Cittern
(SI-turn)
An
instrument
popular during the
Renaissance
(c. 1500-1700) which evolved from the
citole
. The
cittern
was a
plucked
string instrument
related to the
lute
, with a
lute
-shaped front
soundboard
, but with a flat back and longer
neck
. There were more
frets
on the
cittern
than on the
lute
(the
cittern
having 18-19
frets
), and the
cittern's
four to six
courses
of
strings
were made of wire rather than
gut
.
Cittern
Photo courtesy of
Lark In The Morning
More about instruments.
Dictionary Home
