Chinese Music

Chinese music has a history of more than 8000 years. It has a very early development of theoretical systematics, acoustical and material science, and orchestral practice. In 3000 B.C. a complete musical theory already existed and sophisticated musical instruments were used. Chinese music has a broader harmonic system than the Western one because more intervals are considered harmonic. "Chinese music came from natural and physically just intervals. That is why Chinese string tuning is stacked fifth-fourth in all respects rather than the fifth-fifth stacking as is practiced in the West today." Traditional Chinese instruments have different sounds and playing styles than Western instruments. This results in variations of rhythm, beat, tone quality, and embellishments. The orchestra is made up of many different cultural traditions. Several dozens of acoustically unified and musically interesting orchestras exist. They are primarily based on reeded wind and plucked string instruments.

The orchestra has four sections. The first is the bowed-strings, or Hu Qin, which are made of woo d with a piece of snakeskin stretched over the sound box. They have two strings, and the bow is permanently caught in between the two strings. The second group is the plucked-strings, of which there are three types: the dulcimer, the lute, and the harp. The harp is made of either wood or bamboo with steel strings. In the past the strings were made of silk. The third section is the woodwind section. There are flutes, pipes, and Chinese trumpets which use double reeds like the oboe but sound like a trumpet. The final section is the percussion section. The main instruments are the drums, timpani, gongs, and cymbals. For some songs, bells, xylophones, tuned gongs and the triangle are used. The percussion section is called the wu-ch'ang, or martial scene, in traditional Chinese opera.

Pictures courtesy of Clarion Music Center.