Mise à jour le 20/03/2024
...De la cithare à accords
In the age of the Internet, it is easy to find all sorts of descriptions, explanations, and photos of this little-known instrument, the zither.
We will limit ourselves here to the chorded zither, which, as its name suggests, has ready-made chords, unlike the guitar where the guitarist's fingers create the chords as the piece is played.
We will limit ourselves here to the chorded zither, which, as its name suggests, has ready-made chords, unlike the guitar where the guitarist's fingers create the chords as the piece is played.
In this sense, the zither offers ease, but also a smaller range of possibilities.
Unless you change one or more chords with the tuning key before playing a piece, during the playing it is no longer possible (except to switch from major to minor from time to time).
But while there is a certain limitation in the possibilities, the sound is incomparably more beautiful and softer.
The chords are located on the left side of the instrument, while the right side supports the chromatic part (all the notes in semitone increments). The instrument is therefore designed for a melodic part accompanied by chords.
The chords are located on the left side of the instrument, while the right side supports the chromatic part (all the notes in semitone increments). The instrument is therefore designed for a melodic part accompanied by chords.
It is worth taking a brief look back at the source, with the Bible where this instrument is already mentioned in the first pages of Genesis: Jubal is indeed the father of those " who play the zither and the flute
"(Gen 4:21). We also know that it was by playing the lyre that David calmed King Saul's fits (1 Sam 16:23). This might seem amusing if many of us today hadn't had this experience, either personally or with those who are suffering (the dying, the sick, the elderly in distress, etc.)."
The sound of the zither, undeniably, soothes inner tensions better than any other instrument.
Yedoutoune himself, "
prophesied to the sound of the lyre
"(1 Chron. 25:3). It is equally undeniable that
This instrument opens the door to transcendence.. It accompanies joy, but also tears, as it is written in the Book of Job:
My zither serves for my lament, and the flute for the voice of the mourners.. »
It's true.
LThe zither accompanies all human feelings, which are noble and gifts from God.
It is obviously in the book of psalms that the occurrences are most numerous, and here we find the intuition of a monk d'En-Calcat, Brother Patrice, who dedicated the last thirty years of his life to the development of a zither whose mission would bethe accompaniment of the psalms in the divine service.
It is obviously in the book of psalms that the occurrences are most numerous, and here we find the intuition of a monk d'En-Calcat, Brother Patrice, who dedicated the last thirty years of his life to the development of a zither whose mission would bethe accompaniment of the psalms in the divine service.
The Jewish psalmist was already inviting people to give thanks to the Lord on the lyre…
"(Psalm 32:2), while the old man promises: " And I will give thanks to you on the harp for your faithfulness, O my God! I will play for you on my lyre, Holy One of Israel!
"(Ps 70, 22).
Psalm 97 is a true invitation: Play for the Lord on the lyre, on the lyre and all the instruments(Psalm 97:5), which will be confirmed by Psalm 150: Praise God with the harp and the lyre.
»
However, this biblical zither was not like ours. So how did we arrive at our modulating psaltery?