The sound of the zither echoes in the mountain town.

Over the past time, Ms. Ho Nhu Quynh has devoted herself to teaching and spreading among the youth of Pleiku, a mountainous city, a love for the zither—a unique traditional Vietnamese musical instrument.

Ms. Ho Nhu Quynh pursues her passion for playing the zither. **Photo: Provided by the interviewee.**

Despite coming from a family with no artistic tradition, Ho Nhu Quynh showed an early passion for music, particularly for instruments like the guitar, organ, and especially the zither.

Ms. Quynh said: “Since 10th grade, I have loved traditional musical instruments. However, it wasn't until the end of 12th grade, when choosing between different fields of study, that I decided to apply to the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music to study the zither. I feel fortunate that my family supported my choice. When I received the acceptance letter from the Conservatory, there was truly nothing happier than that.”

According to Ms. Quynh, many people often confuse the Vietnamese zither with the Chinese zither because of their many similarities. However, when placed side by side, the two instruments are completely different, from their structure and size to their strings. The Chinese zither uses a large block of wood, nylon-coated iron strings, and specific tools for tuning. The Chinese zither has 21 strings. The Vietnamese zither, on the other hand, is smaller, more slender, and better suited to the physique of Vietnamese people.

Students practice playing the zither under the guidance of teacher Nhu Quynh. **Photo: NH**

"The strings of the Vietnamese zither are made of iron or metal, combined with a small tuning peg at the end of the instrument, making it easier to tune. The Vietnamese zither used to have 16 strings, which were later improved to 17 strings for the current zither," Ms. Quynh explained.

Driven by a desire to help more people understand the Vietnamese zither and to foster a greater love for this traditional musical instrument, in late 2022, after graduating with a major in zither from the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, Ms. Quynh decided to return to Pleiku and open a class teaching this traditional instrument to children. Currently, Ms. Quynh's class has 30 students, including 15 children.

By participating in traditional instrument classes taught by the young teacher, students not only learn about the history, structure, and playing techniques of the zither, but also learn how to appreciate the sound, how to use vocal embellishments, how to move their body gracefully to the rhythm, and how to relax with the clear sounds of the zither and other musical instruments.

Expressing her enthusiasm for participating in the zither class, 10-year-old Chau Ngoc Bao Tran excitedly said: “I saw the girls at school playing the zither so well, so I wanted to try learning. I like the zither and I want to learn so that I can play more beautiful songs in the future.”

Ho Nhu Quynh and her students perform traditional Vietnamese musical instruments. **Photo: NH**

Ms. Quynh shared: “I hope to promote traditional musical instruments more so that young people can be more proud of them. I hope that in the future, more young people will know about and be interested in our country's traditional musical instruments, and perhaps combine them with modern music performances. From there, we can promote Vietnamese traditional musical instruments to many places around the world .”

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/vang-tieng-dan-tranh-noi-pho-nui-post561203.html