Hi Tom, Videos can be fairly large. How about Dropbox? It allows you to share large files via their site. Once uploaded, you'll be able to generate a link that will enable everyone to access it. It's a good idea for distance learning. I'm sure everyone would enjoy seeing a video of your progress! ht...

The zither community lost a friend on January, 13, 2017 when Jack Bourdess passed away. He was 89. I spoke with Jack several years ago by phone, and he shared some of his early experiences with music and the zither. The following article on Jack, shared by Maria Petersen, covers some of what was dis...

Hi Tom, "point down" is probably a more correct way of looking at it than "perpendicular." Trying to force a 90 degree strike while playing may be hard on your wrist. Ken is correct in that you'll strike the string at an angle, and I suppose it may vary from player to player. Als...

Hi Rudi, yes indeed. The photo was taken from the web site. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.zither.us/?q=concert.zither.civil.war

Enjoy!

Dave

I suppose one could find some value in any of the zither methods listed, such as songs, exercises, etc. I would recommend the later methods for tuning and technique, however. The right-hand pinky resting on the bridge used to be taught, but that's no longer the case. There are plenty of ancient phot...

Hi Tom, I agree with Rudi. At some point you'll be able to leverage that 5th finger to pull a contra, but it will be harder to do if your hand is too far to the right. One way to position your right hand is to rest the edge of your palm on the bridge and fan out to the left. Your thumb should come t...

I contacted John Snyder in New Jersey and he had some information to share regarding this. Hope this helps! How to Stop Zither Ring Slippage Here's a tip from the late Leonard Zapf, zither repairman and virtuoso zither player in Philadelphia, PA, USA: Glue a piece of 400 to 600 grit (very fine) wate...

Hi Tom, there is no plan to migrate to Facebook. I started the forum as an alternative resource, knowing that not everyone had or wished to sign up for FB. Yes, it has been slow, but I'm hopeful that things will pick up. 2017 is a New Year.

Welcome Back!

Most zithers will have at least a few contrabass strings. The standard is to start with F on the 25th open string and follow that chromatically downward.

Tuning of contrabass strings ( open strings 25 - 37 ): F E Eb D C# C B Bb A G# G F# FF

Hi Folks, received this note from Al Reidenour. He is seeing a zither player for an Austrian-themed event. Any takers? Email alridenour000@gmail.com for more info. Hi, I organize an Austrian themed even every year and am looking for zither players either around Los Angeles or San Francisco. Would yo...