Q&A for How to Play the Guzheng (Chinese Zither)

Yes. Even with long natural nails, using finger picks is essential for playing the guzheng. They protect your natural nails from damage and help produce the clear, bright tone characteristic of the instrument.

There are a lot of stores that sell the guzheng. You can search for Chinese instrument stores in your area. Most of these stores will definitely have the guzheng. You can also find a teacher to buy one from.

The guzheng actually has 21 strings. They are of a different width and produce different tones.

A koto will usually have 13 strings, while a guzheng has 21 strings. All strings of the koto are of approximately the same thickness, while the strings of the guzheng have different thicknesses.

An autoharp isn't the same as a guzheng. A guzheng is usually played sitting down, and players don't hold the guzheng. An autoharp is played standing up, with players holding it.

You can get guzheng music books from most Chinese music instrument shops. There are also some great songs online, and a simple online search can yield many results.

Yes, guzheng players use artificial nails to pluck the strings. Additionally, many techniques, such as the finger shake, require using the artificial nails.

There are many websites and popular video streaming platforms that have guzheng tutorials and covers. You can also find a lot of sheet music by searching online.

A small triangle without a bottom side right on top of the note means you should play the note with your fourth (i.e. ring) finger. If a triangle comes after the note, this notation indicates that you should press down on the corresponding string after playing it, rising quickly in a sharp motion.