Zither

Guide to Autoharp

A photo of a modern autoharp

The autoharp is part of the chorded zither family that features a series of chord bars attached to the instrument’s dampers. When these chord bars are pressed, it muted all the strings rather than creating the desired chord. Initially, the name autoharp was a trademark of a musical instrument company, Oscar Schmidt, … Read more

Guide to Appalachian Dulcimer

A photo of an Appalachian dulcimer

The Appalachian dulcimer, also known as dulcimer, fretted dulcimer, or lap dulcimer, is an instrument with three or four strings. Also, it is categorized as a part of the zither family. The dulcimer is most commonly used in the Appalachian region in the United States. Although this fretted stringed instrument had its … Read more