Zithers

Zither (; , from the Greek , ) is a class of stringed instruments, and the term also refers to a specific subset of instruments of the zither class, most usually the concert or Alpine zithers. The modern instrument has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body.

The zheng (), or guzheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from Paulownia wood. Other components are often made from other woods for structural or decorative reasons. Guzheng players often wear a fingerpick made from materials such as plastic, resin, tortoiseshell, or ivory on one or both hands.

thumb|250px|Demonstration of the sound of gayageum by a non-professional player

thumb|In 2006 luthier Yuri Landman built the Moodswinger, a 12 string [[overtone zither.]]

simple string musical instrument

The ajaeng () is a Korean string instrument. It is a wide zither with strings of twisted silk. It is played with a slender stick of forsythia wood that is drawn across the strings in the manner of a bow. The ajaeng mainly plays the bass part in ensemble music. Some instruments have as many as nine to twelve strings. It is similar to the Japanese koto, but is bowed rather than plucked.

ancient Chinese zither

The geomungo, alternate name hyeongeum, is a traditional Korean plucked zither with both bridges and frets. Geomungo is a representative stringed instrument made in Goguryeo before the 5th century. Scholars believe that the name refers to Goguryeo and translates to "Goguryeo zither" or that it refers to the colour and translates to "black crane zither" ().

The yatga (, Khalkha dialect: ; ; is a traditional plucked zither of Mongolia.

The is a plucked string instrument played by the Ainu people of Hokkaidō, northern Japan and Sakhalin. It generally has five strings, which are not stopped or fretted but simply played "open". The instrument is believed to have been developed in Sakhalin. By the 1970s the instrument was practically extinct, but is experiencing a revival along with the increased interest in Ainu heritage.

thumb|330x330px|19th century (Edo period) yamato-goto (shown here without bridges); collection of the [[Tokyo National Museum]]

The jetigen (, , or dzhetigan or zhetygen) is a Kazakh plucked zither. Similar to Chinese guzheng, yazheng and se, Japanese koto, Korean gayageum and ajaeng, Mongolian yatga, Vietnamese đàn tranh, and Sundanese kacapi. The strings were sometimes made of horsehair. The jetigen is played by plucking, in a similar manner to the gusli, tube zither or box zither.

crocodile-shaped, fretted, plucked zither with three strings from Burma