| Article Index |
|---|
| Zitherring for Zithering |
| Striking the strings |
| Types of Zither rings |
| Choosing a Zither ring |
| All Pages |
Page 3 of 4
Types of Zither rings
The three rings on the right of the picture are representative of the types that Grünwald and Brandlmeier described. Such rings are commonly used even today. The player strokes the strings always on the down stroke with these types of rings.
The silver rings in the middle of the picture, also seen in the first picture of this article, have been developed recently. The point of the ring permits plucking the fingerboard strings on the up stroke just as well as on the down stroke. These sorts of rings, called "Rückschlag" or backstroke rings are used with the correspondingly new "Wechselschlag" playing technique, that is, the alternating stroke technique. In principle, one can play twice as fast using this technique. The pictured Rückschlag rings are two styles made by Franz Schilling. The one in the foreground is the newer model with a wider body that is intended to sit more comfortably on the thumb, and has a slightly longer point to afford more stand-off from the strings.
The white plastic ring on the left of the picture is actually a guitar thumb pick. Though inexpensive (less than $1), it produces a nice sound and can also be used with the Wechselschlag technique. Remarkably, this ring makes it easy to control dynamics. The Dunlop "S" is to be recommended over the "M" which has a wide and thick point that makes a less refined sound. The downside to the plastic material is that eventually the point wears down, but one can buy several of these rings for the price of a single metal ring.
The silver rings in the middle of the picture, also seen in the first picture of this article, have been developed recently. The point of the ring permits plucking the fingerboard strings on the up stroke just as well as on the down stroke. These sorts of rings, called "Rückschlag" or backstroke rings are used with the correspondingly new "Wechselschlag" playing technique, that is, the alternating stroke technique. In principle, one can play twice as fast using this technique. The pictured Rückschlag rings are two styles made by Franz Schilling. The one in the foreground is the newer model with a wider body that is intended to sit more comfortably on the thumb, and has a slightly longer point to afford more stand-off from the strings.
The white plastic ring on the left of the picture is actually a guitar thumb pick. Though inexpensive (less than $1), it produces a nice sound and can also be used with the Wechselschlag technique. Remarkably, this ring makes it easy to control dynamics. The Dunlop "S" is to be recommended over the "M" which has a wide and thick point that makes a less refined sound. The downside to the plastic material is that eventually the point wears down, but one can buy several of these rings for the price of a single metal ring.
