The guzheng: the thousand-year Chinese zither

The fingers brush the strings from right to left, and a limpid cascade tumbles down the instrument like water over pebbles. Then the left hand presses, bends the note, makes it tremble at length above the bridge: the sound undulates, curves, almost moans. On a long wooden box laid flat, twenty-one taut strings seem to hold the breath of an entire landscape. This instrument that sings of water and wind is the guzheng.

The guzheng is the great Chinese table zither, today fitted with twenty-one strings and movable bridges. More than two thousand years old, it is among the most popular instruments in China, famed for its crystalline glissandos and its notes that ripple under the pressure of the left hand. To understand it is to hear how Chinese music made resonance and silence an art in their own right.

Origins: the family of the zheng#

The guzheng descends from a family of instruments called zheng, attested as early as the Warring States period (5th-3rd century BCE) and associated with the state of Qin, hence the nickname qínzhēng (秦筝). The earliest models had five, then twelve or thirteen strings, originally strung with silk. Over the dynasties, the instrument gained strings and established itself in court music as in popular entertainment.

It should not be confused with its more austere cousin, the guqin, a seven-string zither without bridges, the instrument of scholars and sages, associated with Confucius and meditation. The guzheng is brighter, more demonstrative, made for the melody that charms the ear. From this Chinese family also derive the Japanese koto and the Korean gayageum, evidence of a long circulation of zithers across East Asia.

The guzheng does not only play notes: it plays what happens between the notes, the slide, the tremor, the silence that settles back.

The anatomy of a landscape-instrument#

The modern guzheng is a long wooden resonating box — often paulownia — about 1.6 metres in length, over which run twenty-one strings (a standard set in the twentieth century; older models had fewer). Each string rests on a movable bridge that is shifted to tune the instrument, generally to a pentatonic scale (five notes per octave), the characteristic tone colour of Chinese music.

The technique divides the roles between the two hands. The right hand, often fitted with finger picks of tortoiseshell or plastic, plucks the strings to produce the melody and the famous glissandos. The left hand, to the left of the bridges, presses and releases the strings to vary the pitch: it is what produces the vibratos, portamentos and expressive ornaments that give the instrument all its character. Without that left hand, the guzheng would be just a harp; with it, it becomes a voice.

A repertoire between nature and virtuosity#

The guzheng repertoire draws readily on the evocation of nature: flowing waters, wild geese, moon over the river. The piece Yúzhōu Chàngwǎn (渔舟唱晚, "evening song of the fishing boat") is one of the most famous works, painting twilight on the water with lavish glissandos. Different regional schools — more vigorous in the North, more delicate in the South — have each developed their own style and ornaments.

A contemporary renaissance#

Far from being a museum object, the guzheng is enjoying a spectacular revival. Taught in conservatories, played by millions of students in China, it also turns up in pop, rock, video-game soundtracks and viral online videos, where young virtuosos take on classical airs as readily as Western hits. Composers write new works for it, sometimes blended with the symphony orchestra.

From the court of the Warring States to today's world stages, the guzheng has crossed the centuries without losing any of its evocative power. To discover it is to learn to listen differently, to savour the note that bends and the silence that follows — and to learn Chinese is to be able to read the title of a piece, understand that it speaks of a river at twilight, and step into a landscape two thousand years old.

FAQ#

What is the guzheng? The guzheng (古筝) is a large Chinese table zither, today fitted with 21 strings and movable bridges. It is played with finger picks on the right hand for the melody, while the left hand presses the strings to vary the pitch and create vibratos.

What is the difference between the guzheng and the guqin? The guzheng has movable bridges, many strings (21 today) and a bright, demonstrative sound. The guqin, older and more austere, has seven strings without bridges and remains the instrument of scholars, associated with meditation.

How many strings does a guzheng have? The modern guzheng generally has 21, a standard set in the twentieth century. Historical models had fewer: five, twelve or thirteen strings depending on the era.

Is the guzheng difficult to learn? The first melodies come fairly quickly thanks to the pentatonic scale, but mastering the left-hand ornaments — vibratos, glissandos, portamentos — takes years. It is that left hand that gives the guzheng all its expressiveness.

Photo credits: the images used in this article come from Pexels and Unsplash and are royalty-free.