Bowed, Plucked, Strummed, and Struck: Stringed Instruments Around the World

7 stringed instruments from around the world can help us appreciate where we are and where we’ve come from.

The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument with a long neck and a gourd-shaped body. Mehfooz Aleem/Shutterstock

The world is such an incredibly diverse place—from the natural world to the world of culture. Yet some univerals tie together the threads of it all. One of these is the presence of stringed instruments in just about every culture.

Some stringed instruments sound quaint, others haunting, while others seem to be able to express just about the full gamut of emotions.