The ''yu'' (; pinyin: yǔ) was a wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...
with a serrated back comprising 27 "teeth", used since ancient times in China for
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
court ritual music. It was played by striking its head three times with a
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, ...
whisk
A whisk is a cooking utensil which can be used to blend ingredients smooth or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as '' whisking'' or '' whipping''. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with a series of wire loops ...
made from approximately 15 stalks of bamboo, and then scraping it across the serrated back once to mark the end of a piece of music or Confucian service.
The ''yu'' is mentioned along with another percussion instrument called ''
zhu'' (
柷) in pre-
Qin Dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...
annals; it also appears in the ''
Classic of History''.
As used in Korean ceremonial music, this instrument is called ''eo'' (hangul:
어; hanja:
敔), and as formerly used in Vietnamese ceremonial music, it was called ''
ngữ'' (Hán tự:
敔).
The ''yu'' was also used in
Shao Shao (; Cantonese Romanisation: Shiu; Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Shaw) is a common Chinese family name. It is the 86th most populous family name in China. It corresponds to last name So in Korean; "Thiệu" or "Thiều" in Vietnamese; “Zau” in Wu Chines ...
music.
See also
*
Raganella
References
External links
Page that talks about history of the Yu.Page that talks about the history of the Yu.
Idiophones
Chinese musical instruments
{{China-music-stub