How the cetara makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the cetara belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The cetera or cetara is a plucked string instrument played in Corsica. It has sixteen, or sometimes eighteen, metal strings, running in paired courses, with a body similar to the mandolin, but larger, and is plucked with a plectrum made of horn or tortoiseshell.
The Italian term also occurs in historical sources and usually interpreted to indicate a musical instrument of the cittern family.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a cetara sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the cetara?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-6).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q13580448 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Cetara – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Lute88 ( talk ) – CC BY-SA 3.0