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coffeewithalex t1_j6u9ncj wrote

Sound travels in all directions. High pressure waves expand in all directions. But in string instruments you hear mostly the vibrating instrument that holds the string, which is why it's not the string that costs a million dollars, but the wood that holds it.

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PogTuber t1_j6ueuc5 wrote

Bingo. If the string itself was the only thing propagating the sound then a guitar would just be a 2x4 with strings attached.

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SuddenYodeling t1_j6um3bh wrote

If you want a very simple visualisation: imagine the soundwave as people, leaving an elevator into a big room. They will tend to spread out in a half circle. Like a soundwave does if it has to pass a narrow slit. The string vibrates the soundbox, and from there, sound goes in every direction.

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