gittern

The gittern is a small plucked string instrument from medieval Europe. It emerged in the 13th century and remained common through the 16th, belonging to the family of lute-like instruments that includes the cittern and the Renaissance guitar. It is often described as a medieval predecessor of the modern guitar.

Construction and playing: The gittern typically features a pear-shaped body with a rounded back and a narrow neck. It has a fretted fingerboard and four courses of strings (two strings per course), making eight strings in total. Strings were usually of gut and were plucked with a plectrum, though some playing styles used the fingers.

Sound and repertoire: The gittern produced bright, relatively high-pitched tones suited to melodic playing and accompaniment of songs. It was used by professional musicians, clerics, and courtly players, and appears in period paintings and music sources across England, France, Italy, and Germany. It served both solo and ensemble roles in secular and ceremonial contexts.

Decline and legacy: By the end of the Renaissance the gittern fell from use as the modern guitar and related instruments began to evolve from the lute and cittern families. Surviving depictions and a few historical examples guide modern builders in making replicas, and the gittern remains of interest to historians of early stringed instruments.