Zither vs. Lute — What's the Difference?

A musical instrument consisting of a flat wooden body over which strings are stretched.

A stringed musical instrument with a deep rounded back and a fretted neck.

Does not feature a neck or frets, differentiating it from many other stringed instruments.

Traditionally played by plucking the strings with the fingers.

Often used in folk music and has various regional forms.

The design includes a distinctive bent neck.

Can be equipped with many strings, sometimes more than thirty.

Usually has six to ten strings.

Played either by plucking the strings with fingers or a plectrum.

Associated with Renaissance and Baroque music.

Zither (; German: [ˈtsɪtɐ], from the Greek word cithara) is a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat body.

A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.

A musical instrument composed of a flat sound box with about 30 to 40 strings stretched over it and played horizontally with the fingertips, a plectrum, or a bow, or set into vibration by the wind, as in the Aeolian harp.

A plucked stringed instrument with a long neck bearing frets and a rounded body with a flat front, rather like a halved egg in shape.

(music) A musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings placed on a horizontal surface, played with a plectrum or fingertips.

Liquid clay or cement used to seal a joint, coat a crucible, or protect a graft.

Related or similar instruments in other cultures, such as the Chinese guqin or Norwegian harpeleik; especially any chordophone without a neck, and with strings that pass over the body.

Seal, join, or coat with lute

To play a zither.

A stringed instrument having a body shaped like a pear sliced lengthwise and a neck with a fretted fingerboard that is usually bent just below the tuning pegs.

To make a sound similar to that made by a zither; to move while making such a sound.

A substance, such as dried clay or cement, used to pack and seal pipe joints and other connections or coat a porous surface in order to make it tight. Also called luting.

An instrument of music used in Austria and Germany. It has from thirty to forty wires strung across a shallow sounding-board, which lies horizontally on a table before the performer, who uses both hands in playing on it. [Not to be confounded with the old lute-shaped cittern, or cithern.]

To coat, pack, or seal with lute.

A musical stringed instrument with strings stretch over a flat sounding box; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers

A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.

Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight.

A packing ring, as of rubber, for fruit jars, etc.

(brickmaking) A straight-edged piece of wood for striking off superfluous clay from earth.

To play on a lute, or as if on a lute.

To fix or fasten something with lute.

A cement of clay or other tenacious infusible substance for sealing joints in apparatus, or the mouths of vessels or tubes, or for coating the bodies of retorts, etc., when exposed to heat; - called also luting.

A packing ring, as of rubber, for fruit jars, etc.

A straight-edged piece of wood for striking off superfluous clay from mold.

A stringed instrument formerly much in use. It consists of four parts, namely, the table or front, the body, having nine or ten ribs or "sides," arranged like the divisions of a melon, the neck, which has nine or ten frets or divisions, and the head, or cross, in which the screws for tuning are inserted. The strings are struck with the right hand, and with the left the stops are pressed.

To close or seal with lute; as, to lute on the cover of a crucible; to lute a joint.

To sound, as a lute.

To play on a lute, or as on a lute.

A substance for packing a joint or coating a porous surface to make it impervious to gas or liquid

Chordophone consisting of a plucked instrument having a pear-shaped body, a usually bent neck, and a fretted fingerboard

Zithers can be plucked or struck, often laid on a surface, while lutes are typically plucked with fingers and held in the arms.

Zither strings can include both melody and accompaniment types, while lute strings are usually fewer and melodically focused.

Yes, both can be featured in solo performances, but lutes are especially known for solo and small ensemble settings.

The zither has origins in Central Europe and Asia, traditionally used in folk music, whereas the lute traces back to ancient Egypt and was widely adopted in medieval Europe.

Yes, zithers may be played by plucking with fingers or using a plectrum, and some types like the hammered dulcimer are played with mallets. Lutes are typically plucked with the fingers, using techniques that allow intricate fingering and phrasing.

Zithers are used in a wide range of music including folk and classical, while lutes are prominent in early Western music like Renaissance and Baroque.

Zithers may have a variety of tuning systems depending on the type, including chromatic or diatonic arrangements. Lutes usually have a more complex tuning that can vary significantly depending on the historical period and specific music genre.

Both zithers and lutes can be amplified using microphones or pickups for larger venues. However, amplification techniques might differ due to their distinct body structures and sound production methods.

In ensembles, zithers often provide harmonic and rhythmic support due to their wide range of tones, while lutes often play a lead or continuo role, offering melodic lines and chordal accompaniment.

The zither has a flat body without a neck and is played laid down, whereas the lute has a rounded body with a fretted neck and is held vertically.

Zithers produce sound by vibrating strings stretched over a resonant body, which can result in a rich, full sound. Lutes have a more delicate and nuanced sound due to their hollow, rounded body and the technique of finger plucking.

For the zither, one of the most famous pieces is "The Third Man Theme" by Anton Karas. For the lute, John Dowland's compositions, such as "Flow My Tears," are renowned.

Zithers are typically made from various woods for the body and metal or nylon for the strings. Lutes are usually made from specialized woods like spruce or maple for the body and gut, nylon, or synthetic materials for the strings.

Both instruments require specific techniques and can be challenging to master. Zithers may be easier to start with due to their straightforward playing mechanism, whereas lutes require learning fretting and plucking techniques.

Yes, both require regular maintenance such as tuning and cleaning. Lutes, with their frets and intricate strings, might require more detailed attention compared to zithers.