Zither Instruments Around the World
Explore zither instruments by region, construction, string layout, playing method and musical tradition. The collection covers instrument definitions, comparisons, tuning, performance, history, buying and care.
Zither Basics
Definitions, structural forms and terminology used across different members of the zither family.
What Is a Zither?
The meaning of the term, how zither strings relate to the instrument body and why the word can describe both a specific instrument and a wider family.
Read the articleTypes of Zithers
Board, box, tube, raft and trough forms, with the main structural differences between plucked, struck and bowed instruments.
Explore the typesZithers by Country
A country-based overview of instrument names, regional traditions and related zither forms around the world.
Browse by countryZithers by Region
Regional collections retain the names, construction traditions and playing practices associated with each instrument.
Asian Zithers
Guzheng, koto, gayageum, guqin and đàn tranh, including their strings, bridges, tuning and performance traditions.
Open Asian ZithersEuropean Zithers
Concert zither, kantele, gusli, scheitholt and related Alpine, Baltic, Slavic and fretted traditions.
Open European ZithersMiddle Eastern Zithers
Qanun, santur, psaltery and related plucked or struck instruments, with attention to construction and regional use.
Open Middle Eastern ZithersCompare Instruments
Side-by-side explanations based on body form, strings, bridges, tuning, sound and playing technique.
Qanun vs Zither
A qanun belongs to the wider zither family, but it differs from European concert zithers in body shape, string courses, pitch levers and playing technique.
Read the comparisonGuqin vs Guzheng
Two Chinese zithers compared through string count, movable bridges, tone, pitch shaping, playing position and musical setting.
Read the comparisonZither vs Autoharp
How the autoharp fits inside the broader zither family and how its chord-bar mechanism changes the way it is played.
Read the comparisonTuning, Playing, Buying and Care
Practical information for identifying an instrument, setting it up, learning its layout, assessing a purchase and maintaining it.
Tuning and Playing
Instrument-specific setup and playing information for beginners and owners.
Buying and Care
Purchase checks, typical costs, beginner choices and routine instrument maintenance.
Editorial responsibility
Zither terminology can differ by language, region and classification system. Source questions, corrections and missing context can be sent through the site contact page.
Latest Articles
The newest published articles from every category, ordered by publication date.
Hummel: The Northern European Fretted Zither Explained
A hummel is a Northern European fretted zither[1] built around a simple but useful idea: a small set of melody strings[2] is stopped over frets, while a larger set of drone strings[3] or accompaniment strings rings beside it. This gives the instrument its plain, ringing character. The hummel is not the same instrument as the…
Dan Bau: Is Vietnam’s Monochord a Zither?
The dan bau is best understood as a Vietnamese monochord[1] and, in the broad organological sense, a type of zither[2]. It is not a zither in the narrow European sense of a concert zither with many strings and a fretted fingerboard. It belongs to the wider family of string instruments whose strings are stretched over,…
Jetigen: The Kazakh Seven-String Zither Explained
What Is the Jetigen? The Jetigen, often written zhetygen or zhetigen, is a Kazakh seven-string box zither[1]: a long, low wooden instrument with strings stretched across the body rather than along a neck. Its older form is usually described with seven strings, which fits the Kazakh word zheti, meaning seven. Modern stage and reconstructed forms…
Yatga: The Mongolian Zither Explained
The yatga is a Mongolian plucked zither[1] with long strings stretched over a wooden body and raised by individual bridges. It belongs to the wider family of Asian long zithers, but its shape, playing feel, repertory, and Mongolian naming give it a separate identity. The instrument is often compared with the guzheng, koto, gayageum, and…
Yamatogoto: Japan’s Ancient Court Zither Explained
Yamatogoto, also called wagon, is a Japanese court zither with a narrow body, usually six strings, and a playing style tied closely to old song-and-dance traditions rather than solo display. It belongs to the zither side of the chordophone[1] family, but it should not be treated as a smaller version of the modern koto. Its…
Ichigenkin: The Japanese One-String Zither Explained
The ichigenkin is a Japanese one-string zither[1] whose quiet voice comes from a narrow wooden plank, a single string, and a refined left-hand sliding technique. It is a plucked chordophone[2], but it does not behave like the larger multi-string koto most readers know. Its music depends on touch, pressure, space, and vocal phrasing rather than…
Se: The Ancient Chinese Zither Explained
Se (瑟, pinyin: sè) is an ancient Chinese zither[1] known for its long wooden body, many strings, and movable bridges. In the broad organological sense, it belongs to the chordophone[2] family because its sound comes from vibrating strings stretched across a body. In a narrower Chinese musical context, it is one of the old court…
Ajaeng: The Korean Bowed Zither Explained
Ajaeng is a Korean bowed zither[1] with a long horizontal body, thick strings, and a low, textured voice. Instead of being plucked like a gayageum or struck like a hammered dulcimer, the ajaeng is sounded by drawing a bow across its strings. That single detail makes it one of the most distinctive members of the…
Geomungo: The Korean Fretted Zither Explained
Geomungo is a Korean fretted zither[1] with a long wooden body, six strings in its standard form, raised frets, movable bridges, and a short bamboo stick used to pluck and strike the strings. It belongs to the broad zither family because its strings run across the length of the body rather than along a neck,…