Zither vs. Guqin

Zithernoun

(music) A musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings placed on a horizontal surface, played with a plectrum or fingertips.

Zithernoun

Related or similar instruments in other cultures, such as the Chinese guqin or Norwegian harpeleik; especially any chordophone without a neck, and with strings that pass over the body.

Zitherverb

To play a zither.

Zitherverb

To make a sound similar to that made by a zither; to move while making such a sound.

Zithernoun

An instrument of music used in Austria and Germany. It has from thirty to forty wires strung across a shallow sounding-board, which lies horizontally on a table before the performer, who uses both hands in playing on it. [Not to be confounded with the old lute-shaped cittern, or cithern.]

Zithernoun

a musical stringed instrument with strings stretch over a flat sounding box; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers

Zither

Zither (; German: [ˈtsɪtɐ], from the Greek word cithara) is a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat body.

Guqinnoun

A plucked zither-like stringed instrument (chordophone), traditionally featuring seven unfretted strings, originating in ancient China.

Guqin

The guqin ([kùtɕʰǐn] (listen); Chinese: 古琴) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.