what is chordophone

A chordophone is a class of musical instruments that produce sound by vibrating strings stretched between two points. The name chordophone replaces the term stringed instrument when a precise, acoustically based designation is required. Chordophones can be classified into two categories: simple and composite chordophones. Simple chordophones are instruments that do not use a resonator as an integral part of the sound creation, while composite chordophones do rely on a resonator. The five basic types of chordophones are bows, harps, lutes, lyres, and zithers. Examples of chordophones include guitars, violins, harps, and pianos.