List of traditional Chinese musical instruments

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Traditional Chinese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. Traditionally, they were classified according to the materials used in their construction.

Re-enactment of a traditional music performance
Re-enactment of a traditional music performance

Contents

[edit] The Eight Sounds (八音)

The eight categories are: silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and hide. There are other instruments which may not fit these classifications.

[edit] Silk (絲)

Silk instruments are mostly string instruments (including plucked, bowed, and struck). Since the very beginning, the Chinese have used silk for strings, though today metal or nylon are more frequently used. Instruments in the silk category include:

[edit] Plucked

  • Guqin (Chinese: 古琴; pinyin: gǔqín) - Seven-stringed zither
  • Se (Chinese: 瑟; pinyin: sè) - 25 stringed zither with moveable bridges (ancient sources say 13, 25 or 50 strings)
  • Guzheng (古箏) - 16-26 stringed zither with movable bridges
  • Konghou (箜篌) - Chinese harp (much like a Western one)
  • Pipa (琵琶) - 4 or 5 stringed pear-shaped lute
  • Sanxian (三弦) - A plucked lute with body covered with snakeskin and long fretless neck
  • Ruan (Chinese: 阮; pinyin: ruǎn) - Moon-shaped lute in five sizes: gaoyin-, xiao-, zhong-, da-, and diyin-
  • Liuqin (柳琴) - A small plucked lute with a pear-shaped body and four strings
  • Yueqin (月琴) - A plucked lute with a wooden body, a short fretted neck, and four strings tuned in pairs
  • Qinqin (秦琴) - A plucked lute with a wooden body and fretted neck
  • Duxianqin (Traditional Chinese: 獨弦琴; Simplified Chinese: 独弦琴) - A plucked zither with only one string

[edit] Bowed

  • Huqin (胡琴) - Family of vertical fiddles
  • Erhu (二胡) - Two-stringed fiddle
  • Zhonghu (中胡) - Two-stringed fiddle, lower pitch than erhu
  • Gaohu (高胡) - Two-stringed fiddle, higher pitch than erhu
  • Banhu (板胡) - Two-stringed fiddle with a coconut resonator and wooden face
  • Jinghu (京胡) - Two-stringed fiddle, very high pitched, used mainly for Peking Opera
  • Erxian (二弦) - Two-stringed fiddle, used in Cantonese, Chaozhou, and nanguan music
  • Tiqin (提琴) - Two-stringed fiddle, used in kunqu, Chaozhou, Cantonese, Fujian, and Taiwanese music
  • Yehu (椰胡) - Two-stringed fiddle with coconut body
  • Daguangxian (大广弦) - Fiddle used primarily in Taiwan and Fujian
  • Datong (大筒)
  • Datongxian (大筒弦)
  • Hexian (和弦) - Large fiddle used primarily among the Hakka of Taiwan
  • Huluqin (葫芦琴) - Two-stringed fiddle with gourd body used by the Naxi of Yunnan
  • Huluhu (Traditional Chinese: 葫盧胡; Simplified Chinese: 葫芦胡) - Two-stringed fiddle with gourd body used by the Zhuang of Guangxi
  • Maguhu (Traditional Chinese: 馬骨胡; Simplified Chinese: 马骨胡; pinyin: mǎgǔhú) - Two-stringed fiddle with horse bone body used bu the Zhuang and Buyei peoples of southern China
  • Tuhu (土胡) - Two-stringed fiddle used by the Zhuang people of Guangxi
  • Jiaohu (角胡) - Two-stringed fiddle used by the Gelao people of Guangxi, as well as the Miao and Dong
  • Sihu (四胡) - Four-stringed fiddle with strings tuned in pairs
  • Sanhu (三胡) - A 3-stringed erhu with an additional bass string; developed in the 1970s[1]
  • Zhuihu (Traditional Chinese: 墜胡; Simplified Chinese: 坠胡) - Two-stringed fiddle with fingerboard
  • Zhuiqin (traditional: 墜琴; simplified: 坠琴) - Two-stringed fiddle with fingerboard
  • Leiqin (雷琴) - Two-stringed fiddle with fingerboard
  • Dihu (低胡) - Low pitched two-stringed fiddles in the erhu family, in three sizes:
    • Xiaodihu (小低胡) - Small dihu, tuned one octave below the erhu
    • Zhongdihu (中低胡) - Medium dihu, tuned one octave below the zhonghu
    • Dadihu (大低胡) - Large dihu, tuned two octaves below the erhu
  • Dahu (大胡) - Another name for the xiaodihu
  • Cizhonghu - Another name for the xiaodihu
  • Gehu (革胡) - Four-stringed bass instrument, tuned and played like cello
  • Diyingehu (低音革胡) - Four stringed contrabass instrument, tuned and played like double bass
  • Laruan - Four-stringed bowed instrument modeled on the cello
  • Niutuiqin or niubatui (牛腿琴 or 牛巴腿) - Two-stringed fiddle used by the Dong people of Guizhou
  • Matouqin (馬頭琴) - Mongolian two-stringed "horsehead fiddle"
  • Xiqin (奚琴) - Ancient prototype of huqin family of instruments
  • Yazheng (simplified: 轧筝; traditional: 軋箏) - Bowed zither; also called yaqin (simplified: 轧琴; traditional: 軋琴)
  • Zhengni (筝尼) - Bowed zither; used by the Zhuang people of Guangxi
  • Aijieke (艾捷克) - Four-stringed bowed instrument used in Xinjiang; similar to kamancheh[2]
  • Sataer (萨它尔) - A long-necked bowed lute used in Xinjiang

[edit] Struck

  • Yangqin (揚琴) - Hammered dulcimer of varying strings struck using two bamboo hammers
  • Zhu (筑) - Ancient zither, struck or plucked with a stick
  • Jiaoweiqin (焦尾琴)

[edit] Bamboo (竹)

Bamboo mainly refers to woodwind instruments, which include:

[edit] Flutes

[edit] Oboes

  • Guan (Chinese: 管; pinyin: guǎn) - A cylindrical double reed wind instrument made of either hardwood (Northern China) or bamboo (Cantonese); the northern version is also called guanzi (管子) or bili (traditional: 篳篥; simplified: 筚篥) and the Cantonese version is also called houguan (喉管)
  • Suona (Traditional Chinese: 嗩吶; Simplified Chinese: 唢呐) - A double reed wind instrument with a flaring metal bell; also called haidi (海笛)

[edit] Free reed pipes

[edit] Wood (木)

Most wood instruments are of the ancient variety:

  • Zhu (Chinese: 柷; pinyin: zhù) - A wooden box that tapers from the bottom, played by hitting a stick on the inside, used to mark the beginning of music
  • Yu (Chinese: 敔; pinyin: yǔ) - A wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a tiger with a serrated back, played by hitting a stick with an end made of around 15 stalks of bamboo on its head three times and across the serrated back once to mark the end of the music
  • Muyu (Traditional Chinese: 木魚; Simplified Chinese: 木鱼; pinyin: mùyú) - A rounded woodblock carved in the shape of a fish, struck with a wooden stick. Often used in Buddhist chanting
  • Guban (鼓板) - a clapper made from two pieces of wood; used in shuochang and Beijing opera

[edit] Stone (石)

The "stone" category comprises various forms of stone chimes.

[edit] Metal (金)

[edit] Clay (土)

[edit] Gourd (匏)

  • Sheng (Chinese: 笙; pinyin: shēng) - A free reed mouth organ consisting of varying number of bamboo pipes inserted into a gourd chamber with finger holes
  • Yu (Chinese: 竽; pinyin: yú) - An ancient free reed mouth organ similar to the sheng but generally larger
  • He (Chinese: 和; pinyin: he) - An ancient free reed mouth organ similar to the sheng but smaller
  • Lusheng (Traditional Chinese: 蘆笙; Simplified Chinese: 芦笙; pinyin: lúshēng) - A free reed mouth organ with five or six pipes, played by various ethnic groups in southwestern China and neighboring countries
  • Hulusi (Traditional Chinese: 葫盧絲; Simplified Chinese: 葫芦丝; pinyin: húlúsī) - A free reed wind instrument with three bamboo pipes which pass through a gourd wind chest; one pipe has finger holes and the other two are drone pipes; used primarily in Yunnan province
  • Hulusheng (Traditional Chinese: 葫盧笙; Simplified Chinese: 葫芦笙; pinyin: húlúshēng) - A free reed mouth organ with a gourd wind chest; used primarily in Yunnan province

[edit] Hide (革)

  • Daigu - (大鼓) - Large drum
  • Huzuo Dagu (虎座大鼓)
  • Huzuo Wujia Gu (虎座鳥架鼓)
  • Jian`gu (建鼓)
  • Bangu (板鼓) - Small, high pitched drum used in Beijing opera
  • Paigu (排鼓)
  • Tanggu
  • Huagu - Flower drum

[edit] Others

  • Gudi (骨笛) - An ancient flute made of bone
  • Lilie (唎咧) - A reed wind instrument with a conical bore played by the Li people of Hainan
  • Lusheng (蘆笙) - A free reed mouth organ with five or six pipes, played by various ethnic groups in southwestern China and neighboring countries
  • Kouxian (口弦) - A Jew's harp, made of bamboo or metal

[edit] Playing contexts

Chinese instruments are either played solo, or 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, or use of musical scores or tablature whilst in performance. Music was generally learned orally and memorized by the musician(s) beforehand, then played without aid, meaning totally accuracy and teamwork is required. But nowadays, music scores can be used, or a conductor if the number of musicians is large enough for that need.

[edit] References

  • Yuan, Bingchang, and Jizeng Mao (1986). Zhongguo Shao Shu Min Zu Yue Qi Zhi. Beijing: Xin Shi Jie Chu Ban She/Xin Hua Shu Dian Beijing Fa Xing Suo Fa Xing. ISBN 7800050173.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Traditional Chinese musical instruments
    █  Silk (string):    Plucked: Guqin • Se • Guzheng • Konghou • Pipa • Sanxian • Ruan • Liuqin • Yueqin • Qinqin • Duxianqin █ Bowed: Huqin • Erhu • Zhonghu • Gaohu • Banhu • Jinghu • Erxian • Tiqin • Yehu • Tuhu • Jiaohu • Sihu • Sanhu • Zhuihu • Zhuiqin • Leiqin • Dihu • (Xiaodihu • Zhongdihu • Dadihu) • Gehu • Diyingehu • Laruan • Matouqin • Yazheng █ Struck: Yangqin • Zhu
    █  Bamboo (woodwind):    Flutes: Dizi • Xiao • Paixiao • Koudi █ Oboes: Guan • Suona █ Free-reed pipes: Bawu • Mangtong
    █   Gourd (woodwind):    Sheng • Yu • Lusheng • Hulusi • Hulusheng
    █  Percussion:   Wood: Muyu • Guban █ Metal: Bianzhong • Fangxiang • Luo • Yunluo █ Clay: Xun █ Hide: Daigu • Bangu • Paigu • Tanggu
Traditional Musical instruments of Asia
Cambodia | China | India | Indonesia | Iran | Japan | Korea | Laos | Malaysia | Mongolia | Myanmar | Pakistan | Thailand | Turkey | Tuva | Vietnam
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