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Before immersing yourself in the world of Chinese musical instruments, find out more about the music they produce, the history of the genre, and some of the more popular songs and instruments you can find in a Chinese orchestra or ensemble.
Here are seven things to know
And archeological digs can prove it. Traditional Chinese instruments can be traced back to more than 8,000 years ago. The oldest musical instrument excavated in China is a crane bone flute that dates back to 6,000 BC.
Chinese musical instruments are classified according to how sound is produced. There are four families of instruments:
Wind: produces sound when air is blown into a mouthpiece or a blowhole. Common wind instruments include the dizi and suona.
Plucked-string: produces sound when the strings on the instrument are plucked. Common plucked-string instruments include the pipa, ruan and guzheng.
Bowed-string: produces sound when a bow is pushed and pulled across the strings. Some common bowed-string instruments include the erhu, zhonghu and gaohu.
Percussion: produces sound when the surface of the instrument is hit, struck or scraped. Some percussion instruments are pitched and can produce musical notes of one or more pitches, while others are unpitched, producing sounds of an indefinite pitch. There are three sub-families in this group—luo (gongs), gu (drums) and bo (cymbals).
In the past, Chinese instruments were categorised according to the material they were made from, such as metal, clay, silk, stone, wood, gourds, bamboo, or animal materials.
Before the 1920s, the modern Chinese orchestra did not exist. What you see today is modelled after the Western symphony orchestra. The presence of a conductor, where the instruments are placed in relation to the conductor, and the use of Western musical instruments in the Chinese orchestra, are all influences of the Western symphony orchestra.
There are many classical pieces that tell audiences a story. From the masterpiece Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute《胡笳十八拍》 to stories of war, like Ambush from Ten Sides《十面埋伏》 which depicts the Battle of Gaixia in 202 BC between the rival kingdoms Chu and Han, traditional Chinese music weaves stories old and new.
Hear the latter performed by the late Liu Dehai, one of the greatest masters and composers of our time. Listen to how the instrument conveys the violence, fury and tension of the battle.
A classic chamber ensemble piece like Spring Blossoms on a Moonlit River 《春江花月夜》 depicts the scene of a river in springtime and of ripples on the water. In this piece, the pipa and xiao (a vertical flute) take centrestage. Have a listen.
Chinese musical instruments are known for being able to bring to life the sounds of animals in action, from the trills of singing birds to the thunderous, furious gallops of horses.
Listen to Horse Racing《赛马》 by Ding Yi Company and soloist, Yu Hong Mei, as an example.
An easy, breezy introduction into different art forms and genres before dipping your toes into the arts.
