old, old zither

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Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

old, old zither

Post by Rudy Mueller »

Anyone out there playing a zither with 6 string griffbrett and first begleitung string = a flat?

If the sixth string is F below C, is the music arranged with treble clef? Any arrangements specifically for this type of instrument?

Anyone know of a good source for the a flat begleitung string?

Rudy
JRCOLS
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:59 pm

Re: old, old zither

Post by JRCOLS »

Hi Rudy:

One of the zithers that I built, in 2011, includes the Begleit a-flat string. That gives me a full, high, a-flat chord as well as a full f-minor chord in the begleit section. I just use an a-flat string designed for Vienna Tuning, even though the rest of the zither is in Munich Tuning. I noticed that the old Darr Method included the begleit a-flat string in the tuning diagram.
That string is normally referred to as number 0. It's also convenient if you want to play a partial c-sharp chord in the Begleit section!

Some ideas: There is an old form of 6-string tuning known as the ''Stuttgart Stimmung." That tuning, from the 1st to the 6th string, went: e', e', a, d, G. That almost looks like an Elegie Zither tuning, but applies to a Concert or Deskant zither. I experimented on a concert zither by replacing the first Griff-a string with a steel guitar string of a size 0.010 in. diameter ( 0.25 mm.). It tuned perfectly to the high e', which is found on the Griff-a string at the 7th fret.
The tone is loud and sweet! The .010 string can be bought at any good guitar shop ( i.e. Brand name: "D'Addario, size "PL010 Accoustic or Electric Plain Steel.") .

As for the 6th string as a Contra Bass F, I don't know if the old sheet music was arranged in the Treble Clef.
To find an F below bass C string, that would require some trial-and -error experimentation and may work if you use a relatively low-tension guitar string. I would measure an open Contra Bass F zither string (#25 in Munich Tuning) with a micrometer as a guide to the diameter. But for fret board use, it would most likely need to be a looser tension than that of a zither Kontra F. I wish you success und Gut Klang.
Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

Re: old, old zither

Post by Rudy Mueller »

Beautiful! and thank you! At the moment this instrument is at our daughter's home in Germany.

Does adding the e above a make this a sort of mutant quint zither, with e, a, a, d, g, and c on the griffbrett? I can hardly wait to try this. This might minimize the need to play in 4th lage and higher on the a strings.

Another change I will try is to skip the a flat or "0" begleitung string, move all of the open strings one position nearer to the griffbrett, and possibly add another contra bass at the other end.

Rudy
velocio
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:19 am
Location: CA 93449

Re: old, old zither

Post by velocio »

I don't know details (yet), but I have seen a zither in Bavaria with six griffbrett strings which was presented as a "Rudi Knabl Zither." Here is another picture of a not so old Sandner model with "Griffbrett nach Rudi Knabl":
http://www.carsten-weber-online.de/cgi- ... i?weblog=1
Joseph Maurer
Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

Re: old, old zither

Post by Rudy Mueller »

Here is the photo to go along with the note of June 9.
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