The Ch’in is a fretless Chinese board zither with seven strings. Traditionally the body was of a length that represented the 365 days of the year. The ch’in is usually lacquered and is inlaid with 13 dots (hui) of ivory, jade, or mother-of-pearl that indicate pitch positions, primarily on the upper melodic string. The silk strings, which are of graduated thickness, are tuned pentatonically, and the thickest string is farthest from the player’s body.
