Which instrument category uses vibrating strings to produce sound?

• A. Chorus
• B. Instruments
• C. Chordophone
• D. Percussion

Answer: (C)

Vibrating strings as the source of sound define the chordophone category. In how we classify instruments, the sound comes from what part of the instrument vibrates. For chordophones, the strings themselves vibrate and create the pitches, with the body shaping and amplifying that sound. Plucked, bowed, or struck strings all produce tones this way, and well-known examples include guitars, violins, cellos, and harps.

Chorus isn’t an instrument category at all—it’s a group of singers. “Instruments” is too vague to specify the mechanism of sound production. Percussion, on the other hand, relies on vibrating membranes, solids, or air columns rather than vibrating strings as the main sound source. Since vibrating strings are the defining feature, the correct category is chordophones.