zither

The zither is a family of stringed instruments in which all or most of the strings run across a relatively flat soundboard. The instrument is usually held horizontally, resting on the player's lap or a table, and is plucked, strummed, or picked with the fingers or a plectrum. Many zithers include a fretboard that allows the player to press strings to produce pitch, while others produce melodies on the open strings.

Common varieties include the concert zither (Konzertzither), which has a longer neck and a fretboard and is designed to support melody and accompaniment; the alpine or folk zither, typically shorter with a simpler fret arrangement and used in traditional Central European music; and the guitar zither, which combines a short neck with a fretboard and diagonal string layout for chordal accompaniment. There is also the hammered zither, in which small mallets strike the strings.

Originating in Central Europe, the zither family developed in the Alpine regions and spread across Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary. It gained recognition in folk music and later in film and popular music; the best-known Western example is the tuning of Anton Karas’s theme for The Third Man. In modern contexts, zithers appear in folk ensembles, contemporary compositions, and experimental music.

Construction and tuning vary: strings may be single-note or in unison courses; some models include additional drone or sympathetic strings. The instrument is typically wooden, with a flat soundboard, bridges, and a fretboard or fretless arrangement, tuned according to the repertoire and model.