Guzheng Online: Play a 21-String Guzheng
This online guzheng has the 21 strings of the standard Chinese zither, tuned the usual way: D major pentatonic, D E F♯ A B through four octaves, from D2 to D6. The strings lie side by side as if you were looking down at the instrument, with the long bass strings on the left and the short treble strings on the right, each one with its movable bridge. Below each string you can show the note name or the computer key that plays it.
How to use it
- Tap or click a string to pluck it. Drag your finger across several strings for a glissando, the sweep heard in so many guzheng pieces.
- On a computer, Z X C V B N M , . / play the ten lowest strings (D2 to B3), A S D F G H J K L ; play the next ten (D4 to B5) and Q plays the top string, D6.
- Under Key labels, choose Note names (C D E or Do Re Mi), Computer keyboard shortcuts or No labels to find the strings without help.
- Press Record, play, and press it again to stop. Then use Play, ↓ MIDI, ↓ WAV or Share.
- On a phone, tap the full screen button (if your browser offers it) and turn the phone sideways: the strings get wider and easier to hit.
Help and explanations
The sound is synthesized on your device, not recorded from a real guzheng, so there is nothing to download. Pluck with several fingers at once on a touch screen, or use the mouse, the computer keyboard or a MIDI keyboard. You can record, play it back, download MIDI or WAV and share a link: handy for trying the instrument before you buy one, or for working out a melody when your guzheng is not at hand.
String numbers and notes
Guzheng strings are numbered from the treble down: string 1 is the highest (D6) and string 21 the lowest (D2). On screen, string 21 is therefore on the far left and string 1 on the far right. Each group of five strings repeats D E F♯ A B, which in numbered notation in D is 1 2 3 5 6. Middle D4 is string 11, under the A key, and A4 is string 8, under the F key: two handy landmarks for finding your place.
Because the scale skips 4 and 7 (G and C♯ in D), any strings you pluck fit together, which is why glissandos and improvised tunes sound right straight away. The tuning here is fixed in D. For pieces in G, C or F, a real guzheng needs some bridges moved: the guzheng tuner shows which strings change and checks each one.
What this virtual guzheng does not do
Much of the guzheng's character comes from the left hand, pressing the string on the other side of the bridge to bend a note or add vibrato. This page plays open strings only, with no bends and no vibrato, so it is best for learning string positions, melodies and rhythm. Keep the left-hand techniques for your real instrument and your teacher.
The MIDI file you download uses the General MIDI Koto sound (no. 108), the closest standard instrument, so in other music software it may sound a little like a Japanese koto.
Tips
- In Chord or scale, pick Major pentatonic with D as the tonic: all 21 strings light up, showing that the whole instrument is one pentatonic scale.
- Play the five-note pattern D E F♯ A B up and down slowly with the metronome, then raise the tempo a little at a time.
- Choose No labels and try to find string 11 (D4) and string 8 (A4) without looking. Once you know them, count up or down to the other strings.
- To send an exercise to a student or friend, record it and share the link: the notes travel inside the address, so it opens ready to play.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play the guzheng online with a computer keyboard?
Z X C V B N M , . / play the ten lowest strings, from D2 to B3. A S D F G H J K L ; play D4 to B5, and Q plays D6, the highest string. Choose Computer keyboard shortcuts under Key labels to see the letter on each string. Esc stops every sound.
What notes are on a 21-string guzheng?
In the standard D tuning, D E F♯ A B repeated through four octaves. From string 21 to string 1: D2 E2 F♯2 A2 B2, the same five notes in octaves 3, 4 and 5, and D6 at the top.
Is this online guzheng free?
Yes. It runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no sign-up and no app to install. The sound is generated on your own device.
Can I bend notes or add vibrato like on a real guzheng?
No. This page plays the open strings only. Bends and vibrato are made with the left hand on a real guzheng, so practice them on the instrument.
Can I record what I play and download it?
Yes. Press Record, play and stop. Share creates a link with the notes inside it, ↓ WAV downloads the audio and ↓ MIDI downloads the notes for notation or music software.