Labelling Strings

[Zither2Shred]

How would you label chordophone strings e.g. on a zither?

Assuming you needed to do so.

I fear losing tonal brightness or other unknown consequences so does anybody have pro tips? Would thin sticky tape do? Or even different coloured lengths of cotton string tied as knots around the relevant zither strings?


Special requirements:

I want to label the following notes across approx. 3 octaves: D, F, A, c, d etc etc Perhaps also C#. G#


So, that's quite a lot of strings to label, interference between crowded labels might become an issue on top of all other considerations.

It may also mean multiple colours needed

Also, the instrument is fairly long, so, l might need to move labels up and down depending on where l want to physically focus my plucking. So, l would hope for some mobility with the labels.

[Rudy Mueller]

Forget the tape and practice the scales available in the instruction books. The more you practice, the less you'll have to look at the strings. Difficult at first, try scales on the accompaniment and bass strings. A comfortable table at the proper height is needed.

rudi

[Zither2Shred]

Hello,

Please let me explain:
I don't wanna.

So, if you can help me with my question, good, if you cannot, then please, leave it there.

[Zither2Shred]

I was anticipating somebody giving me their workaround that bypasses my question, telling me to just practice etc., hence l even put this:

Assuming you needed to do so.

Please read my post and unless you can help, then please leave it there.

I don't have to explain this but l shall: I'm not even talking about a zither, hence l alluded to chordophones in general.
The instrument in question has a bespoke scale, l guess you'd call that diatonic. It's not a repeating scale either, some octaves have variations and l just want that scale for just that instrument, especially considering it has levers which shift pitch a semitone, and the levers are on some pretty odd notes at least on my bespoke scale.

But l shouldn't have to explain this.

[KC9UDX]

I thought about doing this. I planned to colour code them. I thought about using translucent enamel, like Testors paint. Or, nail polish. In my opinion, there's no need to label every string. You just need markers; every other string at the most.

Like Rudy says though, it doesn't matter the instrument or the scale; blind people play better for a reason. Practise, practise and you develop "muscle memory" of where the strings are. Trying to find the strings by sight is incurable. Wer A Sagt Muss Auch B Sagen

[Zither2Shred]

Hi there thanks for your reply. I know playing by heart is best, but this is an instrument l don't intend to play often. To get into it, l want to develop a muscle memory, hence label strings.

As l say, it's not actually a zither. It's a Finnish "concert" (?) Kantele with levers and l've probably tuned it wrong. I want to play East European type music hence l need particular notes, e.g. C#, never D#, occasional B on some octaves, well, maybe just 1 octave.

It gets complicated and l just want this instrument for its sound, and stemming from that, a narrowed down repertoire. I also have to do housework, groom myself, do IT related stuff, if l had a cat l would have to feed it and empty its litter tray, but l don't so that's one thing less to do. So that's why l want to just label occasional strings and be done with it.


I purchased some tape a few weeks ago but l've been so busy l haven't even gotten round to the simple act of applying different coloured tape to different strings.

[Zither2Shred]

Sorry for being moody on this thread by the way.

[KC9UDX]

I expect tape on the strings will sound terrible. But perhaps you plan to put tape on the surface under the strings? That wouldn't affect the sound.

Still I would try to find the strings by ear. I play accordion, and not very often. The only way to see what you're playing on an accordion is with a mirror. I play one that doesn't even have tactile markers on the bass buttons. You develop muscle memory pretty quickly by playing notes that sound wrong. I don't know of any instrument that I could reliably play by sight. The time it takes to visually identify a note and then turn that into coordinated motion is significant. Zither strings are (usually) marked and organ keys have a distinct pattern. I use them for occasional visual reference. But there's no way I could play by trying to look for a particular string or key.

But marking the strings could help give you a mental image of where the strings are.

Our western culture is so rigid. There's a whole world of eastern instruments that most of us never see. Thank you for mentioning the Kantele. I have seen five string models but didn't know what they were called. I didn't know there were larger ones with levers. That is interesting.