Ruan (instrument)
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Ruan (instrument)
The ''ruan'' () is a traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. It is a lute with a fretted neck, a circular body, and four strings. Its four strings were formerly made of silk but since the 20th century they have been made of steel (flatwound for the lower strings). The modern ''ruan'' has 24 frets with 12 semitones on each string, which has greatly expanded its range from a previous 13 frets. The frets are commonly made of ivory or in recent times of metal mounted on wood. The metal frets produce a brighter tone as compared to the ivory frets. It is sometimes called ''ruanqin'', particularly in Taiwan. Sizes The ruan comes in a family of five sizes: *soprano: ''gaoyinruan'' (高音阮, lit. "high pitched ''ruan''"; tuning: G3-D4-G4-D5) *alto: ''xiaoruan'' (小阮, lit. "small ''ruan''"; tuning: D3-A3-D4-A4) *tenor: ''zhongruan'' (中阮, lit. "medium ''ruan''"; tuning: G2-D3-G3-D4) * bass: ''daruan'' (大阮, lit. "large ''ruan''"; tuning: D2-A2-D3-A3) * contrabass: ' ...
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:Category:Chinese Words And Phrases
This category is for articles on words and phrases of Chinese origin. For articles on words and phrases related to a specific area of China, or to a specific spoken variant, please refer to one of the subcategories. Words A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consen ... Words and phrases by language {{CatAutoTOC ...
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Plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsichords, the plectra are attached to the jack mechanism. Plectra wielded by hand Guitars and similar instruments A plectrum for electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars and mandolins is typically a thin piece of plastic or other material most commonly shaped like a pointed teardrop or triangle, though the size, gauge, shape and width may vary considerably. Banjo and guitar players may wear a metal or plastic thumb pick mounted on a ring, and bluegrass banjo players often wear metal or plastic fingerpicks on their fingertips. Many guitarists use fingerpicks as well. Guitar picks are made of a variety of materials, including celluloid, metal, and rarely other exotic materials such as turtle shell, but today delrin (a synthetic t ...
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Harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or concerts. Its most common form is triangular in shape and made of wood. Some have multiple rows of strings and pedal attachments. Ancient depictions of harps were recorded in Current-day Iraq (Mesopotamia), Iran (Persia), and Egypt, and later in India and China. By medieval times harps had spread across Europe. Harps were found across the Americas where it was a popular folk tradition in some areas. Distinct designs also emerged from the African continent. Harps have symbolic political traditions and are often used in logos, including in Ireland. History Harps have been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa, and Europe, dating back at least as early as 3000 BCE. The instrument had great popularity in Europe during the ...
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Konghou
The () is a Chinese plucked string instrument. In ancient China, the term came to refer to three different musical instruments: a zither and two different types of harp. Today, usually refers the modern '' concert harp'', which was invented in the last century. refers to an extinct vertical angular harp, and to an extinct arched harp. However, it should be remembered that during the Tang dynasty, the term was also used as a general term to describe string instruments from the other countries that played in the Chinese court. It may not have meant a specific type of instrument at that time. History There were three types of variations of the name, and scholars have been working to match them to musical instruments. The variations are ''wo konghou'', ''shu konghou'' and ''feng shou konghou''. Wo konghou With the () (literally "horizontal )," there have been two lines of thought; neither has been proven. One use of ''wo konghou'' could have been applied to a fretted b ...
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Zhu (string Instrument)
The ''zhu'' ( 筑; pinyin: zhù (Mainland); zhú (Taiwan)) was an ancient Chinese string instrument. Though rarely used, three very old specimens in varying degrees of preservation survive. One with five strings, dating to approximately 433 BC, was discovered in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, in the Hubei province of central China. It first became popular during the Warring States period, when its most famous player was Gao Jianli, a citizen of the state of Yan who attracted the attention and played for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. The instrument remained popular through the Sui and Tang dynasties, and was lost during the Song Dynasty. Little is known about the instrument but it is believed to have been a zither with a rectangular wooden body, with silk or gut strings that were played with a slender stick. Although ancient sources state that the instrument was struck (implying that the stick was bounced on the string in the manner of a hammered dulcimer in order ...
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Guzheng
The zheng () or gu zheng (), is a Chinese plucked zither. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, is long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. It has a large, resonant soundboard made from ''Paulownia'' wood. Other components are often made from other woods for structural or decorative reasons. Guzheng players often wear fingerpick made from materials such as plastic, resin, tortoiseshell, or ivory on one or both hands. Strings There are nylon steel strings, steel strings, silk strings, etc., depending on the genre. Now, the most common guzheng is 21 strings guzheng. The high-pitched strings of the guzheng are close to the player, and the low-pitched strings are on the opposite side. The strings' order from the inside to the outside is 1 to 21. The guzheng is ancestral to several other Asian zithers such as the Japanese koto, the Korean gayageum and ajaeng, Mongolian yatga, the Vietnamese đàn tranh, the Sundanese kacapi, and the Kazakhstan jetigen ...
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Zither
Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat body. This article describes the latter variety. Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, the term refers to a larger family of similarly shaped instruments that also includes the hammered dulcimer family and piano and a few rare bowed instruments like the bowed psaltery, bowed dulcimer, and streichmelodion. Like an acoustic guitar or lute, a zither's body serves as a resonating chamber (sound box), but, unlike guitars and lutes, a zither lacks a distinctly separate neck assembly. The number of strings varies, from one to more than fifty. In modern common usage the term "zither" refers to three specific instruments: the concert zithe ...
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Jin Dynasty (265–420)
Jin is a toneless pinyin romanization of various Chinese names and words. These have also been romanized as Kin and Chin (Wade–Giles). "Jin" also occurs in Japanese and Korean. It may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) (晉國; 907–923), Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period * Later Jin (Five Dynasties) (後晉; 936–947), Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Jīn 金 * Jin dynasty (1115–1234) (金朝), also known as the Jurchen Jin * Later Jin (1616–1636) (後金; 1616–1636), precursor of the Qing dynasty Others * Jin (Korean state) (辰國), precursor of the Jinhan Confederation * Balhae (698–713), originally known as Jin (震) Places * Jin Prefecture (Shanxi) (晉州), a former Chinese prefecture centered on present-day Linfen, Shanxi * Jin Prefecture (Sh ...
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Fu Xuan
Fu Xuan (217–278), courtesy name Xiuyi, was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who lived in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period and later under the Jin dynasty. He was one of the most prolific authors of ''fu'' poetry of his time. He was a grandson of Fu Xie (), a son of Fu Gan (), and the father of Fu Xian ().''Britannica Kokusai Dai-Hyakkajiten'' article "Fu Xuan" (''Fu Gen'' in Japanese). Shogakukan.''Kanjigen'' entry "Fu Xuan" (''Fu Gen'' in Japanese). Gakken 2006. Life Although he lost his father early and grew up poor, Fu Xuan eventually became famous in literature and music. Nominated as a civil service candidate by the local provincial government, he was appointed as a Gentleman () and put in charge of managing the compilation of the historical text ''Book of Wei'' (). Later, he became a subordinate of Sima Zhao, the regent of Wei from 255 to 265. He rose through the ranks to become the Administrator () of Hongnong Commandery () and Colonel o ...
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Ruan Xian
Ruan Xian (fl. 3rd century), courtesy name Zhongrong, was a Chinese scholar who lived in the Six Dynasties period. One of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, he was a skilled player of the Chinese lute, an old version of pipa which has been called ''ruan'' after his name since the Tang dynasty. His achievement in music reached such high as to be described as "divine understanding" in the ''Book of Jin''. Ruan Xian had a Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into th ... slave who gave birth to his son, Ruan Fu. References Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove Year of death unknown Pipa players Cao Wei musicians Jin dynasty (266–420) musicians Jin dynasty (266–420) politicians Political office-holders in Shaanxi Musicians from Henan Politicians from Kaifeng ...
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Rong Qiqi And Ruan Xian
Rong or RONG may refer to: Places China *Rong County, Guangxi, Yulin, Guangxi, China *Rong County, Sichuan, Zigong, Sichuan, China Nepal *Rong, Ilam, a rural municipality in Ilam District, Nepal Norway *Rong, Norway, a village in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county *Rongøy, an island in Øygarden municipality in Vestland county People *Consort Rong (Kangxi) (died 1727), a consort of the Kangxi Emperor *Consort Rong (Qianlong) (1734–1788), a consort of the Qianlong Emperor, China *Prince Rong (1644–1912), a peerage during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, China *Rong (surname) *Several ancient Chinese nomadic people **Xirong (西戎), West Rong **Shanrong (山戎), Mountain Rong **Quanrong (犬戎), Dog Rong Other uses * Róng or Lepcha script *Rong (crater), on Mars * Rồng, a Vietnamese dragon Vietnamese dragons ( vi, Wikt:rồng, Rồng; ; Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary, Sino-Vietnamese: ''Long''; ) are symbolic Legendary creature, creatures in Vietnamese folklore a ...
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Liuqin
The ''liuqin'' (Chinese: , pinyin: ) is a three, four or five -stringed Chinese mandolin with a pear-shaped body. The range of its voice is much higher than the ''pipa'', and it has its own special place in Chinese music, whether in orchestral music or in solo pieces. This has been the result of a modernization in its usage in recent years, leading to a gradual elevation in status of the ''liuqin'' from an accompaniment instrument in folk Chinese opera, to an instrument well-appreciated for its unique tonal and acoustic qualities. The position of the instrument is lower than the pipa, being held diagonally like the Chinese ruan and yueqin. Like the ruan and unlike the pipa its strings are elevated by a bridge and the soundboard has two prominent soundholes. Finally, the instrument is played with a pick with similar technique to both ruan and yueqin, whereas the pipa is played with the fingers. Therefore, the liuqin is most commonly played and doubled by those with ruan ...
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