Definitely not! The Guzheng has 21 strings, and has a range of about 4 octaves. The strings are already tuned, hence the technique lies on just the plucking of the strings with the right hand. As you progress to higher grades, you might be required to use your left hand to press onto the strings to achieve the desired pitch, or to do vibrato, and even play a accompaniment with the left hand!

The Guzheng is played with nails, more commonly on the right hand. The nails are affixed on the thumb, index, middle and ring finger, specifically on the fleshy part of the finger, secured with a special tape. In higher grades, the left hand might be used to play accompaniment as well.

If played just with the fingers, the Guzheng sounds muffled and muted. But with the help of fake nails, the sound produced is much clearer and crisp. Different nail material can produce different tone colour as well. The Guzheng nails also help to prevent blistering of the fingers, as some of the strings are very thick.

The Guzheng sounds like a combination of the piano and harp, with bright and resonant plucked tones.

The Guzheng has a compartment on the right most side, which can be opened. When opened, there should be 21 metal pegs, and they are tuned with a Guzheng tuning wrench. Pushing the wrench away tunes the Guzheng higher, while pulling the wrench towards you tunes the Guzheng lower. The notes are tuned to a pentatonic scale.

The Guzheng is capable of overpowering many instruments in the orchestra. The high notes of the Guzheng can be penetrative whereas the low notes are deep and sonorous. However, in general, the Guzheng can be loud but it will not be as loud as the wind instruments, Dizis, Shengs or the Suonas for instance.

Guzhengs for beginners can cost from SGD$600 whereas higher end Guzhengs can cost up to the tens of thousands. The type of wood and method of making used in the making of the Guzheng play a huge part in price. Click here for our range of Guzhengs.

Differences between high and low ends are in sound are clarity, thickness and resonance. The low registers on low end Guzhengs tend to sound emptier and more hollow whereas the higher end Guzhengs have a thick, deep and sonorous quality that is capable of shaking your insides when played. On the higher registers, the lower end Guzhengs may not be as clear as those of higher ends.

Generally, the Guzheng, in a nutshell, is made of several pieces of woods put together. The wood used to make the top and the bottom of the sound box/chamber of the Guzheng are the same but are different compared to the rest for important reasons relating to acoustics and sound quality. The other sides of the Guzheng are made of the same type of wood. Yellow Sandalwood, Rosewood and Paulownia Wood are some of the many plethora types of woods used to make the Guzheng.

In special cases, a single piece of wood is used to make the whole Guzheng. For such, the amount of work put into the instrument by the craftsman and the tight standards needed for the materials are exponentially higher. As a result, the sound quality of these Guzhengs are much greater at the price of higher cost.

The image/design printed/inlaid at the top and the bottom of the Guzheng does not affect its sound in any way and is only for aesthetic purposes. These images may differ between Guzhengs and some may represent a part of the culture in China whereas others may be designed to cater the modern preferences of the market.

The dimension of our Shanghai Dunhuang Guzhengs is 170cm x 40cm x 22cm (67.0in x 15.7in x 8.7in) and weighs about 10kg (about 22lbs).

Guzhengs seem much heavier and bulkier in person as compared to the portable Guqins.

You will also realise that Guzhengs have much more strings than Guqins (21 and 7 strings respectively). Hence, the Guzheng is more capable of producing a wider range of notes than the Guqin.

The Guzheng also sounds louder and resonant that the Guqin, due to the size difference. As the Guqin is lower in pitch, the volume of the Guqin is not as loud and bright. Thus, the Guqin will sound mellower while bringing a sense of tranquility to its timbre.

Techniques in the Guqin are said to focus on the left hand, whereas the right for Guzheng. Guqins only require a table to be played on, whereas the regular sized Guzhengs require a set of stands, as well as a set of fake nails to be worn in order to be played.