What does open string mean in music?

Left hand & fingerboard

Open string

An open string is a string played with no left-hand finger stopping it, sounding the pitch the string is tuned to.

The four open strings are the reference points for the whole instrument: G-D-A-E on violin, C-G-D-A on viola, C-G-D-A an octave lower on cello, and E-A-D-G on double bass. They ring more freely and loudly than stopped notes because nothing damps the string, and they cannot be given vibrato.

That difference in colour is why advanced players often avoid open strings in a lyrical line, fingering the same pitch on a lower string instead so the note can be shaped. Conversely, open strings are indispensable for tuning, for checking intonation, and for the resonance they add in fast passagework.

Harmonics: Harmonics are pure, flute-like tones produced by touching a string lightly at a node instead of pressing it to the fingerboard, notated with a small circle above the note.
Intonation: Intonation is accuracy of pitch, on a fretless string instrument, the ongoing skill of placing each finger so the note is in tune with the harmony around it.
Position: A position is a fixed placement of the left hand on the fingerboard, numbered by which note the first finger falls on, so that a set of pitches is reachable without moving the hand.
Double stop: A double stop is two notes played simultaneously on adjacent strings of a string instrument, with the bow drawn across both at once.

Every term in this glossary is taught in context somewhere in Arco's curricula, on the staff, on the keyboard, and on your own fingerboard at the same time.

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