The Celestial Empire holds many secrets and mysteries. Culture, lifestyle, traditions and much more are so unusual for a European person that they seem unimaginable, and sometimes unrealistic. Today I would like to talk about Chinese folk musical instruments.

The traditional music of China is several thousand years old, in fact, as is the culture in general. Many instruments have a completely unusual appearance, and it is not even immediately possible to guess how to play correctly. The Chinese sound is characterized by sharp timbres, and if an ensemble plays, then due to the poor compatibility of overtones, the roughness effect is enhanced. However, as practice shows, it is precisely such unusual sounds that are a worthy sound for the Chinese. In addition to the above, it is worth adding that a frequent 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 peculiar sound.

Chinese music for Europeans may be an amateur, but for China itself, this perfect combination of 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 all sorts of rituals. The first bells replaced Indian bells when Buddhism became popular in China. However, they tightly occupied their niche and subsequently migrated to Japan and Korea.

The traditional Dee 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 the oldest musical instrument among wind instruments. It is very loved not only in China precisely for the variability of sounds, it can be used both in orchestras and in solo performance.

Percussion instruments are also diverse in their shapes and sizes. Diangu is a flat drum, it 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", looks like 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 stringed instruments were made of silk strings, and only after that, thanks to Western practice, steel and nylon strings began to be used.

The Erhu is considered a Chinese violin and is played with vibrato. Huqin appeared in China in the 8th century, jinghu is used as an accompaniment in Peking opera, the second name of this instrument is “Beijing violin.” Researchers of Chinese folk instruments believe that the plucked sanxian or xianzi appeared after the Mongol invasion. This instrument was especially popular in the performance of 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 instrument contains from 21 to 25 strings.

Victoria Lyzhova

Chinese percussion musical instrument, a small one-sided drum. It has a wooden case in the form of a bowl with massive walls, facing the convex side up. There is a small hole in the middle of the case. The leather membrane is stretched over the convex part of the body and fixed on it with studs.

Sound is produced by striking two sticks. The change in pitch is achieved by shifting the place of impact from the center of the membrane to the periphery. During the game, the bangu is mounted on a tripod.

Wind instrument with a free reed made of metal. The sound of the bau resembles the Armenian duduk. It has a fairly clean timbre, similar to the timbre of a flute.

Chinese wind reed instrument, a kind of oboe. The tool consists of a cylindrical barrel with 8 or 9 playing holes. In the north of China it is made of wood, in the south it is sometimes also made of reed or bamboo. A double reed cane is inserted into the guan channel, tied with wire in the narrow part. Tin or copper rings are put on both ends of the instrument, and sometimes between the playing holes. The total length of the guan ranges from 200 to 450 mm; the largest have a brass socket.

Traditional Chinese instrument. Belongs to the citrus family, related to koto and qixianqin. It differs from the latter in the number of strings and the design of the string holder.

A traditional Chinese plucked string instrument used in folk music and Chinese theater orchestras; comes from pip.

Chinese bells

Ritual, signal 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 feature of this instrument is the presence of 12 bamboo stems, which provided a wide range of sound, although sometimes the number of stems may be different. This flute was included in the traditional orchestra of ancient China and had a soft and gentle sound.

Chinese 4-string lute-like plucked musical instrument. One of the most widespread and famous Chinese musical instruments. The first mention of pipa in literature dates back to the 3rd century, the first images - to the 5th century. However, prototypes of the pipa existed in China as early as 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 them backwards.

Sanxian

A traditional Chinese plucked stringed musical instrument used as an accompaniment in Chinese opera and the traditional Jiangnan sizhu ensemble, as well as in the performance of dagushu and dance narrative songs. There are two types: large and small.

An ancient Chinese stringed musical instrument, a kind of recumbent oblong zither, under the strings of which there is a box.

Guzheng is a well-known plucked national musical instrument of ancient China, which is no less than 2500 years old - it is he who is considered the pearl among Chinese musical instruments. It looks like a harp, which gave reason to call it Chinese harp. It is a rectangular wooden base on which silk strings are pulled. The musical instrument is located on a stand, before the musician played it, kneeling and fingering the strings. On this instrument, you can perform both melodic and iridescent musical works, as well as majestic music.

Guzheng is a musical instrument of ancient China.

The history of this musical instrument is mysterious and is rooted in the Age of Warring Kingdoms (V-III centuries BC), when there were several independent states on the territory of China, constantly fighting among themselves for dominance. Despite political instability and constant wars, it was at this time that such philosophical movements as Confucianism, Taoism and others were born, which played a huge role in the later life of China. The Qin kingdom, located on the outskirts of the Celestial Empire and considered barbaric, eventually took over all of China, establishing the dynasty of the same name on the throne, the first emperor of which was Qin Shi Huang, known for his posthumous terracotta army and the construction of the Great Wall of China. And it is in this kingdom, as the researchers believe, that the guzheng instrument appeared.

Guzheng is a musical instrument of ancient China.

GuzhengLegend says that initially in the kingdom of Zhao, a 25-string instrument se was invented, the sound of which was considered perfect. When the se came to the kingdom of Qin, known for its barbaric customs, two brothers fought over the instrument, breaking it into two unequal parts: a twelve-stringed and a thirteen-stringed one. So allegedly two varieties of guzheng appeared. Later, already in the Han era, when Confucianism became the official ideology, the elite lashed out at everything that was connected with the previous dynasty, which also affected “our” musical instrument. The sound of guzheng began to be considered rude, unpleasant and cutting the ear. During all the dynasties that followed the Han, the guzheng rarely appeared in court orchestras, turning mainly into a folk instrument.

According to history, in the distant past, there were at least a thousand musical instruments, only half of which have survived to this day.

At that time, Chinese traditional instruments were classified according to the material from which they were made. So, there were metal, bamboo, silk, stone, string, leather, clay, wood and gourd musical instruments.

Today, Chinese national musical instruments are still made in the traditional way, but their modern classification looks different.

woodwind instruments

Di is 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 in 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 juicy and resonant.

Sheng- lip organ. It is made from reed or bamboo thin tubes of various lengths, which are mounted in a bowl-shaped body with a mouthpiece. The sheng sound has a 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 the impact, the instrument vibrates for a long time, creating a voluminous, then growing, then receding sound. The gong is an obligatory instrument in the folk ensemble.

Chinese analogue of the Pan flute. It consists of 12 bamboo tubes interconnected in a decreasing row: from the longest to the shortest. This feature of the structure provides a wide range of sound. It has a soft and gentle tone.

Bowed strings

- string instrument. The body is made of coconut shell and a thin wooden soundboard. The long neck has no frets and ends with a head with pegs. In Northern China, the banhu was used as an accompaniment in musical drama, and now it has taken its rightful place in the orchestra.

Erhu- two-string violin with a cylindrical resonator. During the game, the musician with his right hand pulls the string of the bow, which is fixed between the metal strings and forms a single whole with the instrument. When playing with the left hand, a transverse vibrato is used.

Plucked malleus

Yangqin- a stringed instrument, similar in structure and method of extracting sound to cymbals. It is used as a solo, ensemble instrument, as well as an accompaniment in opera.

A stringed plucked instrument, a type of zither. Guqin is the most characteristic instrument of ancient Chinese music.

Pipa- a Chinese four-stringed lute-type instrument. It has a pear-shaped wooden body without resonator holes. Silk strings are fastened with pegs and string holders. The sound is extracted with a plectrum or fingernail. Most often, the pipa is used to perform lyrical pieces.

If you are interested not only in historical, but also in modern musical instruments, we invite you and your children to join us for classes. Here you can try your hand at mastering pop musical instruments, attend piano lessons for beginners, vocal art, get experience playing in a musical group, as well as performing on stage.

Yueqin

Yueqin (月琴, yuèqín, i.e. "moon lute"), or ruan ((阮), is a type of lute with a round resonator body. The ruan has 4 strings and a short fretboard with frets (usually 24). also known as the octagonal-shaped ruan, played with a plectrum, the instrument has a melodic sound reminiscent of a classical guitar and is used both solo and in an orchestra.

In ancient times, ruan was called "pipa" or "qin pipa" (i.e. pipa of the Qin dynasty). However, after the ancestor of the modern pipa came to China along the Silk Road during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (circa 5th century AD), the name "pipa" was assigned to the new instrument, and the lute with a short neck and a round body began to be called " ruan" - named after the musician who played it, Ruan Xian(3rd century AD) . Ruan Xian was one of the seven great scholars known as the "Seven Wise Men of the Bamboo Grove".

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Dizi

Dizi (笛子, dízi) is a Chinese transverse flute. It is also called di (笛) or handi (橫笛). The di flute is one of the most common Chinese musical instruments, and can be found in folk music ensembles, modern orchestras, and Chinese opera. Dizi has always been popular in China, which is not surprising, because. It is easy to make and easy to carry around. Its characteristic, sonorous timbre is due to the vibration of a thin bamboo membrane, which is sealed with a special sound hole on the body of the flute.

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Qing

The "sounding stone" or qing (磬) is one of the oldest Chinese instruments. It was usually given a shape similar to the Latin letter L, since its outlines resemble the respectful posture of a person during the ritual. It is mentioned that it was one of the instruments played by Confucius. During the Han Dynasty, it was believed that the sound of this instrument reminded the monarch of the warriors who died defending the borders of the empire.

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Sheng


Sheng (笙, shēng) is a mouth organ, a reed wind instrument made of vertical pipes. This is one of the most ancient musical instruments in China: its first images date back to 1100 BC, and some shengs from the Han Dynasty have survived to this day. Traditionally, the sheng is used as an accompaniment when playing the suon or dizi.

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Erhu

Erhu (二胡, èrhú), a two-stringed violin, has perhaps the most expressive voice of all bowed stringed instruments. The erhu is played both solo and in ensembles. It is the most popular stringed instrument among various ethnic groups in China. When playing the erhu, many complex technical bow and finger techniques are used. The erhu violin is often used as the lead instrument in traditional Chinese national instrument orchestras and in the performance of string and wind music.

The word "erhu" consists of the characters for "two" and "barbarian" because this two-stringed instrument came to China about 1000 years ago thanks to the northern nomadic peoples.

Modern erhus are made of precious wood, the resonator is covered with python skin. The bow is made of bamboo, on which a string of horsehair is pulled. During the game, the musician pulls the string of the bow with the fingers of his right hand, and the bow itself is fixed between two strings, making up a single whole with the erhu.

Pipa

Pipa (琵琶, pípa) is a 4-string plucked musical instrument, sometimes also called the Chinese lute. One of the most widespread and famous Chinese musical instruments. The pipa has been played in China for more than 1500 years: the ancestor of the pipa, whose homeland is the region between the Tigris and Euphrates (the region of the "fertile crescent") in the Middle East, came to China along the ancient Silk Road in the 4th century BC. n. e. Traditionally, the pipa was used mainly for playing solo, less often in folk music ensembles, usually in southeast China, or as an accompaniment to storytellers.

The name "pipa" refers to the way the instrument is played: "pi" means moving the fingers down the strings, and "pa" means moving them backwards. The sound is extracted with a plectrum, but sometimes with a fingernail, which is given a special shape.

Several similar East Asian instruments are derived from the pipa: the Japanese biwa, the Vietnamese đàn tỳ bà, and the Korean bipa.

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Xiao

Xiao (箫, xiāo) is an upright flute usually made from bamboo. This very ancient instrument appears to be derived from the flute of the Tibetan Qiang people of southwestern China. An idea of ​​this flute is given by ceramic funerary figurines dating back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD).

Xiao flutes have a clear sound suitable for playing beautiful, pleasing melodies. They are often used solo, in ensemble, and to accompany traditional Chinese opera.

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Xuangu

(hanging drum)
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Paixiao

Paixiao (排箫, páixiāo) is a type of pan flute. Over time, the instrument disappeared from musical use. Its revival began in the 20th century. Paixiao served as a prototype for the development of the next generations of this type of instrument.

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swan

The Chinese suona oboe (唢呐, suǒnà), also known as the laba (喇叭, lǎbā) or the haidi (海笛, hǎidí), has a loud and shrill sound and is often used in Chinese music ensembles. It is an important instrument in the folk music of northern China, especially in the provinces of Shandong and Henan. Suona is often used at weddings and funeral processions.

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Kunhoe

The kunhou harp (箜篌, kōnghóu) is another plucked stringed instrument that came to China along the Silk Road from Western Asia.

The kunhou harp is often found on the frescoes of various Buddhist caves of the Tang era, which indicates the widespread use of this instrument during that period.

She disappeared during the Ming Dynasty, but in the 20th century. she was revived. Kunhou was known only from frescoes in Buddhist caves, ritual funeral figurines, and engravings on stone and brickwork. Then, in 1996, in a tomb in Qemo County (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), two whole onion-shaped kunhou harps and a number of their fragments were found. However, the modern version of this instrument is more reminiscent of the Western concert harp rather than the old kunhou.

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Zheng

Guzheng (古箏, gǔzhēng), or zheng (箏, "gu" 古 meaning "ancient") is a Chinese zither with movable, loose string rests and 18 or more strings (modern guzheng usually has 21 strings). Zheng is the ancestor of several Asian varieties of zither: Japanese koto, Korean gayageum, Vietnamese đàn tranh.

Although the original name of this painting is "Zheng", it is still depicted here. Guqin and guzheng are similar in shape, but they are easy to distinguish: while the guzheng has a support under each string, like the Japanese koto, the guqin has no supports, and the strings are about 3 times smaller.

Since ancient times, the guqin has been a favorite instrument of scientists and thinkers, it was considered an exquisite and refined instrument and was associated with Confucius. He was also called "the father of Chinese music" and "the instrument of the sages".

Previously, the instrument was simply called "qin", but by the 20th century. the term has come to refer to a range of musical instruments: the cymbal-like yangqin, the huqin family of stringed instruments, the Western pianoforte, and so on. Then the prefix "gu" (古), i.e. "ancient, and was added to the name. Sometimes you can also find the name "qixiaqin", i.e. "seven-string musical instrument".