Posts Tagged china musical instrument
Yueqin
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Music Instrument on January 12, 2012
Yueqin, also called moon guitar, moon zither or laqin, is a kind of traditional Chinese string instrument and also one of the most famous Chinese instruments. It got the name of moon guitar due to its moon-shaped soundbox. It has a short neck and four strings which are grouped in two courses.
Originally, the strings are made of silk. Nowadays, nylon and nylon coiled wire are commonly used to make the strings. Read the rest of this entry »
Chinese Jinghu
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Music Instrument on September 26, 2011
Jinghu is a two-stringed fiddle in the Huqin family. It has a history of more than 200 years which can date back to the late 18th century.
Jinghu contains five parts, namely body, shaft, strings, friction tuning pegs and king tong (a small brass hook). The body is always made of bamboo, covering with snakeskin at the playing end. The whole instrument is about 50cn in length. Read the rest of this entry »
Sanxian
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Music Instrument on July 8, 2011
Sanxian, also called samsien in Japan, is a Chinese lute. The instrument was given the name because it has three strings (In Chinese, san means three and xian means strings).
The sound-body of sanxian is egg-shaped and made from wood. The surface of the body is covered with snake skin, just like erhu. A piece of plectrum is used to play the instrument. It can be made in different sizes for different purposes. Generally, the northern ones are larger, at about 122 cm in length, while southern versions are about 95 cm. Read the rest of this entry »
Drum
Posted by ancient chinese culture in Music Instrument on October 10, 2009
Though the origin of the drum is still unknown, it is an important musical instrument in ancient China. The earliest known record of the application of drums can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty (1600B.C.-1100B.C.).
As time goes by, this old art form undergoes great changes. It borrows and assimilates other artistic forms and expressions and becomes various in different regions.
It is applied in almost every aspect of Chinese social life, such as sacrificial and worshiping ceremonies, farming, warfare, etc. It can produce different visual impacts: sometimes it gives off a sense of invincible might; sometimes it produces graceful dancing steps.
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