What was the purpose of the zither?
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.
What zither means?
stringed instrument
: a stringed instrument having usually 30 to 40 strings over a shallow horizontal soundboard and played with pick and fingers.
What is the zither of thirteen double string called?
Soh
Soh is a Japanese traditional musical instrument. It is classified into the zither group of stringed instruments. It is generally called koto and the Chinese character ‘琴’ is used, but to be exact, it should be ‘箏’ (soh) and ‘琴’ (kin) is another musical instrument.
What is monochord zither?
A monochord, also known as sonometer (see below), is an ancient musical and scientific laboratory instrument, involving one (mono-) string (chord). According to the Hornbostel–Sachs system, string bows are bar zithers (311.1) while monochords are traditionally board zithers (314).
Is piano a zither?
On a piano, however, those vibrations are initiated by hammers hitting the strings rather than by plucking or by moving a bow across them. As a result, today the piano is generally considered to be both a stringed and a percussion instrument. …
What is a monochord used for?
The monochord was used in Greece by the 6th century bc as a scientific instrument for measuring musical intervals. Knowledge of the instrument was transmitted to medieval theorists by the 5th-century-ad philosopher Boethius; the first treatises on it date from the 10th century.
How does a monochord work?
The monochord consists of a metal string stretched over a hollow resonating body. Using a movable bridge the string can be divided into two portions whose lengths may be set at any ratio to give various pitches and musical intervals when plucked. According to tradition, the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras (fl.
What is the meaning of the word zither?
Meaning of zither in English. zither. noun [ C ] uk /ˈzɪð.ə r/ us /ˈzɪð.ɚ/. › a musical instrument shaped like a flat box, with many strings stretched across it that you pull at with your fingers or with a small piece of plastic.
How are the strings on a zither played?
A zither is a musical instrument which consists of two sets of strings stretched over a flat box. You play the zither by pulling the strings with both hands . COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary.
When did the zither become a popular music instrument?
The zither became a popular folk music instrument in Bavaria and Austria and, at the beginning of the 19th century, was known as a Volkszither.
Where can you find a zither in Europe?
Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China.