophones), you have already encountered the same classification system. Wind instruments make sound by vibrating air. Percussion instruments make sound by being struck. String instruments make sound by vibrating strings. Each family has its own physics, its own playing techniques, and its own maintenance needs.
Within each family, there are smaller groups. Guitars are to the string family what saxophones are to the wind family — common, versatile, and used in many genres of music. A violin is to strings what a flute is to winds — a different design that produces a different sound but belongs to the same family.
Why this matters for understanding your guitar
The string instrument classification is not just a label — it explains why your guitar needs what it needs. Because it is a string instrument, the strings themselves are critical to the sound. Because it is a lute, the body and neck are equally critical; a crack in the body or a warped neck changes how the instrument sounds and plays. Because it is made of wood, it needs stable temperature and humidity.
When you read about guitar care, you will see information about humidity levels, string replacement, and fret maintenance. All of that comes from understanding that a guitar is a wooden string instrument with a specific design. The same information would explore to a mandolin or a ukulele, because they are lutes too. It would not explore to a violin, because a violin is a bowed string instrument with a different body shape and different needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an electric guitar still a string instrument?
Yes. An electric guitar has strings that vibrate the same way an acoustic guitar's strings do. The difference is that an electric guitar uses a pickup — a magnet and coil that detects the string vibration and converts it to an electrical signal, which then goes to an amplifier. The string vibration is still the source of the sound; the electronics just capture and amplify it.
Why do people call guitars "lutes" if they are not the same instrument?
A lute is a specific historical instrument from the Renaissance, but "lute" is also a category name for any plucked string instrument with a neck and body. Your guitar is a modern lute in the same way a modern car is still a vehicle. The category describes the design and how it works, not the exact historical instrument.
Is a bass guitar in the same family as a regular guitar?
Yes. A bass guitar is a string instrument and a lute, just like a regular guitar. It has thicker strings and a longer neck, which makes the strings vibrate more slowly and produce lower pitches. The classification system is the same; only the size and tuning are different.
What is the difference between a string instrument and a stringed instrument?
These terms mean the same thing. "String instrument" and "stringed instrument" are both correct ways to describe guitars, violins, harps, and other instruments that use vibrating strings to make sound. You will see both used in music education and instrument guides.
Do all lutes sound the same?
No. A guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo are all lutes, but they sound very different because of their size, body shape, string thickness, and materials. A banjo's drum-head body makes it bright and percussive. A guitar's wooden box makes it warm and resonant. A ukulele's small size makes it bright and punchy. The lute category describes how they work, not how they sound.