Qin
previous
next
The Qin is a Chinese plucked zither. It is one of China's most ancient and important instruments. The body of the qin is a shallow box, with seven silk strings of equal length stretching across it. The qin has no frets, and no bridge : the different tensions and weights of the strings give them different notes.
| Family |
| Strings |
| Pitch range |
| Up to three octaves. |
| Material |
| Wooden body, with silken strings. |
| Size |
| About 4 ft (1.20 m) long, 6 in (15 cm) wide, and 2 in (5 cm) deep. |
| Origins |
| There is evidence that Chinese people were playing the qin and similar instruments mote than 3,000 years ago. By the 14th and 15th centuries, it was an important instrument in court music. |
| Classification |
| Chordophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of strings. |
| And also... |
| The Chinese name for the larger of the qin's two soundholes is "longchi," meaning "dragon pond." |
