| HORSEHAIR | Animal fibre used for the strings of fine violin bows. (9) |
| CHORDS | Harmonic sets of three or more musical notes played simultaneously; or, an old or poetic word for the strings of instrument such as a harp (6) |
| PERNAMBUCO | Brazilian state whose name is given to its reddish brazil-wood, traditionally used by archetiers to fashion fine violin bows and by dyers to make red pigment (10) |
| AMATI | Name of fine violin makers |
| OBSCENICON | Term for the string of characters representing a swear coined by linguist Ben Zimmer |
| CREMONA | City on the River Po, noted for the manufacture of fine violins (7) |
| PIZZICATO | Pulling the strings of a violin etc. with fingers rather than by using the bow (9) |
| HARMONICS | The overtones of a fundamental note, as produced by lightly touching the string of a stringed instrument at one of its node points while playing |
| HEELS | Areas of the body associated with Achilles; parts of the palms; regions of golf clubs opposite toes; or, the frogs of violin bows (5) |
| COLLEGNO | Musical direction to play the strings of an instrument by striking them with the back of the bow; Italian, 'with the wood' (3,5) |
| ROSIN | Colophony derived from pine trees that is applied to violin bows or the soles of a ballerina's pointe shoes or used for sealing wax (5) |
| CAMEL | Claim hare used to provide animal fibre (5,4) |
| HAIR | Claim hare used to provide animal fibre (5,4) |
| PLECTRUM | What do you call the small piece of plastic etc used to pluck the strings of a guitar? (8) |
| TODD | Titular protagonist of the 1847 play The String of Pearls; or, The Fiend of Fleet Street by English dramatist George Dibdin Pitt (7,4) |
| SWEENEY | Titular protagonist of the 1847 play The String of Pearls; or, The Fiend of Fleet Street by English dramatist George Dibdin Pitt (7,4) |
| BRIDGE | Piece of wood supporting the strings of a violin, guitar etc |
| STAMEN | The warp of the loom, so a thread, or even the string of an instrument |
| STRAD | Short word for a stringed instrument crafted by Cremonese luthier Antonio, whose surname is synonymous with fine violin-making, musical excellence and quality (5) |
| BALALAIKAS | Russians pull the strings of these airlines, removing head of one as leaders of Iran, Kazakhstan and |
