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The ''dizi'' (, pronounced ), is a Chinese
transverse flute A transverse flute or side-blown flute is a flute which is held horizontally when played. The player blows across the embouchure hole, in a direction perpendicular to the flute's body length. Transverse flutes include the Western concert f ...
. It is also sometimes known as the ''di'' () or ''héngdi'' (), and has varieties including Qudi (),
Bangdi The ''dizi'' (, pronounced ), is a Chinese transverse flute. It is also sometimes known as the ''di'' () or ''héngdi'' (), and has varieties including Qudi (), Bangdi (), and Xindi (). It is a major Chinese musical instrument that is widely ...
(), and Xindi (). It is a major
Chinese musical instrument Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories known as (). The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instruments considered traditional exist that may not fit these group ...
that is widely used in many genres of Chinese folk music,
Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...
, as well as the modern Chinese orchestra. The ''dizi'' is also a popular instrument among the Chinese people as it is simple to make and easy to carry. Most ''dizi'' are made of
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
, which explains why ''dizi'' are sometimes known by simple names such as Chinese
bamboo flute The bamboo flute, especially the bone flute, is one of the oldest musical instruments known. Examples of Paleolithic bone flutes have survived for more than 40,000 years, to be discovered by archaeologists. While the oldest flutes currently k ...
. However, "bamboo" is perhaps more of a Chinese instrument classification like "
woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...
" in the West. Northern Chinese ''dizi'' are made from purple or violet bamboo, while ''dizi'' made in
Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trad ...
and
Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also Chinese postal romanization, romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the prov ...
are made from white bamboo. ''Dizi'' produced in southern Chinese regions such as
Chaozhou Chaozhou (), alternatively Chiuchow, Chaochow or Teochew, is a city in the eastern Guangdong province of China. It borders Shantou to the south, Jieyang to the southwest, Meizhou to the northwest, the province of Fujian to the east, and th ...
are often made of very slender, lightweight, light-colored bamboo and are much quieter in tone. Although bamboo is the common material for the ''dizi'', it is also possible to find ''dizi'' made from other kinds of wood, or even from
stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
.
Jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group ...
''dizi'' (or ) are popular among both
collectors Collector(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Collector (character), a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe * ''Collector'' (2011 film), a 2011 Indian Malayalam film * ''Collector'' (2016 film), a 2016 Russian film * ''Collec ...
interested in their beauty, and among professional players who seek an instrument with looks to match the quality of their renditions; however, jade may not be the best material for ''dizi'' since, as with metal, jade may not be as tonally responsive as bamboo, which is more resonant. The ''dizi'' is not the only bamboo flute of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
. Other Chinese bamboo wind instruments include the vertical end-blown xiao and the koudi.


History

Recently, archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the simple transverse flutes (though without the distinctive ''mokong'' of the ''dizi'') have been present in China for over 9,000 years. Fragments of bone flutes from this period are still playable today, and are remarkably similar to modern versions in terms of hole placement, etc. The
Jiahu Jiahu () was the site of a Neolithic settlement based in the central plain of ancient China, near the Yellow River. It is located between the floodplains of the Ni River to the north, and the Sha River to the south, north of the modern cit ...
neolithic site in central Henan province of China has yielded flutes dating back to 7,000 BC – 5,000 BC that could represent the earliest playable instruments ever found. These flutes were carved with five to eight holes, and are capable of producing sounds that roughly span an octave. The ''dizi'' as we know it today roughly dates to the 5th century BC, and there have been examples of bamboo ''dizi'' that date back to 2nd century BC. These flutes share common features with other simple flutes from cultures all around the world. Multiple examples from different cultures consist of a drilled piece of bone, which is well-suited as a material due to its hollow nature. The earliest known examples of bone flutes date back around 42,000 years ago.


Modern modifications

Traditionally ''dizi'' is made by using a single piece of bamboo. While simple and straightforward, it is also impossible to change the fundamental tuning once the bamboo is cut, which made it a problem when it was played with other instruments in a modern Chinese orchestra. In the 1920s musician Zheng Jinwen (, 1872–1935) resolved this issue by inserting a copper joint to connect two pieces of shorter bamboo. This method allows the length of the bamboo to be modified for minute adjustment to its fundamental pitch. On traditional ''dizi'' the finger-holes are spaced approximately equidistant, which produces a temperament of mixed whole-tone and three-quarter-tone intervals. Zheng also repositioned the figure-holes to change the notes produced. During the middle of the 20th century ''dizi'' makers further changed the finger hole placements to allow for playing in
equal temperament An equal temperament is a musical temperament or tuning system, which approximates just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into equal steps. This means the ratio of the frequencies of any adjacent pair of notes is the same, ...
, as demanded by new musical developments and compositions, although the traditional ''dizi'' continue to be used for purposes such as '' kunqu'' accompaniment. In the 1930s, an 11-hole, fully
chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a p ...
version of the ''dizi'' was created called the '' xindi'' (), pitched in the same range as the western flute. However, the modified dizi's extra tone holes prevent the effective use of the membrane, so this instrument lacks the inherent timbre of the traditional ''dizi'' family. While the ''bangdi'' (pitched in the same range as western piccolo) and ''qudi'' (pitched a fourth or fifth lower than the ''bangdi'') are the most prevalent, other ''dizi'' include the ''xiaodi''/''gaoyindi'' (pitched a fourth of fifth higher than the ''bangdi''), the ''dadi''/''diyindi'' (pitched a fourth or fifth lower than ''qudi''), and the ''deidi''/''diyindadi'' (pitched an octave lower than ''qudi''.)


Membrane

Whereas most simple flutes have only a blowing hole (known as ''chui kong'' () in Chinese) and finger-holes, the ''dizi'' has a very different additional hole, called a ''mo kong'' (), between the embouchure and finger-holes. A special membrane called '' dimo'' (, lit. "''di'' membrane"), made from an almost tissue-like shaving of reed (made from the inner skin of bamboo cells), is made taut and glued over this hole, traditionally with a substance called '' ejiao'', an animal glue. Garlic juice may also be used to adhere the ''dimo'', but it is not recommended as a permanent replacement. This application process, in which fine wrinkles are created in the centre of the ''dimo'' to create a penetrating buzzy
timbre In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...
, is an art form in itself. The ''dimo''-covered ''mo kong'' has a distinctive resonating effect on the sound produced by the ''dizi'', making it brighter and louder, and adding
harmonic A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', t ...
s to give the final tone a buzzing, nasal quality. ''Dizi'' have a relatively large range, covering about two-and-a-quarter
octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
s.


Playing styles and techniques

Contemporary 'dizi' styles or schools based on the professional conservatory repertory are divided into two: Northern and Southern, each style having different preferences in ''dizi'' and playing techniques, with different methods for embellishment and ornamentation of the melody. * Northern school (Beipai) – The ''dizi'' used for the Northern school, the ''bangdi'', is shorter and higher in pitch, and its sound quality is brighter and more shrill. In Northern China, it is used in ''kunqu'' and '' bangzi'' opera, and as well as regional musical genres such as '' errentai''. ''Dizi'' music of the Northern school is characterized by a fast, rhythmic and
virtuosic A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fi ...
playing, employing techniques such as
glissando In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the ...
,
tremolo In music, ''tremolo'' (), or ''tremolando'' (), is a trembling effect. There are two types of tremolo. The first is a rapid reiteration: * Of a single note, particularly used on bowed string instruments, by rapidly moving the bow back and f ...
, flutter tonguing, and fast tonguing. * Southern school (Nanpai) – In Southern China, the qudi is the lead melodic instrument of '' kunqu'' opera and is also used in music such as '' Jiangnan sizhu''. It is longer, and has a more mellow, lyrical tone. The music of the Southern school is usually slower, and the ornamentations are predominantly short melodic turns, trills, and
appoggiatura An appoggiatura ( , ; german: Vorschlag or ; french: port de voix) is a musical ornament that consists of an added non-chord note in a melody that is resolved to the regular note of the chord. By putting the non-chord tone on a strong beat, (ty ...
or
grace note A grace note is a kind of music notation denoting several kinds of musical ornaments. It is usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace note indicates eith ...
. ''Dizi'' are often played using various "advanced" techniques, such as circular breathing, slides, popped notes, harmonics, "flying finger" trills, multiphonics, fluttertonguing, and double-tonguing, which are also common in similar instruments, such as the
western concert flute The Western concert flute is a family of transverse (side-blown) woodwind instruments made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist (in British English), flutist (in Ame ...
and
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
. Most professional players have a set of seven ''dizi'', each in a different key (and size). Additionally, master players and those seeking distinctive sounds such as birdsong may use extremely small or very large ''dizi''.


Performers

There have been several major performers of the 20th century who have contributed to ''dizi'' playing in the new conservatory professional concert repertory, often based on or adapted from regional folk styles. Feng Zicun (, 1904–1987) was born in Yangyuan,
Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...
province. Of humble origins, Feng had established himself as a folk musician by the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, playing the ''dizi'' as well as the four-string fiddle '' sihu'' in local song and dance groups, folksongs and stilt dances. He also introduced '' Errentai'', the local opera of
Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
, to Hebei after spending four years there as a musician in the 1920s. In 1953, Feng was appointed to the state-supported Central Song and Dance Ensemble in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
as ''dizi'' soloist, and accepted a teaching post at the China Conservatory of Music (Beijing) in 1964. Feng adapted traditional folk ensemble pieces into dizi solos, such as ''Xi xiang feng'' (Happy Reunion), ''Wu bangzi'' (Five Clappers), contributing to the new Chinese conservatory curricula in traditional instrument performance. Feng’s style, virtuosic and lively, has been known as representative of the folk musical traditions of northern China. Liu Guanyue (, 1918–1990) was born in An'guo county, Hebei. Born to a poor peasant family, Liu was a professional folk musician who had earned a meagre living playing the '' guanzi'', ''
suona ''Suona'' (IPA: /swoʊˈnɑː/, ), also called ''dida'' (from Cantonese / '' īdá'), ''laba'' or ''haidi'', is a traditional Chinese music instrument with double-reed horn. The suona's basic design originated in ancient Iran, then called "S ...
'', and ''dizi'' in rural ritual ensembles before becoming a soloist in the Tianjin Song-and-Dance Ensemble ''(Tianjin gewutuan)'' in 1952. Liu together with Feng Zicun are said to be representatives of the Northern ''dizi'' style. His pieces, including ''Yin zhong niao'' (Birds in the Shade), ''He ping ge'' (Doves of Peace) and ''Gu xiang'' (Old Home village) have become part of the new conservatory professional concert repertory. Lu Chunling (, 1921–2018) was born in
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...
. In pre-1949 Shanghai, Lu worked a trishaw driver, but was also an amateur musician, performing the Jiangnan sizhu folk ensemble repertory. In 1952, Lu became ''dizi'' soloist with the Shanghai Folk Ensemble ''(Shanghai minzu yuetuan)'', and also at the Shanghai Opera Company ''(Shanghai geju yuan)'' from 1971 to 1976. In 1957 he taught at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and became Associate Professor in 1978. Lu has performed in many countries as well as throughout China and has made many recordings. His ''dizi'' playing style has become representative of the
Jiangnan Jiangnan or Jiang Nan (; formerly romanized Kiang-nan, literally "South of the River" meaning "South of the Yangtze") is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, incl ...
''dizi'' tradition in general. He is well known as a longtime member of the famous ''Jiangnan sizhu'' music performance quartet consisting of Lu Chunling, Zhou Hao, Zhou Hui, and Ma Shenglong. His compositions include ''Jinxi'' (Today and Yesterday). Zhao Songting (, 1924–2001) was born in
Dongyang () is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinhua in Central Zhejiang Province, China. It covers an area of and administers eleven towns, one township, and six subdistricts. It is part of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Region. A ...
county,
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Ji ...
. Zhao trained as a teacher in Zhejiang, and studied law and Chinese and Western music in Shanghai. In the 1940s he worked as a music teacher in Zhejiang, and became the ''dizi'' soloist in the Zhejiang Song and Dance Ensemble (''Zhejiang Sheng Gewutuan'') in 1956. He also taught at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Zhejiang College of Arts (''Zhejiang Sheng Yishu Xuexiao''). Because of his middle-class background, Zhao suffered in the political campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s and was not allowed to perform, instead he taught many students who went on to become leading professional ''dizi'' players, and to refine ''dizi'' design. He was reinstated in his former positions in 1976. Zhao's compositions include ''San Wu Qi'' (Three-Five-Seven), which is based on a melody from '' Wuju'' (Zhejiang traditional opera). Yu Xunfa (, 1946–2006) was a prominent ''dizi'' soloist and composer from Shanghai. He performed with the Shanghai National Orchestra and served as Head of the Chinese Dizi Culture Research Centre of Shanghai. The
State Council of the People's Republic of China The State Council, constitutionally synonymous with the Central People's Government since 1954 (particularly in relation to local governments), is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the pr ...
gave him a Life Achievement Award as well as a Lifelong Special Allowance from the State. He is also known for having invented the '' koudi'' in 1971. Ma Di (馬迪) is a current composer and soloist known for his technique on the instrument.


Use in other music genres

Ron Korb ( or phonetically translated to ""), born in Toronto, Canada, is the first renowned western musician playing ''dizi'' along with numerous other world woodwinds. He graduated from the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto with an honors degree in performance. On many of his recordings, he uses the ''dizi'' as the lead instrument. He has also used ''dizi'' in the film soundtracks of ''The White Countess'', ''Relic Hunter'', ''China Rises'', and ''Long Life, Happiness, & Prosperity''.


See also

* Chinese flutes * Traditional Chinese musical instruments * Koudi * Music of China


Notes


References

*''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001).


External links

{{Authority control Chinese musical instruments Side-blown flutes Bamboo flutes