The épinette des Vosges is a zithar with bourdons. It is generally made up by 5 strings : 2 melody strings called chanterelles and 3 bourdons.

It is a box of about 420 and 600 millimetres long, the width at the side of the clip is about 70 to 80 millimetres wide and the width at the side of the head is about 30 to 40 millimetres wide. The great number of the real old épinettes des Vosges have a scale of tones without any sharp or flat. it is said diatonic.

guitar's string : G B E ( small ) E E

chord : C E G G G

do : C ré : D mi : E fa : F sol : G la : A si : B

To play the épinette des Vosges, we first sit comfortably and we put the instrument on a table, quite crosswise, in the extension of the right arm.

Before there were nails under the instrument to be able to pin it to the table.

In the left hand, we hold a piece of reed called "noteur" which we apply, with the forefinger in the spaces of the notes to the first two strings among the little metallic frets.

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