There are a lot of really interesting instruments out there, in addition to the common ones that you hear about regularly. One example of a not so well known instrument is the cittern.

The cittern is a musical instrument possessing strings, and it originally came from Europe. It is said to have descended from the ancient Greek instrument that is known as the Kithara. The cittern was especially popular during the 1500s as well as the 1600s, but it lost much of its popularity between the 1700s and the 1800s. Still, the cittern managed to survive as a part of folk music in the 20th century in the rural parts of Germany, Portugal and Switzerland. The cittern has also been relatively popular in contemporary styles of Celtic music as well as folk music in the United States.

The cittern possesses a body that is pear shaped and it's profile is wedge shaped where the thicker part of the wedge is near the neck of the instrument. The instrument's length is capable of varying from between 21.5 inches to around 29.5 inches. The cittern has a relatively flat back as well as curved sides, and both are made out of hardwood, with maple being the most popular choice. The front of the instrument is flat or arched, and is typically made out of a softer type of wood such as spruce for example.

The early versions of the cittern typically had only four strings, but there was also some variation when it came to the number of strings as well as how they were tuned. Both the early citterns and the modern citterns have had wire strings that are fastened to a tailpiece and then passed along over a long and flat bridge. From that bridge, the strings then pass over a portion of the fingerboard that is raised, which is known as the nut. Then they pass into the front of the instrument's peg box where they are fed through tuning pegs. The peg boxes used for older cittern were sometimes shaped like a human head or an animal head that had a large hook on the back suggesting a nose or a snout.

The fingerboard on the cittern has metal frets that are thin and often made out of brass. The fingerboard projects out over the soundboard, which is made of a soft wood. In older citterns as well as some of the more modern citterns, you will find a groove located on the neck's top side that accommodates the thumb of the player, making it easier for them to finger the fret board of the instrument while playing.

Photo Credits: unforth

Originally posted 2009-10-01 03:56:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Introduction to Stringed Instruments, pt 2 In the last post in this series we started talking about stringed instruments and the different varieties. We listed plucked stringed instruments, and will now talk about instruments that are played by bowing, striking and other methods. Bowing is a method that is used with some string instruments, including the......
• Manufacturers: Meisel Meisel violins have been around since 1659, predating Paganini and even Beethoven. The Meisel name is still synonymous with solid workmanship and quality instruments at a reasonable price. Students or professionals can find the right violin for them in Meisel's product line. All Meisel stringed instruments exceed the specifications set......
• Fiddling Instruments: A Primer pt 5 ... Continued from pt. 4 The Pontic Lira The Pontic lira is a lira that is slim and bottle shaped and that has a finger board upon which three steel strings can be stopped. All three of the steel strings are tuned into fourths. This instrument features a nut like......
• Brief History of the Mandolin A mandolin is a musical instrument that belongs to the lute family meaning that it can either be plucked or strummed. It is a direct descendant of a instrument called the Mandore, which is a soprano member of the same family. The mandolin instrument has a body that possesses a......
• Which is Best: Stand Up Bass or Regular Bass? The first thing that you need to understand when it comes to comparing a stand up bass against a regular bass is that despite the similar naming structure, these are actually two very different instruments. The term "bass" is used to refer to an entire family of musical instruments that......

Related Websites

• Musical Instruments: Drums for Sale The unique thing about drums when it comes to making music is that there are so many different elements that change the sound you create when you play them. The size, shape and composition of the drum will all alter the sound that it creates. Whether you beat on the......
• Types of Drums Drums are percussive instruments that are most commonly constructed by stretching one of a couple of different types of membranes over the opening in a vessel. The most common property of the various different types of drums is the pitch that each drum offers. Drums are by far one of......
• Dissecting The Various Pieces and Parts Of The Cello by Jim Samposzi The cello is a child of the string group and is typically played alone, with a group or played as an inclusion in chamber music. This instrument is one of the biggest of their kind ; next to the double bass. The cello is also called a......
• Introduction to Bass Guitar Tablature A guitar tab, or guitar tablature is a system of letters, symbols, notations and other visual representations that dictate how music should be played, rather than following traditional musical notation. Guitar tablature gives directions to the bass player or guitar player regarding how they should play a musical piece. What......
• The Double Bass - Then and Now In the modern orchestra, there are a number of stringed instruments that cover a variety of sounds. Highs and lows, the entire spectrum of sound audible to the human can be accessed with stringed instruments. At the lowest end of the spectrum, the double bass, or upright bass, can access......

Online Stores

• Popular, by decade Sheet Music Sheet Music Song Books
• Folk Art Maritime Antiques
• Deals Stevens Pass Washington Skiing Vacation
• Wedge Womens Shoes
• Acoustic Guitar Strings Musical Instruments

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, Instrument History, cittern

Tags:

1500s, 1600s, animal head, boxes, celtic music, cittern, fingerboard, flat bridge, hook, interesting instruments, kithara, music in the 20th century, musical instrument, pear, peg, popularity, portugal, snout, variation, wire strings