A zither is a group of stringed musical instruments. The word "zither" can also describe a specific type of instrument within this group, such as the concert zither or Alpine zither. The modern zither has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body.

Zithers are usually played by plucking or strumming the strings with fingers or a small tool called a plectrum. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, the term "zither" includes a larger family of similar instruments, such as the hammered dulcimer, piano, and rare bowed instruments like the bowed psaltery and bowed dulcimer. Like a guitar or lute, a zither uses its body as a sound box to create sound. However, unlike guitars and lutes, a zither does not have a separate neck. The number of strings on a zither can range from one to more than fifty.

Today, the word "zither" most often refers to three specific instruments: the concert zither (called Konzertzither in German), the Alpine zither (both of which use a fretted fingerboard), and the chord zither (sometimes called a fretless zither or "guitar zither").

Concert and Alpine zithers are traditionally found in countries such as Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, France, Croatia, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. In the 19th century, people from these regions moved to North and South America, bringing these instruments with them. Chord zithers similar to the one shown in the photograph also became popular in North America during the late 1800s and early 1900s. These instruments use metal strings, like those on a cittern.

Etymology

The word "zither" comes from the Latin word "cythara," which was used on the covers of many written books from the 16th and 17th centuries in Germany. These books were originally about the 'cittern,' an instrument named after the Greek word "kithara," which was used in Ancient Greece.

A German scholar named Michael Praetorius wrote in his book "Syntagma Musicum," published in the early 17th century, about an Englishman who brought a small cittern to Germany, called "einem kleinen Citterlein." It is not clear how the words "zitter" and "zither" began to be used for the instruments described in this text and for German versions of the cittern.

Other types of zither also existed in Germany, such as drone zithers like the "scheitholt" (mentioned by Praetorius) and "hummel." These instruments usually had their own names based on their regions and may have been used before the word "cythara" and its related German word became common in the language.

Organology

The Hornbostel–Sachs system is a way experts use to group musical instruments. It calls all stringed instruments with strings that do not go beyond the sound box "zithers." These zithers are divided into categories, such as bar zithers (which include musical bows and stick zithers), tube zithers, raft zithers, board zithers (which include box zithers, ground zithers, and harp zithers), trough zithers, and frame zithers.

The strings on these instruments can be open or pressed to change the sound. Some examples are psalteries or dulcimers.

This group includes many different instruments, such as the hammered dulcimer, psaltery, Appalachian dulcimer, guqin, guzheng, tromba marina, koto, gusli, kanun, kanklės, kantele, kannel, kokles, valiha, gayageum, geomungo, ajaeng, đàn tranh, autoharp, santoor, yangqin, santur, swarmandal, and others. Instruments like pedal steel guitars, lap guitars (where the neck only helps stretch the strings), and keyboard instruments such as the clavichord, harpsichord, and piano are also included in this category.

The word "zither" has also been used with other string instruments in brand names, such as the zither banjo.

History and development

The earliest known surviving zither is the Chinese guqin, a fretless instrument found in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, dating from 433 BC. Similar instruments, such as the Japanese silk-strung koto, the Indonesian gamelan siter, the Greek and Middle Eastern qānūn (or kanun), the Madagascan valiha, and others, were developed over the following centuries. Growing interest in "world music" has increased recognition of these zither family members, both ancient and modern. Many of these instruments have been electronically sampled and are available in instrument banks for music synthesizers.

In Europe and other northern and western regions, early zithers were more similar to the modern mountain dulcimer. These instruments had long, rectangular sound boxes, one or more melody strings, and several unfretted drone strings. Some used movable bridges, like the Japanese koto, to retune the drone strings. The Alpine Scheitholt is an example of this older type of European zither. By the late 18th century, two main types of European concert zither had developed: the Salzburg zither (with a rounded side away from the player) and the Mittenwald zither (with both sides rounded). Both styles are still used today, though the Salzburg style is now the most common.

The zither became a popular folk instrument in Bavaria and Austria and was known as a Volkszither in the early 19th century. Viennese musician Johann Petzmayer (1803–1884) became one of the most skilled players of these early instruments and helped make the zither a common household instrument. In 1838, Nikolaus Weigel of Munich proposed using fixed bridges, adding more strings, tuning them in the cycle of fifths, and chromatically fretting the fingerboard. This transformed the zither from a simple folk instrument into a concert zither. His ideas were not widely accepted until 1862, when luthier Max Amberger of Munich built a new zither based on Weigel’s design. At this point, the zither was nearly in its modern concert form. Soon after, the new design largely replaced the old Volkszither in central Europe, especially in Alpine regions. As the "concert zither," it also attracted serious composers, some of whom became skilled performers. These composers, known as the "Altmeister," were active between 1870 and 1910. Johann Strauss II, for example, gave the zither a prominent solo in his famous waltz, "Tales from the Vienna Woods."

The zither was popular in the United States during two periods. The first was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was a common instrument in many homes. During this time, U.S.-based manufacturers, many staffed by European luthiers, produced concert zithers. Chord zithers were often sold under confusing names like "guitar zither" or "mandoline zither." Recent rediscoveries of recordings by gospel singer Washington Phillips, who used two zithers at once, have shown the chord zither’s musical abilities to modern musicians. By the 1920s, the zither’s popularity declined as other string instruments, like guitars, became more popular alongside the rise of jazz music.

In the 1950s, interest in zithers grew again, partly because of the 1949 British film The Third Man. The film’s soundtrack, which used only a concert zither, was performed by Viennese musician Anton Karas. His theme song, "The Third Man Theme," became a top-selling record in the UK and spent 11 weeks at number one on Billboard’s U.S. chart in 1950. This success made Karas an international star. A Time magazine preview called the film’s score "a dither with his zither."

This renewed popularity lasted into the 1960s, with many successful albums by performers like Karas, Ruth Welcome, and Shirley Abicair. Ruth Welcome, a German-born American, released popular zither-themed albums between 1958 and 1965. Shirley Abicair, an Australian-born singer, helped popularize the chord zither by using it in her TV shows, live performances, and recordings in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s. Zither music also appeared in a Twilight Zone episode, "Mr. Bevis," in 1960.

Although interest in the zither declined again by the late 1960s, the two American popularity periods left many used instruments still in circulation, often in poor condition. It is now common to see zithers that are either 60 or 110 years old. Today, only a few independent luthiers and mid-European makers produce new zithers.

Concert and Alpine zithers

A concert zither may have between 29 and 38 strings, with 34 or 35 strings being the most common. The strings are arranged in this order: 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.

On some older zithers, "half-frets" may be found above the 12th fret. These half-frets extend only under the first two or three strings. This means the lower fretted strings have no pitches (or no chromatic pitches) available above the 12th fret, while the higher fretted strings still have higher chromatic pitches available at these half-frets. Nearly all zithers made after 1960 have full-length frets that extend the entire length of the fretboard.

Anton Karas and Ruth Welcome used zithers with a design similar to the one shown. After World War II, Karas (as noted by zither scholar Günter Wittenstein, who knew him) played a zither with a larger size than usual, with a 43 cm standard scale length for the fingerboard strings. He used Viennese tuning (see below), but changed the chromatic sequence for the fingerboard and open strings. The accompaniment strings G and F♯ were tuned an octave higher, while the contrabass strings E♭, F, D, E, C♯ replaced the regular cycle of fifths bass strings. This made the contrabass strings closer to the fingerboard, making them easier for the player to reach.

For The Third Man, Karas tuned the zither a semitone lower, which gave the contrabass strings a unique sound. The lower string tension also allowed Karas to perform expressive vibrato on the fingerboard melody strings. Film director Carol Reed (who played the music on his oak kitchen table) described the sound as "gritty and dirty," matching the film’s atmosphere.

The Alpine zither has 42 strings and differs from the concert zither mainly by requiring an extension to the instrument’s body to support longer contrabass strings and their tuners.

Alpine zithers are tuned similarly to concert zithers, with the accompaniment and bass strings each providing a full set of 12 chromatic pitches 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" because the pillar extension resembled a miniature harp pillar. The extra contrabass strings ran parallel to the other strings on earlier instruments, while the diagonal arrangement shown later helped the right hand reach the strings more easily.

There are two popular tunings for the modern zither: Munich and Viennese. The tuning chart below includes details about pitches and octaves. Munich tuning is shown at the top, and Viennese tuning is shown below. Some players use Vienna tuning only for the fretted strings and Munich tuning for the unfretted strings. Full Viennese tuning is typically used only on instruments with 38 or fewer strings. However, Optima makes strings that allow for "Extended Viennese Tuning" with 42 strings, going all the way down to C♯1 (the same note as the 2nd fret of the 5th string on a 5-string bass).

Tuning

Tuning chart for concert and Alpine zithers:

The C#, F, and A strings in the unfretted string section of the fretted zither are colored red. These strings function as "separator strings," similar to the red C strings and blue/black F strings on a harp, helping musicians locate reference points while playing. In Extended Munich Tuning, four additional chromatically tuned contrabass strings may be added, tuned to E1, Eb1, D1, and Db1. The Db1 note matches the sound of the note found on the 3rd fret of the 5th string on a 5-string bass guitar. The fretboard strings can also be tuned to A4, D4, G3, C3, and F3 using the Optima fretboard F3 zither string.

Playing techniques

The zither is played by plucking its strings while it rests flat on a table (which helps make the sound louder) or by holding it on the lap.

On concert and Alpine zithers, the melody strings are pressed against the fingerboard with the left hand and plucked using a small pick (called a plectrum) on the right thumb. The first and second fingers of the right hand pluck the accompaniment and bass strings, while the third finger of the right hand plucks the contrabass strings. Some players use plectrums on the other four fingers of the right hand to pluck the accompaniment strings more easily and create a sharper sound.

The chord zither is different from concert and Alpine zithers. These instruments can have between 12 and 50 (or more) strings, depending on their design. All the strings are played open, like a harp. The strings on the left side are grouped into sets of three or four, which form chords that the left hand plays. The strings on the right side are single or paired, and the right hand plucks them to play the melody. Tuning may differ between manufacturers and models, but it is usually shown on the instrument itself as a chart painted or glued under the strings.

Contemporary use

The zither is difficult to play, so most concert zithers sold were used only for simple music or decoration. Washington Phillips was a rare example of someone who played the instrument skillfully.

To make the zither easier to use, manufacturers added keyboard-like devices to the melody strings, such as the Marxophone, dolceola, celestaphone, and tremoloa. The autoharp, which uses bars with felt pads placed over and under the strings, was the most successful improvement. However, the autoharp lacks a fretboard, making it more similar to a chord zither than a concert zither. Concert zithers are rarely used in classical music.

Today, only a small number of musicians use concert and Alpine zithers, either to play traditional music or to create new sounds. One example is the zither duo Liab und Schneid, made up of Tom Leoni and Elisabeth Lloyd, who perform traditional Alpine music, classical music (including works by Mozart and Haydn), and original pieces.

New versions of the concert zither have been created, such as the electric zither and the Chapman stick, which share some zither features. Although the concert zither is no longer widely used, its music and techniques still influence modern musicians. For example, Canadian musician Jeff Healey, who played electric guitar, used a zither-like technique. Healy was blind from a young age and played the guitar with his left hand positioned above the strings, similar to how a zitherist plays. He used a Fender Stratocaster guitar throughout his career, but his playing style resembled that of an electric zither.

Notable players

• Shirley Abicair (1928–2025): Australian zitherist, singer, actress, and author
• Dorothy Carter (1935–2003): American zitherist and multi-instrumentalist. Specialized in Medieval folk and experimental music
• Anton Karas (1906–1985): Austrian zitherist and composer. Composed the soundtrack for the movie The Third Man
• Félix Lajkó (b. 1974): Hungarian violinist, zitherist, and composer
• Laraaji (b. 1943): American multi-instrumentalist, composer, ambient zitherist, and mystic
• Dragica Legat Košmerl (1883–1956): Slovenian zither player, zither teacher, and composer
• Tom Leoni (b. 1966): Swiss-born, U.S.-based zitherist and composer. Performs as half of the duo Liab und Schneid (see Elizabeth Lloyd)
• Elizabeth Lloyd: Swiss-born, U.S.-based zitherist and composer. Performs as half of the duo Liab und Schneid (see Tom Leoni)
• Adolf Maurer (1883–1976): Swiss-German zitherist, teacher, conductor, and early promoter of the zither in the U.S.
• Johann Petzmayer (1803–1884): Austrian composer and touring zitherist
• Washington Phillips (1880–1954): American Gospel and blues singer, and guitar zitherist
• Wilfried Scharf (b. 1955): Austrian zitherist and zither professor at the Anton Bruckner Private University for Music, Drama, and Dance in Linz since 1989
• Franz Schwarzer (1828–1904): "The King of Zither Manufacturers." Founded one of the first large zither companies in the U.S. in Missouri in 1866
• Ruth Welcome (1919–2005): German-born American zitherist. America’s only professional zitherist from 1945 to 1975
• Henry Wormsbacher (1866–1934): German-born classical zitherist. President of the American Zither Verband. Leading promoter of the concert zither in America