Thanks Ken. I've just started looking at the Keyes Modern Zither Method and found that, coupled with your advice, it's just what I needed for bass and accompaniment string tuition. So for me, I'm finding that the first few pages of the Scales and Arpeggios book dealing with scales on the fretboard w...

Thanks Ken for sharing that technique. After your suggestion, I tried it and it works well. However, I didn't modify a metal ring. I already have a "ProPik" thumb pick as well as a Blue Chip thumb pick which are quite stiff picks and found that "alternate picking" with them on th...

I started going through the Keyes scales yesterday after seeing all of the recommendations here (and them being freely available!). His method for teaching the C scale (and further scales on the fretboard) is great. Coming from a lifetime of guitar-playing (and more recently mandolin/mandola), this ...

Hi Ken, That makes a lot of sense, as you would have to skip a string in the middle when playing melodies when going from the G string to the C or D. Thanks for the tip on the thumb ring. So, do you use proper "alternate picking" in this case (i.e. if you were playing 4 notes on a single s...

Hi Ken, Thanks for the reply. I've seen your videos on the bowed dulcimer and I really enjoy them! That's an instrument I've been meaning to take up, but it's near impossible to find even a regular dulcimer here in NZ, let alone a bowed one! I most likely will not be playing much German folk music o...

Hello everyone, Greetings from New Zealand. I've decided to take up the zither after a chance encounter... I found 2 zithers for sale on trademe (the NZ equivalent of ebay) while searching for guitar parts. The 2 zithers for sale both came with Schaller pickups. I'd never seen pickups like this befo...