gittern
Sign in to saveThe gittern was a relatively small gut-strung, round-backed instrument that first appeared in literature and pictorial representation during the 13th century in Western Europe (Iberian Peninsula, Italy, France, England). It is usually depicted played with a quill plectrum, as can be seen clearly beginning in manuscript illuminations from the thirteenth century. It was also called the ' in Spain, or in France, the in Italy and ' in Germany. A popular instrument with court musicians, minstrels, and amateurs, the gittern is considered an ancestor of the modern guitar and other instruments like th
Key facts
- Instrument.name
- Gittern
- Instrument.image
- Wartburg-Laute.JPG
- Instrument.image_size
- 200
- Instrument.image_capt
- Five course Gittern or "Quintern" dated 1450, built by luthier Hans Oth
- Instrument.classification
- String instrument (plucked)
- Instrument.hornbostel_sachs
- 321.322 (necked box lute)
- Instrument.hornbostel_sachs_desc
- Chordophone
- Instrument.developed
- 13th century
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Wartburg-Laute.JPG
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- Gittern
- Hornbostel-Sachs classification
- 321.321-6
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~15 min read
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Relationship between gittern, the citole, lute and guitar family
- Etymology and identity
- Role in literature
- Cantigas of Santa Maria
- Guillaume de Machaut
- Geoffrey Chaucer
- Other written records
- Resources
- References
- External links
The gittern was a relatively small gut-strung, round-backed instrument that first appeared in literature and pictorial representation during the 13th century in Western Europe (Iberian Peninsula, Italy, France, England). It is usually depicted played with a quill plectrum, as can be seen clearly beginning in manuscript illuminations from the thirteenth century. It was also called the ' in Spain, or in France, the in Italy and ' in Germany. A popular instrument with court musicians, minstrels, and amateurs, the gittern is considered an ancestor of the modern guitar and other instruments like the mandore, bandurria and gallichon.
From the early 16th century, a -shaped (flat-backed) began to appear in Spain, and later in France, existing alongside the gittern. Although the round-backed instrument appears to have lost ground to the new form which gradually developed into the guitar familiar today, the influence of the earlier style continued. Examples of lutes converted into guitars exist in several museums, while purpose-built instruments like the gallichon utilised the tuning and single string configuration of the modern guitar. A tradition of building round-backed guitars in Germany continued to the 20th century with names like and .