Acoustics of the Guzheng: Chinese Plucked Zither

Authors

  • Aaliyawani Ezzerin Sinin Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Sinin Hamdan Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Khairul Anwar Mohamad Said Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Laura Prati Tutom Faculty of Applied and Creative Art, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • Ahmad Faudzi Musib Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Keywords:

Guzheng, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Harmonics, Pentatonic scale

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the frequency spectrum and the time frequency analysis of guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither. The progressing note for string 21 to string 1 are from D2=73.41 Hz to D6=1174.7 Hz. The G major pentatonic scale consists of the first, second third, fifth, and sixth degrees: D, E, F♯, A, and B. For strings 21 to 2, the notes are arranged as follows: (D2, E2, F♯2, A2, B2), (D3, E3, F♯3, A3, B3), (D4, E4, F♯4, A4, B4), (D5, E5, F♯5, A5, B5). The partials harmonic increased gradually with the harmonic number except for strings 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 where some partials are not harmonic. The time frequency analysis (TFA) for high pitch string shows distinct partial frequency, whereas the low pitch string shows diffused partial frequency.

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Published

2026-04-29

How to Cite

Sinin, A. E., Hamdan, S., Mohamad Said, K. A., Tutom, L. P., & Musib, A. F. (2026). Acoustics of the Guzheng: Chinese Plucked Zither. BioResources, 21(2), 5306–5328. Retrieved from https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/25391

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication