WHERE DID THE ZITHER ORIGINATE?

During the 1800s in the United States, it was a common practice to use the music of the zither at a great many functions. It was very popular. The instrument sounds a lot like a harp or a lute and has anywhere from 29 to 42 strings.

The zither developed from an ancient Greek lutelike instrument called a cithara. The instrument continues to be extremely popular in most of the central European countries.

To play a zither, you place it on the table in front of you. The strings are stretched over a flat, thin box that is rounded at one end. The strings are then plucked by the fingers of both hands. Quite often the zither player also uses a plectrum, a small piece of ivory, horn, metal or plastic, to pluck the strings.