Tuning And Playing

  • Zither Strings: Materials, Number, and Setup Explained

    Zither strings are not defined by one material, one count, or one setup method. A concert zither, a koto, a guzheng, a qanun, a santur, a kantele, and a tube zither can all belong to the wider zither family, yet their strings may be metal, silk, nylon, gut, plant fiber, or even lifted from the…

  • Zither Tuning Explained: A Beginner-Friendly Guide

    Zither tuning is not one single system. The word “zither” can describe a broad zither family[1] of instruments, from simple board zithers to concert zithers, autoharps, psalteries, kanteles, guzhengs, kotos, qanuns, santurs, and dulcimers. Each type places its strings across or along a resonating body, but the way those strings are tuned depends on structure,…

  • How to Play a Zither for Beginners

    Learning how to play a zither starts with one clear idea: a zither[1] is not one single instrument with one universal method. A concert zither, a chord zither, a psaltery, a kantele, a guzheng, a koto, and a dulcimer-related instrument may all sit within or near the zither family, but the hands, strings, tuning, and…