How the kithara makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the kithara 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.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The kithara (Greek: κιθάρα, romanized: kithára), Latinized as cithara, was an ancient Greek musical instrument in the yoke lutes family. It was a seven-stringed professional version of the lyre, which was regarded as a rustic, or folk instrument, appropriate for teaching music to beginners. As opposed to the simpler lyre, the cithara was primarily used by professional musicians, called kitharodes. In modern Greek, the word kithara has come to mean "guitar"; etymologically, the word guitar derives from kithara.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a kithara 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 kithara?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.22).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q12634515 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Kithara – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Unknown author Unknown author – Public domain