Ch'in

Ch'in classical *board zither of China. It appears on a later Han dynasty (25-220 A.C.) relief in Szechwan and is considered the oldest string instr. of China. Seven strings (originally there may have been only 5) are stretched over a long, narrow, slightly convex, hollow board and are fastened (without tuning pins) on the underside after passing over a bridge and through holes in the soundboard. Six strings are played as open strings, tuned in 4ths and 5ths, to provide accompaniment to the…