Zither
String instrument | |
---|---|
Classification |
( Chordophone), String instrument |
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 314.122-5,6 (Resonated box zither, plucked by fingers or a plectrum) |
Developed | Antiquity |
Related instruments | |
harp zither, trough zither, frame zither | |
Sound sample | |
Zithers (
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.
In modern common usage the term "zither" refers to three specific instruments: the concert zither (German: Konzertzither), its variant the Alpine zither (each of which uses a
Etymology
The word "zither" is derived from Latin
Organology
The
: 20–21Board-zithers form the most important category from an occidental point of view because they include our stringed keyboard instruments. The strings are stretched out over a board, which is rectangular or trapezoidal or in some other shape, and which is glued onto a shallow box.
The strings may be open or
This includes such diverse instruments as the
The word has also been used in conjunction with brand varieties of other string instruments, for example, the zither banjo.[8]
History and development
The earliest known surviving instrument of the zither family is a Chinese
In Europe and other more northern and western regions, early zithers were more similar to the modern
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.
Viennese zitherist Johann Petzmayer (1803–1884) became one of the outstanding virtuosi on these early instruments and is credited with making the zither a household instrument.[11] In 1838, Nikolaus Weigel of Munich conceived the idea of adopting fixed bridges, adding additional strings, tuning them in the cycle of fifths, and chromatically fretting the fingerboard – effectively converting a rather crude folk instrument into the concert zither. His ideas were not, however, widely accepted until 1862, when luthier Max Amberger of Munich fabricated a new zither based on Weigel's design.[11] At this point the zither had reached something very close to its modern concert form. Within a relatively short time the new design had largely replaced the old Volkszither (though still called by the same name among folk musicians) throughout central Europe, particularly in the Alpine countries. As the 'concert zither' it also began to attract the attention of serious composers, a number of whom, themselves, became concert zither virtuosi. These composers, called the "Altmeister", flourished between 1870 and 1910. And no less a composer than Johann Strauss II gave the instrument a prominent solo in one of his most famous waltzes, "Tales from the Vienna Woods".[nb 1]
The zither went through two periods of great popularity in the United States. The first of these was in the late 19th through early 20th century, when it was greatly in vogue as a
In the 1950s, interest in zithers resurfaced due in great measure to the success of the 1949 British
This new popularity for the zither lasted until well into the 1960s with many successful albums during the period from performers such as Karas,
Although interest in the zither had once more begun to wane by the late 1960s, owing to the two American vogues there are still many used instruments to be found, in various states of disrepair. It has become something of a truism that most zithers seen today are either 60 or 110 years old. Currently (2019) only a few independent luthiers and mid-European makers are producing new instruments.
Concert and Alpine zithers
A concert zither may have from 29 to 38 strings, with 34 or 35 being most typical. These are arranged as follows: four or five fretted melody strings, placed above a guitar-like fretboard; 12 unfretted "accompaniment" strings; followed by 12 unfretted "bass" strings; followed by a varying number of "contrabass" strings, with five or six being the most common number.
On some older zithers, one may find "half-frets" above the 12th fret, which extend only under the first two or three strings. This results in the lower fretted strings having no pitches (or no
Anton Karas and Ruth Welcome used instruments of similar design to the one illustrated. After World War II, Karas (according to zither scholar Günter Wittenstein, who was acquainted with him) performed on an instrument of larger dimensions than normal – with a 43 cm standard scale length for the fingerboard strings. He used Viennese tuning (see below), but with an altered chromatic sequence for the fingerboard and open strings. The accompaniment strings G and F♯ were tuned an octave higher, while contrabass strings tuned E♭, F, D, E, C♯ replaced the regular
For The Third Man, Karas tuned the zither a
The Alpine zither has 42 strings, and differs from the concert zither primarily in requiring the addition of an extension to the body of the instrument to support both the longer additional contrabass strings and their tuners.
Alpine zithers are tuned in a similar manner to the concert zither, with the accompaniment and bass strings each providing a full set of 12 chromatic pitches also arranged in a cycle of fifths. Contrabass strings are arranged in a descending chromatic scale. Late 19th and early 20th century versions of the instrument were often called 'harp zithers' – so-named because the pillar extension seemed a miniature version of the harp's pillar. The extra contrabass strings ran parallel to the other strings on these earlier instruments, the diagonal arrangement illustrated developed later to assist the right hand in reaching the strings.
There are two popular tunings for the modern zither: Munich and Viennese. The zither tuning chart below gives tuning details, including pitches and octaves. Munich tuning is on top, and Vienna tuning below. Some players have used Vienna tuning only for the fretted strings, and Munich tuning for the unfretted strings. Full Viennese tuning is normally used only on instruments with 38 or fewer strings. However Optima makes Strings to allow for "Extended Viennese Tuning" w/ 42 Strings going all the way down to C#1 (the same note on the 2nd Fret of the 5th string on a 5 string Electric Bass).
Tuning
Tuning chart for concert and Alpine zithers:
Zither tuning chart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fretted | Unfretted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
String | Melody | Accompaniment | Basses | Contrabasses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | |||||
Pitch | Munich | A4 | A4 | D4 | G3 | C3 | E♭4 | B♭3 | F4 | C4 | G3 | D4 | A3 | E4 | B3 | F♯3 | C♯4 | G♯3 | E♭3 | B♭2 | F3 | C3 | G2 | D3 | A2 | E3 | B2 | F♯2 | C♯3 | G♯2 | F2 | E2 | E♭2 | D2 | C♯2 | C2 | B1 | B♭1 | A1 | G♯1 | G1 | F♯1 | F1 | |||
Viennese (extended) | A4 | D4 | G4 | G3 | C3 | A♭4 | E♭4 | B♭3 | F4 | C4 | G4 | D4 | A3 | E4 | B3 | F♯4 | C♯4 | G♯3 | E♭2 | B♭2 | F2 | C3 | G2 | D2 | A2 | E2 | B2 | F♯2 | C♯2 | G♯2 | C2 | B1 | B♭1 | A1 | G♯1 | G1 | F♯1 | F1 | E1 | D♯1 | D1 | C♯1 | ||||
Notes: | Basic | Concert | Alpine |
Note that the C#, F, & A Strings of the Unfretted String section on the Fretted Zither are Colored Red because like the Red C Strings & Blue/Black F Strings of a Harp, they act as "Separator Strings" to give the Musician useful reference points when playing.
Playing techniques
The zither is played by plucking the strings while it lies flat on a table (which acts as a resonator to amplify the sound), or it can be held on the lap.
On concert and Alpine zithers, the melody strings are pressed to the fingerboard ("fretted") with the fingers of the left hand, and plucked with a plectrum on the right thumb. The first and second fingers of the right hand pluck the accompaniment and bass strings, and the third finger of the right hand plucks the contrabass strings (there are variants on this technique), some musicians use Plectrums on the other 4 fingers too so they can strike the Accompaniment Strings more easily & get a sharper attack.
The concept of the chord zither is different from that of the concert and alpine zithers. These instruments may have from 12 to 50 (or more) strings, depending on design. All the strings are played open, in the manner of a harp. The strings on the left are arranged in groups of three or four, which form various chords to be played by the left hand. The strings to the right are single (or pairs of) strings intended for the right hand to pick out the melody. Tuning can vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from model to model, but is usually indicated on the instrument itself, in the form of a chart painted or glued under the strings.
Contemporary use
Since the zither requires advanced technique to play anything more than simple tunes, the vast majority of the concert zithers sold never attained more than amateur or (mostly) ornamental use; the playing of Washington Phillips was a rare exception.
As a result, manufacturers attempted to simplify the instrument with various keyboard devices attached to the melody strings (Marxophone, dolceola, celestaphone, tremoloa, etc.). The invention of the autoharp, which uses bars with felt pads attached underneath placed across and above the strings, is probably the most successful adaptation. However, the absence of a fretboard makes the autoharp a closer relative of the chord zither than the concert zither. Presence of the concert zither in classical music remains sparse.
Concert and Alpine zithers remain in use by a relatively small number of contemporary musicians from various global regions and musical genres, either out of interest in traditional musical styles for the instrument, or from a desire to seek new sounds for their music. New variations on the concert zither have also been employed, including the electric zither—and recent instruments that share zither characteristics, such as the
While use of the concert zither itself has declined, zither music and technique continue to influence contemporary musicians. For example: Canadian musician Jeff Healey, featured in the film thriller Road House in 1989, used a zither technique to play electric guitar. Blind from the age of one, Healey began playing when he was three with the instrument flat on his lap, left hand above the fingerboard in the same manner as a zitherist. Although he used a Fender Stratocaster guitar throughout his career, the instrument was in effect being used as an electric zither.
Notable players
See also
Notes
- ^ The part is sometimes played on a mandolin, when a zither is not available. Lorin Maazel played the part on the violin at a New Year's Day concert in Vienna.
References
- ^ a b "zither". Oxford Dictionaries Online. Oxford University Press. 2013. Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Strings on a table". Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster. 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "zither". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "zither". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ Praetorius, Michael; Syntagma Musicum: De Organographia Part I and I (1619); Oxford University Press; London: 1986. 019316406X
- ^ JSTOR 842168.
- ISBN 0-393-02068-1.
- ^ Pestcoe, Schlomo. "The English Zither-Banjo". creekdontrise.com. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- Oxford Journals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008.)
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(help - ^ "Zither". britannica.com.
- ^ a b "History". www.zithers-usa.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ Music: Zither Dither, a 28 November 1949 article from Time magazine
- ^ "Song title 199 – Third Man Theme". Tsort.info. 8 October 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ "The Third Man" DVD review, Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies.
- ^ The Ultimate Trailer Show. HDNet, 22 September 2010.
- TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Ruth Welcome". Discogs. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "The Twilight Zone (1959) s01e33 Episode Script - SS". Retrieved 6 June 2016.
Other sources
- Dearling, Robert; Stringed Instruments; Chelsea House Publishing (2000). ISBN 0791060926
- Marcuse, Sibyl; Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Dictionary; W. W. Norton & Company (1975). ISBN 0393007588
- Mühlemann, Lorenz; Die Zither in der Schweiz: Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart ; Turtleback (1995). ISBN 3-729-60584-4(German)
- Ralston, Jack L.; A Selective Bibliography for the Zither; University of Missouri (1981). ASIN: B00072D9GI
- Schuler, Manfred; Zither In Der Volksmusik , vol. 1 & 2; Unbekannt . ISBN 3-853-66837-2, 3-708-40155-7 (German)
External links
- "Fretless Zithers" at MinerMusic.com English language site dedicated to the chord zither. The authors present arguments for the instrument to be renamed 'fretless zither'. Contains some dead links.
- "Zither collection of the University of Leipzig" German language site with pictures of vintage instruments including bowed zithers (here called Streichzithern)
- "Zither US" English language site based in the U.S. Contains biographies of early performers and personalities associated with the history of concert and Alpine zithers, mainly in the U.S. Also contacts for resources like instrument maintenance, enthusiast clubs and events.
- 'Zithernhistorie' German language site describing transition from drone zither to 19th century Mittenwald and Salzburg concert zither
- Zitherseite von Werner Wölfing. German language site with photographs, history and different types of zither, links to further information and resources, zither makers and players
- Anton Karas page by his Grandson (English version) von Werner Chudik. Contains article by Günter Wittenstein discussing the zither tuning used by Karas