Download “The Sweet By-and-by” Mp3
This hymn was first published in 1868, with lyrics by S. Fillmore Bennett and music by Joseph P. Webster. It is still a popular traditional Christian hymn that appears in many modern hymnals. I’ve always found it comforting and peaceful.
Today, enjoy ukulele and viola, then compare the sounds of double strung harp, lyre, harp again, and last but not least, zither. Though these instruments are similar, they have different sound qualities. You will hear some slight buzzing in the harp recording, because I misplaced the microphone. My apologies!
Did you know? There are 98 strings in this arrangement! The harp has 23 strings on each side, for a total of 46. The lyre and zither each have 22 strings. Ukulele and viola have 4 strings each. That’s a lot of strings to tune!
I do hope you enjoy this hymn!
Mystical Strings 
I never thought of the number of strings involved and that would be a lot of them to tune.
Yes indeed, but it’s worth the time and concentration for the end result. 🙂