Guzheng

The guzheng is a Chinese plucked zither with movable bridges, typically 21 strings, and a long soundboard. Players commonly pluck its strings with finger picks on the right hand while shaping pitches with the left.

Movable bridge: A bridge that can be repositioned along an instrument’s soundboard to alter string length and pitch. Each bridge supports a guzheng string and can be shifted to set its open pitch.
Zither: A family of string instruments whose strings run across a flat body or soundboard. The guzheng is one member of this broad instrument family.
Qin dynasty: The Chinese dynasty that unified much of China from 221 to 206 BCE. Historical accounts associate an early form of the zheng with the Qin state and period.
Guzheng repertoire: The body of music composed or arranged for performance on the guzheng. Its repertoire ranges from traditional regional pieces to contemporary compositions.
Koto: A Japanese plucked zither with movable bridges, traditionally played with finger picks. The koto shares the guzheng’s basic design but developed distinct Japanese tunings and repertoire.
Finger pick: A small plectrum attached to a finger to pluck a string. Guzheng players use picks to pluck strings, often with several fingers at once.
Diatonic scale: A seven-note scale organized by a pattern of five whole steps and two half steps. Traditional guzheng tuning commonly arranges open strings around a pentatonic scale drawn from a diatonic collection.
Han dynasty: A Chinese imperial dynasty lasting from 206 BCE to 220 CE, with a brief interruption. The zheng was established in Chinese musical life during the early imperial era.
Guzheng in Chinese opera: The use of guzheng in musical traditions associated with Chinese opera. Its plucked timbre can support theatrical music and instrumental accompaniment.
Gayageum: A Korean plucked zither with silk or nylon strings and movable bridges. Its Korean construction and playing traditions distinguish it from the Chinese guzheng.

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