This page covers instruments from China, Japan, Korea and their neighbours.

 

Bowed strings

 

Erhu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhu

http://www.juststrings.com/erhu.html

 

Lutes

 

Daruan

China, Han dynasty, accompaniment instrument, four strings.

• C-G-d-a

http://www.geidai.ac.jp/~odaka/gcat/english/html-text/232.html

 

Gekkin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yueqin

 

Japanese, four silk strings in two courses.

• g' g' - d' ' d' '

http://www.geidai.ac.jp/~odaka/gcat/english/html-text/231.html

 

Chinese, three or four strings, uncoursed

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_CHI073_A_Fancy+Yuet+Chin_E_

 

Pippa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_CHI092_A_Deluxe+Student+Model+Pipa_E_ (no tuning given)

http://www.geidai.ac.jp/~odaka/gcat/english/html-text/233.html

http://www.geidai.ac.jp/~odaka/gcat/english/html-text/234.html

 

• A-d-e-a

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liuqin a smaller pippa, tuned higher

 

 

Ruan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruan

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_CHI043_A_Ruan_E_

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_CHI077_A_Hsiao+Ruan_E_ scale length 17.25"

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_CHI044_A_Chung+Ruan_E_ bass ruan

 

Zithers

In its broadest sense, a zither is a plucked stringed instrument with a sounding board and strings that do not extend beyond it. East Asian zithers include:

 

• Guqin, an ancient Chinese fretless zither with seven strings, also known in Japan and Korea.
• Seul, a Korean instrument descended from the ancient chinese se.
• Koto, widely used in Japan.

 

 

External links

 

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_traditional_Chinese_musical_instruments#Silk_.28.E7.B5.B2.29 List of  traditional Chinese stringed instruments.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Korean_musical_instruments#String List of traditional Korean stringed instruments.
• http://www.angelfire.com/alt/koreanmusic/instruments.html Another list of Lorean stringed instruments.
• http://www.geidai.ac.jp/~odaka/gcat/english/chordophones.html University of Tokyo collection of instruments with tunings and photos