Zither facts for kids
A zither is a cool musical instrument with strings. Imagine a flat box with lots of strings stretched across it! You play it by plucking or strumming the strings. Sometimes people use their fingers, or a small tool called a pick.
The word "zither" comes from a German word, which itself came from an old Greek word, cithara. This is actually where the word "guitar" also came from! Long ago, "zither" could mean different string instruments. But today, it usually means the kind with many strings on a flat body, like the one in the picture.
Unlike a guitar, a zither doesn't have a long neck. Its body acts like a sound box, making the music louder. Zithers can have anywhere from just one string to more than fifty strings! Some zithers are even played by hitting the strings with small hammers, like the santur or cimbalom.
Different Kinds of Zithers
Today, when people say "zither," they usually mean one of three main types:
- The concert zither
- The Alpine zither
- The chord zither (also called a fretless zither or "guitar zither")
Both the concert zither and the Alpine zither have a special part called a fretted fingerboard. This helps players make different notes. These types of zithers are very popular in places like Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, and parts of Germany. When people moved from these areas in the 1800s, they brought their zithers to North and South America.
Chord zithers, which look a lot like the instrument in the picture, also became popular in North America around the late 1800s and early 1900s. All these different zithers use metal strings, similar to another old instrument called a cittern.
Images for kids
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Chinese Guqin with seven strings
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Turkish Qanun with 79 strings
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Alpine Scheitholt
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Zitherist before 1850 in Ausseerland, Styria, playing a Salzburg-style instrument
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German Concert Zither at Ft. Slocum, Nov. 1865
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Liam Finn's electric drum zither
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Typical chord (or fretless) 'guitar zither,' (model made in East Germany).
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An Alpine Zither. Note the "harp post" at the top of the image.
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Basia Bulat playing an autoharp
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See also
In Spanish: Cítara para niños
