Traditional Chinese music is characterized by harsh timbres, and in an ensemble, due to the poor compatibility of overtones, this effect is usually enhanced. Apparently, it was precisely these timbres that the Chinese found pleasant. If you listen to traditional Chinese opera, you can appreciate the depth of the gap between the tastes of European and Asian music lovers.
Moreover, one of the most common techniques when playing traditional Chinese instruments is vibrato, which essentially also enhances the sharpness of the timbre by repeating two adjacent sounds (a second is a very dissonant interval). And in the traverse di flute, the Chinese even made a special hole, which gives the sound additional rattling.
Perhaps it is precisely thanks to the timbres that Chinese music seems so hysterical and painful.
Guzheng
The guzheng is a plucked string instrument, a relative of the zither. The guzheng typically has between eighteen and twenty-five strings, which were traditionally made of silk but are now often made of metal. Probably, before the timbre of the guzheng was much softer. Interestingly, the saddles on the guzheng can be moved by changing the tuning of the instrument.
Qixianxin, or guqin, is an instrument with a similar timbre and structure, but with seven strings. The manner of playing the guqin differs from the guzheng in that it has many glissandos.
This is a very ancient instrument - Confucius played it two and a half millennia ago. This instrument is tuned very low - this is a double bass from Chinese instruments. The guqin had its own system of notation, so very ancient music for this instrument has been preserved. The performer's gestures are part of the musical work; they are described in the notes. Each piece had some extra-musical meaning, usually related to nature, and was often accompanied by poetry.
Pipa
Another plucked string instrument, the pipa, is shaped like a lute. The pipa has only four strings. It is believed that pipa came to China from Central Asia.
Erhu
Erhu is a bowed string instrument. This is probably the most popular of the traditional Chinese instruments. Erhu has only two metal strings. The bow is fixed between the strings, forming a single whole with the erhu. The timbre of the erhu is soft, similar to a violin.
Sheng
Sheng (sheng) is a wind instrument that sounds similar to a bandaneon. It consists of thirty-six (three octaves) bamboo or reed pipes, “growing” from a stand with a mouthpiece. The timbre of the sheng goes very well with the timbres of other traditional Chinese instruments, which cannot be said about other instruments.
Di
Di (dizi) is a transverse flute with six holes. This tool has interesting feature— next to the hole for air injection there is another one, covered with a thin bamboo film, thanks to which the instrument has a slight rattling sound.
According to historical sources, in ancient times there were about a thousand musical instruments, of which approximately half have survived to this day. The earliest of them dates back over 8,000 years.
Traditional Chinese musical instruments are closely related to the emergence of music in China. They symbolize Chinese culture, and in ancient times they were also indicators of the level of productivity.
Ancient researchers divided all instruments into eight categories or “eight sounds”, according to the material that was taken as the basis for the manufacture of a particular instrument, namely: metal, stone, strings, bamboo, dried and hollowed out gourd, clay, leather and wood .
Metal: This refers to instruments made of metal, such as gongs and bronze drums.
Stone: instruments made of stone, such as the carillon and stone plates (a kind of bell).
Strings: instruments with strings that are played directly with the fingers or in special thimbles - small plectrums-marigolds placed on the fingers of the performer or with a bow, such as on the Chinese violin, 25-string horizontal harp and on instruments with a large number of strings, like the zither .
Bamboo: instruments, mainly flutes, made from bamboo stems, such as the eight-hole bamboo flute.
Pumpkin Tools: wind instruments in which a vessel made from a dried and hollowed out gourd is used as a resonator. These include sheng and yu.
Clay: instruments made from clay, such as xun, wind instrument musical instrument egg-shaped, fist-sized, with six or fewer holes, and fou, a clay percussion instrument.
Leather: instruments whose resonating membrane is made from tanned animal skin. For example, drums and tom-toms.
Wooden: instruments made primarily of wood. Of these, the most common are the muyu - a “wooden fish” (a hollow wooden block used to beat out rhythm) and the xylophone.
Xun (埙 Xun)
Zheng (筝 Zheng)
According to ancient sources, the zheng originally had only five strings and was made of bamboo. Under the Qin, the number of strings increased to ten, and wood was used instead of bamboo. After the fall of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the zheng became a 13-string instrument, the strings of which were pulled over an oblong wooden resonator. Today you can still enjoy the euphonious tone of the 13, 14 or 16-string zheng, which is still actively used in China both as part of musical ensembles and as soloists.
Guqin (古琴 Guqin)
The guqin is characterized by a narrow and long wooden body with 13 round marks on the surface, designed to indicate the positions of the overtones or where the fingers should be placed when playing. Generally speaking, the high notes of guqin are clear and euphonious, the middle notes are strong and distinct, and its low notes are soft and subtle, with clear and enchanting overtones.
The sounds of the upper key “guqin” are clear, sonorous, and pleasant to the ear. Mid-tone sounds are loud, while lower-tone sounds are gentle and soft. The beauty of the sound of “guqin” lies in its changeable timbre. It is used both as a solo instrument and in ensembles and as an accompaniment to singing. Nowadays, there are more than 200 varieties of guqin playing techniques.
Sona (唢呐 Suona)
Sonorous and intelligible, this instrument is ideal for performing amazingly lively and pleasantly striking numbers and is often the leading instrument in brass and opera orchestras. Its loud sound is easy to distinguish among other instruments. He is also able to set the rhythm and imitate the chirping of birds and the chirping of insects. The sona is rightfully an indispensable instrument for folk celebrations and festivals.
Sheng (笙 Sheng)
Sheng is distinguished by its bright expressiveness and incredible grace in changing notes, with a clear, sonorous sound in the upper key and gentle in the middle and lower keys, it is an integral part of folk concerts for wind and percussion instruments.
Xiao and Di (箫 Xiao, 笛 Di)
Xiao - vertical bamboo flute, di - horizontal bamboo flute - traditional wind instruments of China.
The history of “xiao” goes back about 3000 years, when “di” appeared in China in the 2nd century BC, arriving there from Central Asia. In its original form, xiao resembled something like a pipe, consisting of 16 bamboo pipes. These days, the xiao is most often found in the form of a single flute. And since such a flute is quite easy to make, it is quite popular among the population. The two earliest pipes, dating from the Warring States period (475 - 221 BC), were discovered in the burial of King Zeng in Suixian County, Hubei Province in 1978. Each of them consists of 13 perfectly preserved bamboo pipes, tied together in descending order of their length. The soft and elegant sound of the xiao is ideal for solo performance, as well as for playing as part of an ensemble to express deep, soulful feelings in a long, gentle and sentimental melody.
Pipa (琵琶 Pipa)
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The pipa, known in ancient times as the "curved-neck pipa", is a basic plucked musical instrument borrowed from Mesopotamia towards the end of the Eastern Han period (25 - 220), and carried through Xinjiang and Gansu inland by the fourth century. During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581 - 907), the pipa became the main instrument. Almost all musical plays of the Tang era (618 - 907) were performed on the pipa. A versatile instrument for solos, ensembles (of two or more instruments) and accompaniment, the pipa is famous for its vivid expressiveness and ability to sound passionately and heroically powerful, and at the same time elusively subtle and graceful. It is used both for solo performances and in orchestras. |
According to history, in the distant past there were at least a thousand musical instruments, only half of which have survived to this day.
Back then, Chinese traditional instruments were classified according to the material from which they were made. Thus, there were metal, bamboo, silk, stone, string, leather, clay, wooden and gourd musical instruments.
Today, Chinese national musical instruments are still made traditional way, however, their modern classification looks different.
Woodwind instruments
Di- an ancient wind instrument. It is a transverse flute with 6 holes in the body. Traditionally made from bamboo or cane. Next to the hole for blowing air into the body of the di there is another hole, covered with a very thin reed film, due to which the timbre of the di is very rich and sonorous.
Sheng- labial organ. It is made from thin reed or bamboo tubes of various lengths, which are mounted in a bowl-shaped body with a mouthpiece. The sound of sheng has bright expressiveness and graceful variability. Not a single folklore concert is complete without this instrument.
Gong- a metal idiophone with an indefinite pitch. Produces a rich, lingering sound with a dark timbre. After impact, the instrument vibrates for a long time, creating a three-dimensional sound that grows and recedes. The gong is an obligatory instrument in the folk ensemble.
Chinese analogue of the Pan flute. It consists of 12 bamboo tubes connected to each other in a descending row: from the longest to the shortest. This structural feature provides a wide range of sound. It has a soft and gentle timbre.
Bowed strings
Erhu- two-string violin with a cylindrical resonator. Musician playing right hand pulls the bow string, which is fixed between metal strings and forms a single whole with the instrument. When playing with the left hand, transverse vibrato is used.
Plucked hammer
Yangqin- a string instrument, similar in structure and method of sound production to cymbals. Used as a solo, ensemble instrument, and also as an accompaniment in opera.
A plucked string instrument, a type of zither. The guqin is the most characteristic instrument of ancient Chinese music.
If you are interested not only in historical, but also in modern musical instruments, we invite you and your children to our classes. Here you can try your hand at mastering pop musical instruments, attend piano classes for beginners, vocal art, gain experience playing in a musical group, as well as performing on stage.
Chinese percussion musical instrument, a small single-sided drum. It has a bowl-shaped wooden body with massive walls, with the convex side facing up. There is a small hole in the middle of the body. The leather membrane is stretched over the convex part of the body and secured to it with nails.
The sound is produced by striking two sticks. A change in the pitch of sound is achieved by shifting the place of impact from the center of the membrane to the periphery. During the game, the bangu is placed on a tripod.
A wind instrument with a free metal reed. The sound of bau is similar to the Armenian duduk. It has a fairly clear timbre, similar to the timbre of a flute.
Chinese reed wind instrument, a type of oboe. The instrument consists of a cylindrical barrel with 8 or 9 playing holes. In the north of China it is made of wood, in the south - sometimes also of reed or bamboo. A double reed cane is inserted into the guan channel, tied with wire at the narrow part. Tin or copper rings are placed on both ends of the instrument, and sometimes between the playing holes. The total length of guan ranges from 200 to 450 mm; the largest ones have a brass bell.
Traditional Chinese instrument. Belongs to the zither family, related to koto and qixianqin. It differs from the latter in the number of strings and the design of the tailpiece.
A traditional Chinese plucked string musical instrument used in folk music and Chinese theater orchestras; comes from pipa.
Chinese bells
Ritual, signaling and musical instruments of ancient Chinese origin, different in shape from both the Western and the round Indian type of bell (which replaced them with the spread of Buddhism in China). They also spread to Korea and Japan.
An ancient musical wind instrument, the Chinese analogue of the Pan flute. A special feature of this instrument is the presence of 12 bamboo trunks, which provided a wide range of sound, although sometimes the number of trunks may be different. This flute was included in a traditional orchestra Ancient China and had a soft and gentle sound.
Chinese 4-string plucked lute-type musical instrument. One of the most common and famous Chinese musical instruments. The first mentions of pipa in literature date back to the 3rd century, the first images - to the 5th century. However, prototypes of the pipa existed in China already at the end of the 3rd century BC. e. The name "pipa" refers to the way the instrument is played: "pi" means moving the fingers down the strings, and "pa" means moving the fingers back up.
Sanxian
A traditional Chinese stringed musical instrument used as an accompaniment in Chinese opera and the traditional Jiangnan sizhu ensemble, as well as in the performance of narrative songs and dances. There are two types: large and small.
An ancient Chinese stringed musical instrument, a type of recumbent oblong zither, under the strings of which there is a box.
The Celestial Empire contains many secrets and mysteries. Culture, lifestyle, traditions and much more are so unusual for European people that they seem unimaginable and sometimes unreal. Today I would like to talk about Chinese folk musical instruments.
Traditional Chinese music dates back several thousand years, as does culture in general. Many instruments have completely unusual look, and you can’t even immediately guess how to play correctly. The Chinese sound is characterized by sharp timbres, and if an ensemble plays, then due to poor compatibility of overtones, the roughness effect intensifies. However, as practice shows, it is precisely such unusual sounds that are worthy of sound for the Chinese. In addition to the above, it is worth adding that a common technique when playing musical instruments is vibrato, which also enhances the sharpness of the timbre. For example, the Chinese made a special hole in the traverse flute, which also gives the sound a unique sound.
Chinese music may be an acquired taste for Europeans, but for China itself it is perfect combination rattling is real music. Instruments in China lend themselves to traditional classification: percussion, wind, etc. Tools are distinguished mainly by the composition from which they are made: silk, bamboo, stone, wood, leather and clay. Bianzhong bells are a noble musical instrument that the Chinese associate with the advent of religion and various kinds of rituals. The first bells replaced Indian ones when Buddhism became popular in China. However, they firmly occupied their niche and subsequently migrated to Japan and Korea.
The traditional Di flute is very similar to the classical (transverse) flute, the barrel is made of bamboo or reed, sometimes made of stones (jade), but these are very rare and expensive specimens. Sheng has a clear resemblance to an ordinary harmonica, but scientists consider it to be the oldest musical instrument among wind instruments. It is very popular not only in China precisely for its variability of sounds; it can be used both in orchestras and in solo performance.
Percussion instruments are also varied in their shapes and sizes. Dyangu is a flat drum that may seem like an ordinary tambourine, since special beaters are attached to it, which is very reminiscent of the instrument we all know. Xiangjiaogu, translated as "elephant's foot", is similar to an elephant's foot, hence the name. The body is made of wood and mounted on a cylindrical stand.
I’m sure few people know that until the 20th century, Chinese string instruments were made of silk strings, and only after, thanks to Western practice, steel and nylon strings began to be used.
Erhu is considered a Chinese violin and is played using vibrato. Huqin appeared in China in the 8th century, jinghu is used as an accompaniment in Beijing opera, the second name of this instrument is “Beijing violin”. Researchers of Chinese folk instruments It is believed that the plucked sanxian or xianzi appeared after the Mongol invasion. This instrument was especially popular when performing songs and is similar to the Asian tanbur. Guzheng is another plucked instrument; plectrums (similar to guitar picks) are used to play it, since this tool holds from 21 to 25 strings.
Victoria Lyzhova