How many strings does the zither have today?


TT: So now, how many strings does the zither have today?

TQH: Typically, the zither has 16 strings, it is also known as a "16-stringed instrument”. The name “16-stringed instrument” is being used mainly in the north and in the central parts of the country, whereas the name “zither” is widely used in the south. People in the south prefer short words, so they would reduce the word “dan tranh” to one word “tranh”. That habit of name shortening makes it amusing to hear when the people in the south describe a traditional orchestra with many musical instruments each sounds like plants, birds, tools, etc.

In the '70s, Music Professor Nguyen Vinh Bao in the south as well as other zither musicians in the north added more strings to the instrument, increasing the total number of strings to 17, 19, 21 and 25 in order to cover the larger range of tones for modern music.

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