The Orchestra

The term “tanbo” means “pluck and struck” in English. The plucked string instruments sounds lively and charismatic, with overtones that have been said to sound like female voices. These instruments distinguish the Chinese from Western Orchestras because the tunes they create are in a markedly different style. There are hundreds of types of Chinese plucked string instruments. The more common ones in Chinese orchestra are yangqin, liuqin, pipa, ruan, guzheng, sanxian and konghou (harp). Other less common plucked string instruments are the guqin and yueqin. 

"Guan" means "pipe" in English. These instruments generally possess loud volumes and are very penetrative. As such, the section is usually seated at the back of the orchestra.

Similar to the ones in the symphonic orchestra like the piccolo, flute, oboe and clarinet, the wind section of the Chinese orchestra will include the dizi, sheng and the suona. Sometimes, minority folk instruments like the bawu and koudi are used in sections of Chinese orchestral pieces to introduce a more varied tonal colour.

Percussion, to the Chinese orchestra, is a term that refers to a mix of Western and Chinese instruments. Traditional Chinese percussive instruments such as the the diyin daluo (tam tam), muyu (woodblock), dabo (Chinese crash cymbals) and the bangzi (Chinese claves) can be seen in almost every orchestra. In recent years, the Chinese Orchestra has adopted, among other western percussion instruments, the timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, snare drum and triangle into its ensemble. This section can boast of being the oldest section of the Chinese orchestra with the longest history. It is the most important section in Chinese opera because it introduces characters or accentuates movements. their rich timbre allows them to be used in western style compositions.