Cultural Element:Chinese Traditional Music

Chinese 3H, Sean Lu, Han Li

Origins and History

• Chinese Music can be traced back to as early as the Shang dynasty (1766-1027 BC).

•  •  The legendary founder of music in Chinese mythology was

Ling Lun, who made bamboo pipes tuned to the sounds of birds.

• In the Qin dynasty, Qin Shi Huang initiated his burning of the books which included all music manuscripts and instruments to be burned and the practice of music to be halted.

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Traditional Instruments

• Woodwind and percussion: dizi, sheng, paigu, gong, paixiao, guan, bells, cymbals • Bowed strings:

erhu, zhonghu, dahu, banhu, jinghu, gaohu, gehu, yehu, cizhonghu, diyingehu, leiqn • Plucked and struck strings:

guqin, sanxian, yangqin, guzheng, ruan, konghou, liuqin, pipa, zhu

Pi2 Pa1 (琵琶)

• 4-stringed• Pear-shaped• First appeared in the Qing Dynasty,

later developed during the Han Dynasty

• Played by plucking the strings

Gu3 Qin2 (古琴)

• 7-stringed• considered an instrument of great refinement and subtlety• "Father of Chinese Music"

Er4 Hu2 二胡

• also called 南胡• "Chinese Violin• 2-stringed, bowed

Di2 Zi 笛子

• flute-like• used in folk music, Chinese opera, and the modern

Chinese orchestra • made of bamboo

Yang2 Qin2 揚琴

• usually have 144 strings• hit with 2 bamboo hammers • traditionally had bronze strings• since 1950, steel alloy strings

Sources Cited

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0857317.htmlhttp://www.paulnoll.com/China/Music/China-music-history-2.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa