There are two violin sections in the orchestra, with more players than all the brass and woodwinds combined. They are split into first violins and the second violins. The first violins often play the melody line in a piece of music. The second violins support the firsts by playing rhythms and harmonies to complement the melody line. Of the eighteen violins in the Edmonton Symphony, some are new and others are over two hundred years old. The violin is the highest-pitched member of the string section.

The cello plays notes that cover the whole range of men's and women's voices, and its sound is rich and variable. Sometimes it is used to support the bass line, other times its well-projected voice is used for melodies.