The Introduction of Traditional Chinese Instruments Speaker: Chih-Sheng Chen Ph. D Music Director of Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra Date: April 1, 2017 Chinese Instruments Wind Instruments Plucked-string Instruments Bowed-string Instruments Percussion Instruments Wind Instruments: Di Chinese transverse flute 206 B.C. - 220 A.D.: Introduced from Central Asia Structure : Bamboo with reed membrane 1 blow hole, 6 finger holes, 1 membrane hole Transposing instrument; by player Register: 2 octaves Category: Bandi, Qudi etc. Related types: Bawu, Xun Bangdi (short Di) Distribution: Northern China Function: Accompany Bangzi opera Register: Qudi (long Di) Distribution: Southern China Function: Accompany Kun opera Register: Wind Instruments: Xiao Chinese vertical flute Used by the southwestern people of China in ancient period Structure: Bamboo without membrane 1 blow hole, 6 finger holes Transposing instrument; by player Register: 2 octaves Wind Instruments: Sheng Chinese mouth organ 12 - 14th century B.C. Structure: Bamboo pipe, brass reed, sheng body Register: Depends on the number of pipe Category: Traditional - 13, 17, 19, 21, 37 reeds Modern - 24, 26, 36, 38, 42 reeds Orchestra - soprano, alto, tenor, bass sheng 21 reeds sheng Traditional sheng Tube Position remains unchanged 36-reed Soprano sheng Techniques 1. Flutter Tongue 花舌 2. Rapid Double Tongue 碎吐 3. Throat-Tongue 呼舌 Techniques 4. Scale-wise Grace Notes 瀝音 5. Glissando 滑音 Plucked Instruments: Pipa Before 581 A.D. - 618 A.D.: Plucked-string instruments played in hand-held positions with outward fingering technique called "pi" and the inward one called "pa" The pear-shaped pipa: Introduced from Central Asia Structure: 4 steel strings; 6 Xians (frets on the neck) 24 Pins (frets) Tuning: A-d-e-a; 12 equal temperament (12 ET) Register: A-e3 Plucked Instruments: Liuqin Willow Leaf String; Liu-ye-qin Distribution: Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu province Function: Accompany willow-string opera, Sizhou opera Structure: 4 steel strings and 24 frets Tuning: g-d1-g1-d2; 12 ET Register: g-d4 Plucked Instruments:Ruan Han Dynasty (260 B.C. - 220 A.D.): Han Pipa Jin Dynasty (265 A.D. - 420 A.D.): Ruan Xian Structure: 4 steel strings, 24 frets Modern: Soprano, alto, tenor, bass ruan Tuning: Alto ruan G-d-g-d1; 12 ET Tenor ruan D-A-d-a; 12 ET Register: Alto ruan G-d3 Tenor ruan D-a2 Right hand Left hand Plucked Instruments: Yangqin An adaptation of the Persain Santur Introduced to coastal areas of Guangdong Province in south China late in the Ming dynasty (1368 A.D. - 1644 A.D.) Structure: Trapezoidal shape; 4 rows of bridges, each row with 10~13 chessman-shaped bridges, and each bridge with 1~5 strings; Yangqin has more than 140 strings Register: Four octaves (G-a3), with full chromatic capability Plucked Instruments: Zheng Already existed in the Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.) Structure: 21 strings zheng - 21 strings (steel strings flat wound with nylon); movable bridges Bowed Instruments: Erhu Chinese violin Introduced from Central Asia to China more than a thousand years ago; evolved from the xiqin of the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. – 907 A.D.) Tuning: d1-a1 Register: 3.5 octaves (d1-a4) Gaohu Function: Cantonese music Accompany Cantonese opera Register: Zhonghu Function: Used in Chinese orchestra Register: Percussion Instruments Metal types Wood types Skin types Percussion Instruments: Matel types Percussion Instruments: Wood types Percussion Instruments: Skin types Percussion Instruments: Others Thank You .