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zither
Sign in to saveAlso known as cither, simple chordophone
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.
A zither is a stringed instrument with many strings stretched across a flat, thin body, and the term can refer both to a whole class of similar instruments and to specific types like concert or Alpine zithers. It matters as a notable category of stringed instruments with a distinctive design that has been used in various musical traditions.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Instrument.name
- Zither
- Instrument.image
- 2012-03-04-Trachselwald (Foto Dietrich Michael Weidmann) 001.JPG
- Instrument.image_capt
- Different concert zithers
- Instrument.image_size
- 300px
- Instrument.background
- string
- Instrument.classification
- (Chordophone), String instrument
- Instrument.hornbostel_sachs
- 314.122-5,6
- Instrument.hornbostel_sachs_desc
- Resonated box zither, plucked by fingers or a plectrum
- Instrument.developed
- Antiquity
- Instrument.related
- Bar zither or stick zither, musical bow, tube zither, raft zither, board zither, box zither, ground zither, harp zither, trough zither, frame zither
via Wikipedia infobox
~23 min read
Encyclopedic overview
14 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Organology
- History and development
- Concert and Alpine zithers
- Tuning
- Playing techniques
- Contemporary use
- Notable players
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Other sources
- External links
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.
Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, the term refers to a larger family of similarly shaped instruments that also includes the hammered dulcimer family and piano and a few rare bowed instruments like the bowed psaltery, bowed dulcimer, and streichmelodion. Like an acoustic guitar or lute, a zither's body serves as a resonating chamber (sound box), but, unlike guitars and lutes, a zither lacks a distinctly separate neck assembly. The number of strings varies, from one to more than fifty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “zither” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.