The guzheng (also called the zheng) is a long, plucked zither. Unlike the qin and the se, whose strings are of silk, the zheng's metal strings are tuned with pegs located on the top board. It is described as smaller and higher pitched than other East Asian zithers. It has been used for home entertainment, in folk music and in court ensembles, and has been associated with romantic subjects.
instrument
Guzheng
古筝
A long plucked Chinese zither with metal strings tuned by pegs on the top board, used for home entertainment, folk music and court ensembles.
- Type
- instrument
- Instrument family
- Zither
- How sound is produced
- Plucked
- Also known as
- zheng, 古筝
- Updated
- 2026-10-13
- plucked
- zither
- metal strings
Structure & Sound
Only what the cited sources document.- Strings
- Metal strings, tuned with pegs located on the top board
- Structure
- A long wooden body; the strings pass over a bridge, and tuning pegs sit on the top board
- Sound
- Described as smaller and higher pitched than other East Asian zithers
What vibrates, and how the strings are set up.
Body and construction.
Timbre and register, where a source describes them.
Playing Technique
What the player does, and the named techniques behind it.- Playing method
- Plucked with the right hand while the left hand manipulates the strings to the left of the bridge
What each hand does.
Where it is heard
Documented settings, ensembles and occasions.- Typical context
- Home entertainment, folk music and court ensembles
Where the instrument is normally heard.
Instrument family
How this site groups instrumentsPlucked String Instruments (弹拨乐器)
This site groups instruments by how their sound is produced — bowed, plucked, blown or struck. Guzheng is a plucked string instrument.
Also in this family
Related instruments
- Guqin (古琴)
Both are Chinese zithers and are frequently compared; the zheng uses metal strings tuned with pegs on the top board, while the qin uses strings of twisted silk.
A seven-stringed Chinese zither, plucked with the right hand while the left hand stops the strings or touches them to sound harmonics.
Compare these instruments side by side →
Sources for Guzheng
The Metropolitan Museum of Art · museum
Supports:
- The zheng's metal strings and top-board tuning pegs, contrasted with the silk strings of the qin and se
- The zheng's size and higher pitch relative to other East Asian zithers
- Nineteenth-century playing: right-hand fingernails plucking while the left hand manipulates the strings to the left of the bridge
- Contexts: home entertainment, folk music and court ensembles
Not yet documented for this entry: history and culture · music theory. Nothing is added to an entry until a source supports it.