How the steel guitar makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the steel guitar belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
A steel guitar (Hawaiian: kīkākila) is a guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar in that it has no frets—but markers that look like frets. Conceptually, it is somewhat akin to playing a guitar with one finger (the bar). Known for its smooth, gliding glissandi over every pitch between notes, the instrument can produce a sinuous crying sound and deep vibrato emulating the human singing voice. Typically, the strings are plucked (not strummed) by the fingers of one hand, while the steel tone bar is pressed lightly against the strings and moved by the opposite hand.
Other lutes
Questions people ask
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Frequently asked questions
What does a steel guitar sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the steel guitar?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q2617520 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Steel guitar – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Patlaff – CC BY-SA 3.0