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Zithers! They come in a wide variety and can have any number of strings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zither I happen to have a 12-string 가야금 (gayageum) and a 13-string 琴 (koto):  The gayageum is played using just your fingers, but the koto is usually picked with these 爪 (tsume [nails]), which can be square or rounded:   You change the pitches of the strings by tightening the strings ahead of time, moving the brides, or by pressing down with your left hand opposite the bridges. There is also a German Zither. I have been thinking of getting one for myself while I'm here.   Here's some Korean 가야금 (gayageum): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pob6NbRcmBw&t=24s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i-seXKrJwY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PflKLg2dqKc Here's some Japanese 琴 / 箏 (koto): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDTp_YQizqE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Fbj7-uJOI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx76YPgZviE Here's some Chinese 筝 / 古筝 (zheng / guzheng): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tG8r3VBvEI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=564u39PJfUI Here's some German Zither: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Px_HOquN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t07wEPfIIgE
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Nov 26, 2022 14:09
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hey! i have one of those! it's a 32-string german zither. it was in super rough shape when i got it and even the replacement strings that were included had rusted through their paper envelopes.  i don't know if missouri was a hotbed of zither activity, but that is where this one was made (or at least where the company was headquartered, but i got it from a friend in new york). i keep meaning to get strings on it and try to learn, but the only place i could find that sold them in full sets was charging $200. if there's anywhere more affordable, i would love to know about it.
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Nov 26, 2022 22:55
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R.E.M. has a cool song called "Zither". https://youtu.be/4Ltp5uAr_2U
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Nov 27, 2022 01:42
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As someone who (was) attempting to learn a couple zithers, they're quite amazing instruments. I only have experience with the autoharp and the concert zither myself but can offer some basics: At least for the concert zither (and the variants such as harp zither) expect a small instrument without the ability to go powerfully loud and that can be extremely hard for a beginner to pick up. Tuning stability is not great and the accompaniment strings being mostly tuned in fifths throws people at first. The concert zither was popular a little over a century ago and most zither variants (chord zither, violin zither, autoharp) are the result of how hard the concert zither can be to learn. There are lots of public domain music offerings online including various at the library of congress website for the zither due to that long ago popularity and a couple composers now who still write for it. Depending on the zither someone is learning or into, there are usually some online resources specific to the instrument, but information and parts can be scarce. For someone who found an antique zither that needs work, it should be noted in advance there are only a small handful of luthiers that will repair them. If people have other questions I can try and help answer what I can and offer up my own experiences as a student of them.
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Dec 10, 2022 23:08
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