The ( zh, c=笙) is a Chinese mouth-blown
polyphonic
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes.
It is one of the oldest Chinese instruments, with images depicting its kind dating back to 1100 BCE,
and there are original instruments from the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
that are preserved in museums today.
Traditionally, the has been used as an
accompaniment
Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles ...
instrument for solo or performances. It is one of the main instruments in and some other forms of
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 ...
. Traditional small ensembles also make use of the , such as the wind and percussion ensembles in northern China. In the modern large
Chinese orchestra
The term Chinese orchestra is most commonly used to refer to the modern Chinese orchestra that is found in China and various overseas Chinese communities. This modern Chinese orchestra first developed out of Jiangnan sizhu ensemble in the 1920s ...
, it is used for both melody and accompaniment.
The has been used in the works of a few non-Chinese composers, including
Unsuk Chin
Unsuk Chin ( ko, 진은숙 ; born July 14, 1961) is a South Korean composer of contemporary classical music, who is based in Berlin, Germany. Chin was self-taught piano from a young age and studied composition at Seoul National University as w ...
,
Jukka Tiensuu Jukka Santeri Tiensuu (born 30 August 1948) is a Finnish contemporary classical composer, harpsichordist, pianist and conductor.
Career
Tiensuu was born in Helsinki. After extensive musical studies (piano, harpsichord, conducting, composing, histor ...
,
Lou Harrison
Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer, music critic, music theorist, painter, and creator of unique musical instruments. Harrison initially wrote in a dissonant, ultramodernist style similar to his form ...
,
Tim Risher
Tim Risher (born 1957) is an American composer. Risher received his B.A. in Music at the University of Central Florida and his M.M. in music composition from Florida State University. While living in Tallahassee, Florida, Risher was a member of ...
,
Daníel Bjarnason
Daníel Bjarnason (born 26 February 1979) is an Icelandic composer and conductor. He has garnered widespread acclaim for his debut album, ''Processions'' (2010), with TimeOut NY writing he "create(s) a sound that comes eerily close to defining ...
,
Guus Janssen
Guus Janssen (born 13 May 1951) is a Dutch composer of contemporary music and a recording artist. A pianist and harpsichordist, he is also active as a jazz performer.
He studied piano and composition at the Sweelinck Academy of Music in Amster ...
and
Christopher Adler. Some believe that
Johann Wilde Johann Wilde was an 18th-century German violinist and musical instrument inventor. He is best known for inventing the nail violin in 1740. He is also credited with the introduction of the Chinese '' sheng'' mouth organ to the Court of St. Petersbur ...
and
Pere Amiot traveled to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and brought the first to Europe in 1740 and 1777 respectively, although there is evidence that free reed musical instruments similar to the were known in Europe a century earlier.
History
![Musician dunhuang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Traditional_Chinese_instrument_players_-_Yulin_Cave_25.jpg)
Chinese free-reed wind instruments named and were first mentioned in
bone oracle
Oracle bones () are pieces of ox scapula and turtle plastron, which were used for pyromancy – a form of divination – in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty. ''Scapulimancy'' is the correct term if ox scapulae were used for t ...
writings dating from the 14th to the 12th centuries BCE, and were identified in later texts as types of . The first appearance of the word is in some of the poems of (''Book of Odes''), dating back . Ancient instruments with gourd wind chambers, varying numbers of pipes, with bamboo or metal reeds have been discovered in archaeological finds at the tomb of the
Marquis Yi
The Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng () is an archaeological site in Leigudun Community (), Nanjiao Subdistrict (), Zengdu District, Suizhou (during the Spring and Autumn period called Sui County), Hubei, China, dated sometime after 433 BC. The tomb co ...
of Zeng () in present-day
Hubei province
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
, and the
Han tombs at
Mawangdui
Mawangdui () is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the Changsha Kingdom during the western Han dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD): the Chancellor Li ...
() in
Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
province.
In the 8th century, three and three were sent to the
Japanese court
The Imperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji period (1868–1912), after which the court was moved from Kyoto (formerly Heian-kyō) to Tokyo (formerly Edo) and integrated into the Meiji gove ...
and these have been preserved in the
Shōsōin
The is the treasure house of Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. The building is in the ''azekura'' ( log-cabin) style with a raised floor. It lies to the northwest of the Great Buddha Hall. The Shōsō-in houses artifacts connected to Emperor Shō ...
imperial repository in
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...
. All the instruments had 17 pipes with a long curving mouthpiece and are very similar to the traditional in use today. However, variants with different numbers of pipes, and chromatic instruments have been documented over the centuries.
Modern changes
The kinds of currently used are the products of changes made since the early 20th century that enhanced its sound and volume as well as increasing its range. Early changes were made by Zheng Jinwen (, 1872–1935) who increased the number of pipes to 32, expanding its range and allowing it to play harmony and chords. The air chamber and size of the pipes were also enlarged, changing the tone color of the instrument. Later various changes were also introduced by players such as Weng Zhenfa () and particularly Hu Tianquan (), with different variants of the instrument produced.
Acoustics and performance
The 's reeds vibrate at a fixed frequency unlike single reeds, double reeds, and pointed free reeds which vibrate at the pitch according to the length of the attached air column. Covering the hole(s) on a traditional 's pipe(s) would cause the entire length of the pipe(s) to resonate with the reeds' frequency. If the hole is open, the resonant frequency would not match, and hence no sound is produced.
The is sounded by either exhaling or inhaling into the mouthpiece, and players can produce a relatively continuous sound without pause by quickly switching between the two, similarly to playing a
harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...
. The traditional performance style is to sound two or three notes at the same time by adding a fifth and/or octave above the main melody note. When a higher note is not available, a lower note a fourth below the main melody note can be played instead.
Types
varieties can be classified into traditional () and keyed () (sometimes also known as "improved " ()). Keyed shengs were only developed in the 20th century, from roughly 1950 onwards.
With more and more hybrid models being introduced, the difference between the two types of are increasingly blurred. However, instruments are generally categorized into either type based on the kind of fingering system that they adopt. This includes (on traditional ) certain notes (namely the leading note, submediant, dominant, followed by tonic) present as a group on the left posterior side. Due to fourth and fifth harmonies being common in traditional repertoire, the fingerings on traditional are optimized for such. As a result, fingerings for traditional tend to look jumbled up, and can vary regionally. Keyed , on the other hand, have sequenced fingerings that allow for easy key changes.
On a traditional , there are holes on the finger pipes which can be covered by the player's fingers to sound that particular note. On a keyed , the holes are opened and closed by means of keys or levers. The greater number of pipes combined with the size of the larger instruments makes it impractical to operate newer instruments without keys.
Traditional
![Sheng - Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku w Warszawie](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Sheng_-_Muzeum_Azji_i_Pacyfiku_w_Warszawie.jpg)
The traditional () used in, for example, northern Chinese ritual music, and
Jiangnan sizhu ''Jiangnan sizhu'' () is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from the ...
ensembles generally have 17 pipes but with only 13 or 14 sounding pipes. Its scale is mainly diatonic, for example the 17-pipe (4 of which are silent decorative pipes) used in Jiangnan sizhu is tuned:
[Witzleben, J. Lawrence (1995). ''"Silk and Bamboo" Music in Shanghai: The Jiangnan Sizhu Instrumental Ensemble Tradition''. Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, p. 42]
\relative c''
With the development of music in mid-20th century China, the underwent changes to increase its range and volume. The had all its 17 pipes fitted with reeds, then the number of pipes increased to 21, and metal tubes were attached to the bamboo pipes to amplify its sound. The other change was the development of the keyed .
\relative c'
Nowadays, traditional are usually only used for solo repertoire, due them not being fully chromatic (and also the fact that certain techniques – like
glissandi
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 co ...
– can only be achieved on a traditional ). For an orchestra setting, keyed tend to be preferred for being fully chromatic. It is worth noting that many modern traditional do come with some keys for ease of fingering; there are also fully chromatic traditional . These are still known by the blanket term "traditional " due to them retaining the typical traditional -like fingering. Also, traditional are usually held in the player's hands when playing, and a 37-reed fully chromatic traditional tends to be too heavy to be held for long performances.
Keyed
Chromatic 24- and 26-reed keyed were common during the 1950s, but current models usually have 32 to 38 reeds. There are four main ranges of keyed , forming a family of soprano, alto, tenor and bass. All are chromatic throughout their range, and equal tempered. They have markedly different fingering from their traditional counterparts, having been redesigned so that key changes can be achieved without cumbersome fingerings. These also differ from their traditional counterparts by the fact that they tend to be placed on the musician's lap or on a stand while playing.
Soprano
The soprano () is a 36-reed with a soprano range of G3 to F#6. It primarily uses the treble
clef
A clef (from French: 'key') is a Musical notation, musical symbol used to indicate which Musical note, notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical staff (music), stave. Placing a clef on a stave assigns a particular pitch to ...
in sounding pitch.
However, to suit the needs of modern repertoire, 38- or even 42-reed have become increasingly prevalent in the late 2010s (those go all the way up to C7). Some models even include levers that allow for sounding of chords (i.e. more than one note is sounded when one lever is depressed).
Alto
Alto Sheng 中音笙.jpg, Alto
2016-05-14 Peking, Himmelstempel, Flötenspieler anagoria.JPG, Man playing outdoors, Beijing
Wu Wei (Shengvirtuose).jpg, Musician Wu Wei playing the
The alto () is a 36-reed with an alto range of C3 to B5. They sound a perfect 5th lower than soprano . They often sport an additional row of 12 black keys, that plays all 3 pipes corresponding to the same note in different octaves (e.g., pressing the black "C" causes the notes C3, C4 and C5 to be sounded simultaneously). It primarily uses the treble (octave down) and alto clefs (albeit less common as of the late 2010s – notably with
Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Singapore Chinese Orchestra SCO ( zh, c=新加坡华乐团, p=Xinjiapo Huayuetuan) is Singapore's only professional Chinese orchestra. Inaugurated in 1997, the 85-musician orchestra took on the twin role of preserving traditional arts and cultu ...
deciding to scribe alto scores in treble clef). The alto variants tend to have a more mellow timbre than the slightly more metallic sounding soprano . It is worth noting the regional differences — while many countries have alto with a range of C3 to B5, some regional variants tend to have a range of G2 to F#5 (i.e. the tenor 's range).
The alto plays an important role in modern
Chinese orchestra
The term Chinese orchestra is most commonly used to refer to the modern Chinese orchestra that is found in China and various overseas Chinese communities. This modern Chinese orchestra first developed out of Jiangnan sizhu ensemble in the 1920s ...
s, serving to provide
chordal accompaniment as well as supplementing lower-pitched instruments like the
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
. There are two main form factors of alto in modern
Chinese music
Music of China refers to the music of the Chinese people, which may be the music of the Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, ma ...
: the (, lit: "hug ") and the (, lit: " in rows"). The is usually placed on the musician's lap; one would reach around to the buttons on its posterior (in effect hugging the instrument, and hence the name). It is cylindrical in nature, and tends to be smaller (i.e. less heavy and bulky) due to the pipes having been engineered to bend inside the body to make effective use of all available space inside the . This, however, presents the drawback of it being difficult to disassemble and reassemble for maintenance or repairs. The on the other hand, is typically placed on a stand. This form is so named as the pipes and resonators are arranged into 3 rows (in a linear manner) instead of a circular fashion. These are commonly seen in school orchestras, as there is a reduced likelihood of it being dropped (since it is placed on a stand), and is less difficult/expensive to repair (due to its simpler layout).
Tenor
The tenor () is a 36-reed with a tenor range of G2 to F5 that sound one octave lower than soprano , and primarily uses the tenor clef or treble clef (octave down), and at times the bass clef. This variant tends to have a warmer and richer timbre, despite being less common than its alto counterpart. They are sometimes made with more reeds to cover the alto 's range as well, and also come in 2 form factors ( and ).
Bass
The bass () is usually a 32-reed with a bass range of C2 to G4, and primarily uses the bass clef.
These similarly come in two form factors as well: the (, lit. "large row "); a large standing organ-like instrument that comes with or without pedals (the pedals are used to pump air into the instrument like a reed organ), and the (lit. "held ", although it is placed on a stand due to its weight). With the bass , the differences between the 2 variants are more pronounced; bass paisheng tend to require a greater breath volume to play.
Keyboard
In the 21st century, keyboard (), or that have a keyboard layout instead of the typical buttons, have emerged. These can vary from 37-reed all the way to 53-reed ones (if not more like 61), covering a variety of ranges from alto to bass. The keyboard has a range of up to 5 octaves from C2 to C7 just like many modern day pipe organs. Keyboard are considered niche, as very few repertoires make use of the keyboard layout. In fact, many of the chordal parts written for are currently heavily clustered, and as such, a keyboard layout tends to result in slightly cumbersome fingering. However, repertoire written for piano is playable on them.
See also
*
Music of China
Music of China refers to the music of the Chinese people, which may be the music of the Han Chinese in the course of Chinese history as well as ethnic minorities in today's China. It also includes music produced by people of Chinese origin in som ...
*
Traditional Chinese musical instruments
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 ...
*
Khene
The ''khene'' (; spelled "Can" in English; Lao: ແຄນ; th, แคน, , ; km, គែន - ''Ken''; Vietnamese: ''khèn'') is a Lao mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out h ...
*
Lusheng
The ''lusheng'' (, ; Vietnamese: ''Khèn Mông''; also spelled ''lu sheng''; spelled ''ghengx'' in standard Hmong and ''qeej'' in Laotian RPA Hmong) is a Hmong musical instrument. It has a long history of 3000 years in China, traced back to the T ...
*
Mangtong
The ''mangtong'' () is a Chinese end-blown free reed wind instrument. It is used primarily by the Miao and Dong ethnic groups of the southern Chinese provinces of Guizhou and Guangxi, although it is sometimes used in contemporary Chinese composi ...
*
Plung
*
Saenghwang
*
Shō
*
Yu (wind instrument)
The ''Yu'' (; pinyin: yú) is a free reed wind instrument used in ancient China. It is similar to the sheng, with multiple bamboo pipes fixed in a wind chest which may be made out of bamboo, wood, or a gourd. Each pipe contains a free reed, ...
Notes
Further reading
* Alan R. Thrasher; ''Sheng'' article, ''
Grove Music Online
''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...
'', Oxford Music Online.
External links
*
Sheng – Chinese mouth organfrom the
Silk Road Project
Silkroad, formerly the Silk Road Project, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization, initiated by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, promoting collaboration among artists and institutions, promoting multicultural artistic exchange, and studying the ebb and ...
The Classical Free-Reed, Inc. History of the Free-Reed Instruments in Classical Music* A visit to the home of master sheng player Hu Tianquan (胡天泉)
Part 1Part 2Part 3 YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheng (Instrument)
Chinese musical instruments
Sets of free reeds
Vietnamese musical instruments
Mouth organs
Chinese words and phrases