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Sanxian
The (, literally "three strings") is a three-stringed List of traditional Chinese musical instruments, traditional Chinese lute. It has a long fretless fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snake skin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator. It is made in several sizes for different purposes and in the early 20th century a four-stringed version, the ''jiaxian sanxian'' (加弦三弦), was developed. The northern is generally larger, at about in length, while southern versions of the instrument are usually about in length. History It has been suggested that ''sanxian'', a form of spike lute, may have its origin in the Middle East, and older forms of spike lute were also found in ancient Egypt. Similar instruments may have been present in China as early as the Qin dynasty as ''qin pipa'' (''pipa'' was used as a generic term in ancient China for many other forms of plucked chordophones) or ''xiantao'' (弦鼗), which the Qinqin and Ruan (instrument), Ruan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanxian And Pipa
The (, literally "three strings") is a three-stringed traditional Chinese lute. It has a long fretless fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snake skin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator. It is made in several sizes for different purposes and in the early 20th century a four-stringed version, the ''jiaxian sanxian'' (加弦三弦), was developed. The northern is generally larger, at about in length, while southern versions of the instrument are usually about in length. History It has been suggested that ''sanxian'', a form of spike lute, may have its origin in the Middle East, and older forms of spike lute were also found in ancient Egypt. Similar instruments may have been present in China as early as the Qin dynasty as ''qin pipa'' (''pipa'' was used as a generic term in ancient China for many other forms of plucked chordophones) or ''xiantao'' (弦鼗), which the Qinqin and Ruan also come from. Some thought that the instrument may have been re- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 into a form that is based on the structure and principles of a Western symphony orchestra but using Chinese instruments. The orchestra is divided into four sections – wind, plucked strings, bowed strings, and percussion, and usually performs modernized traditional music called ''guoyue''. The orchestra may be referred to as ''Minzu Yuetuan'' () or ''Minyuetuan'' () in mainland China, ''Chung Ngok Tuen'' () in Hong Kong, ''Huayuetuan'' () in Southeast Asia, or ''Guoyuetuan'' () in Taiwan. The term modern Chinese orchestra is sometimes used to distinguish the current form from Chinese traditional music#Instrumental ensemble, ancient Chinese orchestras that existed since the Shang dynasty and was used in royal courts and later during Confuc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments
Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories (classified by the material from which the instruments were made) 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 groups. The grouping of instruments in material categories in China is one of the first musical groupings ever devised. Silk Silk () instruments are mostly stringed instruments (including those that are plucked, bowed, and struck). Since ancient times, the Chinese have used twisted silk for strings, though today metal or nylon are more frequently used. Instruments in the silk category include: Plucked * ( zh, c= 古琴, p=gǔqín) – 7-stringed zithers * ( zh, c= 瑟, p=sè) – 25-stringed zither with movable bridges (ancient sources say 14, 25 or 50 strings) * () – 16–26 stringed zither with movable bridges * () – harp * () – four-stringed lute with gourd body used by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suzhou Pingtan
''Pingtan'' (), also known as Suzhou Pingtan, is a regional variant of '' quyi'' and a popular musical/oral performance art form in the Jiangnan region of China, encompassing southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Originating from Suzhou, it is a blend of the Chinese narrative musical traditions of ''pinghua'' and '' tanci'', with roots tracing back to the Song dynasty and influences from Wuyue culture. This art form, shaped by Pingtan artists, has garnered immense popularity in Jiangnan. Its long history has provided a solid foundation for development. Despite its simplicity in form, Pingtan's content is rich, incorporating techniques like storytelling, joke cracking, music playing and aria singing. Its artistic features include "reasoning, tastes, unexpectedness, interest and minuteness". Although it began in Suzhou, Pingtan experienced significant growth in Shanghai during the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, spurred by the development of commerce and culture. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shamisen
The , also known as or (all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually but sometimes when used as a suffix, according to regular rendaku, sound change (e.g. ). In Western Japanese dialects and several Edo period sources, it is both written and pronounced as . The construction of the varies in shape, depending on the genre in which it is used. The instrument used to accompany kabuki has a thin neck, facilitating the agile and virtuosic requirements of that genre. The one used to accompany Bunraku, puppet plays and Min'yo, folk songs has a longer and thicker neck instead, to match the more robust music of those genres. Construction The is a plucked stringed instrument. Its construction follows a model similar to that of a guitar or a banjo, with a neck and strings stretched across a resonating body. The nec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nanguan Music
Nanguan (; also ''nanyin'', ''nanyue'', ''xianguan'', or ''nanqu'') is a style of Chinese classical music, Chinese chamber music from the southern Chinese province of Fujian. Nanguan was first brought to Taiwan during the Ming dynasty by the Han Chinese immigrants who later settled predominantly in southern Taiwan, where they established quguan music societies to maintain and transmit their cultural practices. However, over the centuries, Nanguan evolved separately from its mainland counterpart, shaped strongly by Taiwan’s unique socio-political conditions and local influences. Historically, Nanguan was played for the elite, including Emperor Kangxi, which allowed for its status to be elevated within society. Participation in quguan societies was once strictly regulated, with membership restricted from individuals who were seen as ‘improper’ - barbers, stage performers, or geisha entertainers. It became popular in Taiwan, particularly Lukang, Changhua, Lukang on west coas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashioned by African Americans and had African antecedents. In the 19th century, interest in the instrument was spread across the United States and United Kingdom by traveling shows of the 19th-century minstrel show fad, followed by mass production and mail-order sales, including instructional books. The inexpensive or home-made banjo remained part of rural folk culture, but five-string and four-string banjos also became popular for home parlor music entertainment, college music clubs, and early 20th century jazz bands. By the early 20th century, the banjo was most frequently associated with folk, cowboy music, and country music. By mid-century it had come to be strongly associated with bluegrass. Eventu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruan (instrument)
The ''ruan'' () is a Traditional Chinese musical instruments, 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 (instrument), bass: ''daruan'' (大阮, l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanshin
The is a Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyuan musical instrument and precursor of the mainland Japanese (). Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings. Origins The sanshin is believed to have originated from the Chinese instrument known as the ''sanxian'', which was introduced to Okinawa through trade in the 15th century. Over time, the sanshin underwent unique modifications and developments in Okinawa and the Amami Islands, evolving into a distinct instrument. In the 16th century, the sanshin reached mainland Japan, specifically the trading port of Sakai in Osaka. The sanshin was transformed into the shamisen in mainland Japan, which spread throughout the country. As it reached various regions, the shamisen continued to be altered, resulting in variations such as the ''Tsugaru-jamisen, Tsugaru shamisen'' and ''Yanagawa shamisen''. Among these, the gottan from Kyushu, retained many characteristics of the sanshin, distinguishing it from other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Song
The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song frequently came into conflict with the contemporaneous Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties in northern China. After retreating to southern China following attacks by the Jin dynasty, the Song was eventually conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The dynasty's history is divided into two periods: during the Northern Song (; 960–1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now East China. The Southern Song (; 1127–1279) comprise the period following the loss of control over the northern half of Song territory to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song wars. At that time, the Song court retreated south o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiangnan Sizhu
''Jiangnan sizhu'' () is a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from the Jiangnan region of China. Name The name ''Jiangnan sizhu'' ( zh, t=江南絲竹, s=江南丝竹, p=Jiāngnán sīzhú) is made up of two parts. ''Jiangnan'' is the traditional name for the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze river in southern Jiangsu, Shanghai, and northern Zhejiang. ''Sizhu'', literally "silk and bamboo", refers to string and wind musical instruments, silk being the traditional material from which strings have historically been made in China, and bamboo being the material from which the Chinese flutes such as the '' dizi'' and '' xiao'' are made. The term ''sizhu'' by extension also came to refer to instrumental music in general, especially that played indoors. Other ''sizhu'' traditions also exist, particularly along China's southeastern coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong. History ''Sizhu'' is a 20th-century term that refers to the folk ensembles that first app ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
