The đàn tranh is a Vietnamese plucked zither[1] with a long wooden body, metal strings, movable bridges, and a bright singing tone shaped by the player’s two hands. It belongs to the wider zither family, but it is not simply a Vietnamese copy of the guzheng, koto, or gayageum. Its construction, ornamentation, repertory, and playing…
The guqin is a quiet, fretless seven-string zither[1] from China, played with bare fingers while it rests flat on a table. Its long wooden body, smooth playing surface, thirteen position markers, and highly controlled sliding tones make it very different from bridge-based zithers such as the guzheng, koto, or gayageum. The guqin is not a…
The gayageum is a Korean plucked zither: a long wooden instrument with strings stretched across a resonant body and supported by individual movable bridges[1]. Its sound is shaped not only by plucking, but also by pressing, bending, and shaking the strings after they have been sounded. That left-hand control gives the gayageum much of its…
The koto is a Japanese plucked zither[1] with a long wooden body, movable bridges, and strings that run along the length of the instrument rather than away from the player like a harp. Its best-known form has thirteen strings, but modern and regional forms can use other string counts, different materials, and altered playing setups….
The guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither with a long resonant body, individual movable bridges, and strings that are usually tuned to a pentatonic pattern. Its sound is shaped not only by plucking, but also by pressure, bending, vibrato, and gliding gestures made on the string segments beside the bridges. That mix of clear attack,…