Fine Instruments
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LUO
YANGQIN
SANXIAN
JINGHU
There were more than 70 types of musical instruments used in ancient China. Many of these instruments have more than 3,000 years of history. Among the many traditional musical instruments of China, there are many popular instruments including the guzheng, erhu, dizi, pipa, guqin, hulusi, suona, xiao, Chinese drum, and bianzhong.
XIAO
XIAOLOU
HAUTOU
YUNLUO
Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories known as bā yīn (八音). The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instruments considered traditional exist that may not fit these groups. The grouping of instruments in material categories in China is one of the first musical groupings ever devised.
Chinese instruments are either played solo, collectively in large orchestras (as in the former imperial court) or in smaller ensembles (in teahouses or public gatherings). Normally, there is no conductor in traditional Chinese music, nor any use of musical scores or tablature in performance. Music was generally learned aurally and memorized by the musician(s) beforehand, then played without aid. As of the 20th century, musical scores have become more common, as has the use of conductors in larger orchestral-type ensembles.
In Our Story...
"Through the glass, several instruments were displayed. The instruments were unlike any Mario had seen before. There was a thin, two stringed instrument that stuck up like the mast of a ship, a pear shaped guitar, and a cluster of pipes of different lengths. Golf letters across the glass spelled MR FONG'S FINE INSTRUMENTS." (p. 44-45)
Bianzhong - Chinese Bells
On the counter, a rack of bronze bells engraved with Chinese characters swayed." (p. 46)
Bianzhong 编钟 — Chinese Chime Bells
Bianzhong 编钟 — Chinese Chime Bells
The bianzhong is a kind of ancient Chinese musical instrument. It is also called the Chinese chime bells. Chime bells are a set of bronze bells hanging on a big bell cot, arranged according to different tones of bells. Using a wooden hammer or bar to knock the bronze bells produces different sounds.
China is the earliest country to make and use chime bells, which can be dated back to from 2,000 to 3,600 years ago. Chime bells were the major instrument used for China's ritual and court music in ancient times.
Dizi - Bamboo Flutes
Beside the counter, a porcelain vase with chrysanthemums painted on the side held bamboo flutes. Mario stooped to examine them." (p. 46)
DIZI
Dizi 笛子 — a Chinese Transverse Flute
Dizi 笛子 — a Chinese Transverse Flute
The dizi or hengdi is another popular Chinese musical instrument. It is a kind of Chinese transverse flute that is often played in Chinese folk music or opera. Dizis generally have six or more finger holes. One hole is covered with paper so that the flute has a peculiar buzzing sound that people like.
Most dizis are made of bamboo. Some of them are made of wood, plastic, stone, or even jade. As they are easy to make and carry, the dizi is very popular with Chinese students and folk music lovers. There are several kinds of dizi flutes, such as the qudi and bangda, which mainly vary in length. The longer ones like the changdi allow for deeper sounds.
One of the popular music pieces played on a dizi is 'Moon on Guan Mountain' (关山月).
Erhu - Chinese Violin
Mr. Fong announced "Time for some erhu..." Mr. Fong ducked back into the shop, and when he returned, he was carrying one of the instruments Mario had seen in the window, the one that resembled a ship's mast." (p. 77)
"Chinese violin," Mr. Fong explained, setting the instrument on his lap. It had a long handle, Mr. Fong began to play a beautiful melody that neither Mario or Chester had ever heard before. It made Mario feel like he was visiting another country..." (p. 77)
Erhu二胡 — the Chinese Violin
Erhu二胡 — the Chinese Violin
The erhu is a two-string, violin-like instrument that is played with a bow like a violin bow. It is also known as the Chinese violin in the Western world. Erhus are often played in Chinese opera performances and traditional orchestras.
Erhus generally retain their traditional tuning system, so they may sound odd to Western ears. It allows for a high degree of virtuosity, covers three octaves, and can be made to imitate the sound of Chinese singing as well as birds and horses. It produces a melancholy sound.
The most famous piece of erhu music in China is 'Two Springs Reflect the Moon' (二泉映月). The music was composed by a blind streetside folk musician called Ah Bing (阿炳). He composed the music to express the grief of his bitter life in the old society. 'Two Springs Reflect the Moon' became an exquisite example of Chinese traditional instrument music.
Some others...
Guqin
Guqin 古琴 — Chinese Seven-String Instrument
Guqin 古琴 — Chinese Seven-String Instrument
The guqin is one of the oldest plucked instruments in China. It is also called the qixianqin or 'seven-stringed zither' (七弦琴), as it has seven strings. The guqin's main part is a long, narrow wooden soundbox.
It can produce sounds of great subtlety and refinement, which are favored by many great scholars and musicians. It is said that Confucius liked to play the guqin when he was teaching his students. The guqin is known as the 'father of Chinese music' or the 'instrument of the sages' by the Chinese. It is generally representative of traditional Chinese musical culture.
The famous melodies Gao Shan 《高山》 ('High Mountains') and Liu Shui 《流水》('Flowing Water') are played with the guqin.
In Chinese, zhiyin (知音, literally 'to know the tone') means a close friend.
Suona
Suona 唢呐 — the Chinese Trumpet
Suona 唢呐 — the Chinese Trumpet
The suona, also called the laba or horn, is a kind of Chinese wind instrument. It is made up of a wooden body and a tubular brass or copper bocal to which a small double reed is affixed. It has a metal bell-shaped mouth.
The suona has long been an important musical instrument in northern China for weddings and funeral processions because of its keen and resonant sound. The suona is also used for yangko folk dances, alongside drum music, and to accompany local opera and ballads.
Classical melodies played on the suona include 'Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' (百鸟朝凰) and 'A Flower' (一枝花).
Pipa
PIPA
Pipa 琵琶 — the Chinese Lute or Chinese Guitar
Pipa 琵琶 — the Chinese Lute or Chinese Guitar
The pipa is a traditional Chinese musical instrument with four strings. The instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with frets like those on a guitar. The number of frets ranges from 12 to 26.
Modern pipas have been re-engineered to fit better with Western-style music. Steel strings are now used, so players wear special finger plectra. Pipa musicians are mainly seen on stage or perhaps as entertainers at special parties or restaurants.
The pipa has been played for more than 2,000 years in China. There are many ancient stories and poems about this instrument.
The Jiahu Bone Flute
Among the exquisite exhibits at the National Museum of China is the Jiahu bone flute, also called "Jiahu Gudi," which has been considered the earliest ancestor of ancient musical instruments. Crafted from the bones of crane birds, the flutes still maintain accurate intonation today.
Dating back to 7,800 to 9,000 years ago, the Jiahu bone flute is the oldest Chinese musical instrument discovered by archaeologists, as well as the earliest known wind instrument in the world.
The bone flute exhibited this time around comes from a collection of more than 40 bone flutes, mostly with seven sound holes, which were unearthed from 1986 to 2013 at the Jiahu Site of a Neolithic settlement, in Wuyang county of Central China's Henan province.
The discovery of the Jiahu bone flute has rewritten the Chinese musical landscape as it "traces the nation's music history back over 8,000 years ago,"
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