zither family
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Assorted References
- characteristics
- In zither
Instruments of the zither family assume a variety of forms. The body may be a flexible stick, as in the musical bow, or may be a rigid bar, as in many Indian and Southeast Asian and some African zithers. Bar zithers often have high frets; one-stringed varieties may…
Read More - In stringed instrument: Zithers
Instruments of the zither family, in which the strings lie parallel to and are of the same length as the string bearer (often also the resonator), are especially widely distributed in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. The least-complex zither type of instrument is the musical bow, shaped very…
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- In zither
- development
- In stringed instrument: The zither
…of instruments are classified as zithers; they are used today in all continents. The long zithers of China, Japan, and Korea, which have a curved surface and a long, narrow shape, display a possible link to the idiochordic bamboo zithers of the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and southeastern Africa. The importance…
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- In stringed instrument: The zither
Japanese music
- In Japanese music: Early evidence
…a four- or five-stringed board zither across his lap. Crotal bells (pellet or jingle bells) are found on costumes, and some statues seem to be of singers. The zither is of special interest, for it is related to the Korean kayagŭm that appeared in the Kaya kingdom (on the central…
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- played by Uragami
- In Uragami Gyokudō
…art of playing the seven-stringed zither.
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- In Uragami Gyokudō