Abstract: An open-string damper for stringed musical instruments, especially those played with a string-tapping technique, utilizes an elongated rectangular metal shift bar mounted in a transverse channel running across the fretboard of the instrument, located between the first fret and the nut. The shift bar, fitted with a pad of damping material on its top side facing the underside of the strings, is mounted in a constrained manner extending to both sides of the fingerboard so that it can be grasped between a thumb and finger and shifted by the user between two stable locations: an engaged location wherein the damping material is urged upwardly against the strings and a disengaged location wherein the damping material is held away from the strings.

Abstract: A dampening bar assembly comprised of a pair of support blocks held in parallel spaced-apart relationship by a pair of transverse frame members attached between the support blocks at each end of the support blocks forming a rigid rectangular frame. A number of dampening bars including string vibration dampening pads mounted to the bottom side of each dampening bar are slideably mounted parallel to each other transversely between the support blocks in vertical slots formed in the opposing support block sides. Compression springs mounted in cavities formed in the bottom of each slot provide an upwardly urging force on each end of the dampening bars. Each support block includes a lengthwise aperture therethrough for receiving a square hardwood rod to retain the compression springs in a compressed configuration to provide for assembly and disassembly of the dampening bar assembly. The dampening bar assembly is designed to be used with a stringed instrument such as an auto harp.

Abstract: A chromatic chorded zither is provided with at least one auxiliary damper comprising a rigid bar having string-engaging damping pads for converting the instrument for play in a diatonic scale. In one version of the instrument, retainers are provided on the chord bar housing for removably mounting the auxiliary damper alongside one of said chord bars, with the damping pads held in engagement with predetermined strings. In another version, the auxiliary damper bar has a tongue which fits into an opening of the chord bar housing. The damping pads of the auxiliary damper are arranged in a pattern to mute all strings of the instrument other than those corresponding to the diatonic scale for a particular key. With a set of several auxiliary dampers, the chromatic instrument can be converted to play in any one of several diatonic keys. The damper bars can be readily installed or removed with one hand, and take up very little room.

Abstract: A stringed musical instrument comprised of a support, a plurality of strings secured to the support and adapted to vibrate when strummed, the strings defining a playing area and being arranged in groups of octaves. A set of manually operable keys is disposed outside of the playing area with each key being associated with a corresponding one string in each octave. A damper bar is secured to each key and extends in a direction transverse to the strings and is disposed beneath the strings. One end of each damper bar is coupled to a pivot point and a plurality of damper elements are secured to each damper bar, the damper elements on one bar being associated with, and positioned beneath, a respective one string in each octave. All of the strings are accessible for strumming from above, and the strings can be strummed over substantially the entirety of the playing area including portions of the strings which overlie the damping elements. Bias elements bias all of the damper bars to a quiescent position.