Metal strings

...A general term for musical instruments that use strings as sound generators and produce sound by vibrating them. To get sound from a string, it is necessary to fix both ends of the string, keep it under sufficient tension, and vibrate it in some way. That is, by rubbing, plucking, or striking it. From the perspective of how they are played, string instruments are broadly divided into bowed string instruments such as the violin, kokyu, and koto, which are played by rubbing the string with a bow or stick, plucked string instruments such as the guitar, koto, and harp, which are played with a nail or a plectrum, and percussion instruments, such as the piano, cimbalom, and kyoto, which strike the strings with a plectrum.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "metal strings" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…弦を発音体として，これを振動させることによって音を出す楽器の総称。弦から音を得るためには，その両端を固定して十分な緊張状態にし，なんらかの方法でこれを振動させる必要がある。すなわち，こする，かく(またははじく)，そして打つことであり，このような奏法から見ると弦楽器は，弓弦(ゆみづる)や棒でこすって鳴らすバイオリン，胡弓，牙箏などの擦弦楽器，爪や撥（ばち）でかき鳴らすギター，箏，ハープなどの撥弦楽器，そしてピアノやツィンバロム，洋琴のごとく，弦を桴（ばち）で打ち鳴らす打弦楽器とに大別される。…

※「金属弦」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報