any stringed musical instrument whose strings are the same length as its soundboard. The European zither consists of a flat, shallow sound box across which some 30 or 40 gut or metal strings are stretched. The strings nearest the player run above a fretted fingerboard against which they are stopped by the left hand to provide melody notes; they are plucked by a plectrum worn on the right thumb. At the same time, the right-hand fingers pluck an accompaniment on the farther strings, which remain unstopped. The zither is placed across the player’s knees or on a table.