Psaltery

A psaltery is a stringed musical instrument of the harp or the zither family. The psaltery of Ancient Greece dates back to at least 300 BC. It was a harp-like instrument.

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In the Christian era a psaltery consisting of a soundboard with several pre-tuned strings that are usually plucked, came into use. It was also known by the name canon, from the Arabic qanun.

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The instrument is usually small enough to be portable; its shape and range vary. It is depicted in a number of artworks from the Medi?val Period.

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In the 19th Century several forms came into use, notably the guitar zither and the Autoharp.

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In the 20th Century, the bowed psaltery has come into wide use. It is set up in a triangular format so that the end portion of each string can be bowed.

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Musical instrument: A musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a musician, can serve as a musical instrument; but the expression is reserved generally to items that have that specif...

Harp: :Harp is also a slang term for the diatonic harmonica; see blues harp. See also Jew's harp....

Zither: [[Image:Zither1 David Dupplaw.jpg|thumb|A Musima Guitar Zither...

Psaltery related Images and Photos (experimental)

King David Playing a Psaltery