Zither

The zither is a member of the board zithers (Hornbostel–Sachs 314.122-4). It originates from Alpine states. It dates back to 1800. Listen to 2 recordings and learn how it makes its sound.

Listen to the zither

Zither solo from G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald Op.325

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Selection from Carmen - Zither solo ZS V78-0914

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Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.

How the zither makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the zither belongs to the board zithers: strings are stretched across a flat board or box – the family of the piano, harpsichord and hammered dulcimer.

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

Zither is a class of stringed instruments, and the term also refers to a specific subset of instruments of the zither class, most usually the concert or Alpine zithers. The modern instrument has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body.

Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, the term refers to a larger family of similarly shaped instruments that also includes the hammered dulcimer family and piano and a few rare bowed instruments like the bowed psaltery, bowed dulcimer, and streichmelodion. Like an acoustic guitar or lute, a zither's body serves as a resonating chamber (sound box), but, unlike guitars and lutes, a zither lacks a distinctly separate neck assembly. The number of strings varies, from one to more than fifty.