page_title: Guqin strings
section_title: Stringing the instrument
hierarchical_section_title: Guqin strings / Stringing the instrument
caption_attribution_description: English: Picture of the new tuning device for the guqin. Nederlands: Afbeelding van een nieuwe knoppenkast met stemschroeven voor de "guqin".
context_page_description: The strings of the guqin Chinese zither are either made of silk, nylon or metal-nylon.
context_section_description: Traditionally, the strings were wrapped around the goose feet 『雁足』, but there has been a device that has been invented, which is a block of wood attached to the goose feet, with pins similar to those used to tune the guzheng protruding out at the sides, so one can string and tune the qin using a tuning wrench. This is good for those who lack the physical strength to pull and add tension to the strings when wrapping the ends to the goose feet. However, the tuning device looks rather unsightly and thus many qin players prefer the traditional manner of tuning; many also feel that the strings should be firmly wrapped to the goose feet in order that the sound may be "grounded" into the qin. Further, one cannot wrap silk strings around such tuning pins as they tend to break more easily at the wrapping end.
caption: The new tuning device which clips onto the goose-feet and is strung using a tuning wrench on the zither-pins. The pins are adjusted to more-or-less the required pitch, whilst the tuning pegs on the head are used to tune it more finely. Image courtesy of Chinese Culture Net
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