Are Autoharp and Zither the Same?

An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord.

What instrument is similar to a zither?

This includes such diverse instruments as the hammered dulcimer, psaltery, Appalachian dulcimer, guqin, guzheng, tromba marina, koto, gusli, kanun, kanklės, kantele, kannel, kokles, valiha, gayageum, đàn tranh, autoharp, santoor, yangqin, santur, swarmandal, and others.

What kind of instrument is autoharp?

Shaped much like a washboard, the autoharp is a fretless stringed instrument that has buttons with little felt pads. These buttons, when depressed, mute the strings that are not part of the chord being played. Essentially, the player presses the chord button, strums the strings and gets the intended chord.