One of the most common questions people have about zithers is how you tune them. Tuning a zither is much like tuning a guitar. Most people, especially beginners, use an electronic tuner to tune a zither. Some expert players can tune these instruments by ear. You can also use a pitch pipe or tuning forks, depending on your preference.
Lay the zither on a flat, secure table.
Place the electric tuner over the sound hole.
Start with string A and move to the other strings one by one.
Tuning fret board strings: a a d g c
Tuning accompaniment strings: eb bb f c g d a e b f# c# g#
Tuning bass strings: Eb Bb F C G D A E B F# C# G#
Tuning contrabass strings: F E Eb D C# C B Bb A G# G F# FF
When tuning a zither, there are a few things you need to consider. The way you tune this instrument will depend on the age of the strings, stability of the tuning pins, and the age of the instrument.