# Sympathetic string > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sympathetic_string > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sympathetic_string.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_string > Source revision: 1342599095 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Musical instrument part}} [[File:Midtdetalj.jpg|thumb|[Hardanger fiddle](/source/Hardanger_fiddle), showing sympathetic strings underneath playing strings]] thumb|Detail of a sarangi, showing its sympathetic strings under three playing strings '''Sympathetic strings''' or '''resonance strings''' are auxiliary strings found on many [Indian](/source/Music_of_India) musical instruments, as well as some Western [Baroque](/source/Baroque_music) instruments and a variety of folk instruments. They are typically not played directly by the performer (except occasionally as an effect), only indirectly through the [tones](/source/Tone_(musical_instrument)) that are played on the main strings, based on the principle of [sympathetic resonance](/source/sympathetic_resonance). The resonance is most often heard when the [fundamental frequency](/source/fundamental_frequency) of the string is in unison or an [octave](/source/octave) lower or higher than the catalyst note, although it can occur for other [intervals](/source/interval_(music)), such as a [fifth](/source/perfect_fifth), with less effect. ==Description== Sympathetic strings are used to enhance the sound of an instrument. Some instruments have only a few sympathetic strings such as the [Hardanger fiddle](/source/Hardanger_fiddle) (pictured above right). Other instruments which have more include the [sitar](/source/sitar) with 11-13 sympathetic strings and [sarod](/source/sarod) with 15 sympathetic strings, and the [sarangi](/source/sarangi), which has a total of 37 sympathetics. In [Western music](/source/Classical_music), some members of the [viola](/source/viola) family appeared in the middle of the 17th century that were fitted with an extra choir of thin wire strings running through a hollow chamber through the [neck](/source/Neck_(music)) of the instrument, the head of which was then elongated to accommodate as many extra tuning pegs as necessary. These were generally called [viola d'amore](/source/viola_d'amore); another historical example is the [baryton](/source/baryton), for which [Haydn](/source/Joseph_Haydn) wrote many [trios](/source/Ternary_form). Other instruments such as the [harp](/source/harp), [lute](/source/lute), [guitar](/source/guitar), [harpsichord](/source/harpsichord), and [piano](/source/piano) do not have additional strings, but make use of the effect by allowing their playing strings to vibrate sympathetically when they are not being played directly. In [keyboard instrument](/source/keyboard_instrument)s like the piano, the string dampers can be raised to produce this effect. The [guitar](/source/guitar) is normally unable to produce effective sympathetic string resonance for tones other than E (resonance from the 6th and 5th strings, tuned to E and A, respectively), B (from the 6th string), D (from the 4th string), and A (from the 5th and 4th strings). The treble strings are negligible in practice, as they are almost constantly being fingered. However, the [ten-string guitar](/source/Ten-string_guitar) invented in 1963 by [Narciso Yepes](/source/Narciso_Yepes), adds four strings tuned to C, A{{music|sharp}}, G{{music|sharp}}, F{{music|sharp}}, which resolves the imbalance of resonance on the guitar. By adding the abovementioned resonances and, of course, their fifths (the fifth being a strong [resonant frequency](/source/resonant_frequency))—that is to say, G, F, D{{music|sharp}}, C{{music|sharp}}—the guitar's strings now resonate more equally with all 12 notes of the [chromatic](/source/chromatic) scale, bringing the guitar's sound closer to the consistency and sustainability of the [harpsichord](/source/harpsichord) and [piano](/source/piano).Ramirez III, Jose. 1994. "The Ten-String Guitar" in Things About the Guitar. Bold Strummer. pp. 137-141. {{ISBN|8487969402}}Yepes, Narciso. 1981 "Narciso Yepes and His 10-String Guitar". Interview-Article by Allan Kozinn. The New York Times, Nov. 22: p. D21 Yepes, Narciso. 1978. "The 10-String Guitar: Overcoming the Limitations of Six Strings". Interview by Larry Snitzler. ''Guitar Player'' 12(3): pp. 26, 42, 46, 48, 52. ==Sympathetic string resonance in music instruments== {{main|String resonance (music)}} Strings or parts of strings may resonate at their [fundamental](/source/Fundamental_frequency) or [harmonic](/source/harmonic) frequencies when other strings are sounded. In general, non-played strings respond in sympathy to other strings being played. Two tones of the same [pitch](/source/Pitch_(music)) will give maximum sympathetic resonance as all harmonics of both strings will overlap. Other harmonic combinations will cause sympathetic resonance at the fifth, fourth and major third. For example, an A string at 440 Hz will cause an E string at 330 Hz to resonate, because they share an [overtone](/source/overtone) of 1320 Hz (3 x 440 = 4 x 330 = 1320; third overtone of A and fourth overtone of E). ===Tuning=== The musician retunes the sympathetic strings for each [mode](/source/Musical_mode) or [raga](/source/raga), so that when the corresponding note (or one an octave below it) is played on the main strings of the instrument, the sympathetic strings (called ''tarabs'' in [Indian music](/source/Music_of_India)) will vibrate in response, providing a lingering halo of sound. ==Instruments with sympathetic strings== {{div col|colwidth=10em}} *[Banjo](/source/Banjo) *[Baryton](/source/Baryton) *[Bazantar](/source/Bazantar) *[Crwth](/source/Crwth) *[Dilruba](/source/Dilruba) *[Esraj](/source/Esraj) *[Fender Jaguar](/source/Fender_Jaguar) *[Fender Jazzmaster](/source/Fender_Jazzmaster) *[Gadulka](/source/Gadulka) *[Gottuvadhyam](/source/Gottuvadhyam) *[Gudok](/source/Gudok) *[H'arpeggione](/source/H'arpeggione) *[Hardanger fiddle](/source/Hardanger_fiddle) *[Herati dutar](/source/Dutar) *[Hurdy-gurdy](/source/Hurdy-gurdy) *[Kithara](/source/Kithara) (of [Harry Partch](/source/Harry_Partch)) *[Koto](/source/Koto_(musical_instrument)) *Some instruments of the [lute](/source/lute) family *[Mohan veena](/source/Mohan_veena) *[Moodswinger](/source/Moodswinger) *[Moonlander](/source/Moonlander_(musical_instrument)) *[Nyckelharpa](/source/Nyckelharpa) *[Ondes Martenot](/source/Ondes_Martenot) (with Palme diffuseur) *[Pencilina](/source/Pencilina) *Pianos that use [aliquot stringing](/source/aliquot_stringing) *[Prepared guitar](/source/Prepared_guitar) *[Prepared piano](/source/Prepared_piano) *[Rubab](/source/Rubab_(instrument)) *Rings{{efn|A [resonance](/source/resonance)-emulating [Eurorack](/source/Eurorack) [synthesizer](/source/synthesizer) module created by Mutable Instruments, has a sympathetic strings algorithm as well as modal and [Karplus-Strong string synthesis](/source/Karplus-Strong_string_synthesis) algorithms.{{cite web |last1=Nagle |first1=Paul |title=Mutable Instruments Rings |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/mutable-instruments-rings |website=Sound On Sound |publisher=SOS publications group |access-date=18 January 2026}}}} *[Samvadini](/source/Samvadini) (stringed [harmonium](/source/harmonium)) *[Sarangi](/source/Sarangi) *[Saraswati Veena](/source/Saraswati_Veena) *[Sarod](/source/Sarod) *[Setar](/source/Setar) *[Sitar](/source/Sitar) *[Springtime](/source/Springtime_(guitar)) *[Tambura](/source/Tanpura) *[Tar (lute)](/source/Tar_(lute)) *[Taus](/source/Taus_(instrument)) *[Ten-string guitar](/source/Ten-string_guitar) *[Ukelin](/source/Ukelin) *[Viola d'amore](/source/Viola_d'amore) {{div col end}} ==See also== *[Aliquot stringing](/source/Aliquot_stringing) *[Drone (music)](/source/Drone_(music)) ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Timbre}} {{Authority control}} Category:Chordophones Category:Timbre --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sympathetic string](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_string) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathetic_string?action=history)). 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