User:Lwsswlp/Stringed music(China)

30 March 2018 Seminar Leader: Dr Lawrenve Boilkov

Article Title: Chinese stringed music (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Lwsswlp/Stringed_music(China))

Associated WikiProjects : My article should be associated with east asia and music instruments. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_East_Asia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musical_Instruments

Stringed music has different meaning in China especially in the east part (jiang nan), it is the name of all the instruments made from bamboo and those with strings. In origin, the stringed music was the most famous music in the past, for now some modern or international instrument started to be added in the list of stringed music. This form of performance start from jin dynasty. The majority of the instrument covered in stringed music are xiao(flute), sheng, erhu, pipa and so on.

the instruments covered in this type of performance

Guqin

This is a instrument about chinese stringed music instruments which know by most of the people in China. Normally, this instrument is made by the paulownia wood which can make the guqin easier to carry and the timbre is more sweet than other wood. However in the past, those rich family of business and kings preferred to use those rare woods to make the guqin, like namu, red sandalwood, mahogany and so on. Unfortunately, the number of those guqin are absolutely small and most of them can just be seen in the museum. The performance of it is really limited by the place, because the sound of is not loud enough if hundreds of people sit in a room. Therefore this instrument is not very common appeared in ensemble. Most of the players more prefer to join the group activities which can let them play the song one by one and communicate with each other about the skills and different feelings they received during the song. Guqin have its unique music score which all the words on it is combined by different parts of chinese words. This is a essential reason about why the number of the people chose to learn guqin is extremely small.

Xiao(flute)

This is a historical instruments which might choose by the people to learn. In lots of famous chinese martial arts novels, those most power heroes always carry a xiao with them, and many TV series contain this element as well. Therefore, in most chinese kids` mind xiao represent a image of nuttiness and they can be the best one if they carry and can play xiao. The materials of making xiao is normal and can be found in most places in China --- bamboo. For the best xiao , it should use the bamboo which collected between the end of winter and the start of spring. Among these, those bamboo which grow more than three years are the best, the timbre are the best.

Erhu

The first time that erhu appeared were in Tang dynasty. At the beginning, erhu were called huqin since it was invented by a ethnic group lived in north part of China. Different than most instruments covered in stringed instruments, in the past erhu were more used by the soldiers in the frontier juncture. Therefore the timbre is stronger compared with other instruments, and the song for erhu are more about the wars, the view of desert, and for those people live far away from home to tell their mind about missing their families. Erhu only have two strings. For nowadays more people would like to use the metal strings than the silk string, since the silk strings is not stable and much easier to break.

Pipa

This instrument is appeared more than two thousands of year in the history. The name --- pipa is a general name. By playing the instruments with the hand forward or backward can distinguish whether the instrument is pi or pa. In Tang dynasty, pipa was really popular even in the palace. Whatever the kings or the normal people all played pipa during daily life. Many famous paintings which displayed in museum about the pipa were done at that time.

Zheng

This instrument always confused with guqin by many people who do not know details about them. Different from guqin, zheng have 21 strings for each.(for guqin, it only have seven for each) According to this the sound of zheng is much louder and more suitable to perform in front of people.

the history of string music in China

The stringed music of Jiangnan originated and prevailed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, which are rich treasures with developed economy and culture. It is small, light, fine and elegant. It fully represents the culture of Jiangnan and is a specific product of the culture of Jiangnan. She is endowed with unique, rich and colorful characteristics. It is elegant, euphemistic, lively, mellow, soothing, g together. At last, everyone thought that "Jiangnan Silk Bamboo" was more suitable. jiangnan stringed music was really formed in the late Qing Dynasty. Folk music and ancient music were adapted and processed by generations of silk and bamboo masters and famous artists, gradually forming its characteristics. Its rise and prosperity was in the period of the Republic of China, more than a hundred years ago. lyric and graceful. The instruments used are simple and easy to get, the playing forms are flexible and changeable, the people like it, and the scholars love it. It can be said that both elegance and vulgarity enjoy it. It is most qualified to represent Jiangnan culture. Jiangnan stringed music, once known as "South Jiangsu silk bamboo" and "Wuyue silk bamboo" because of its regional and customary randomness. During the East China Folk Music Festival held in the early 1950s, several musicians who paid attention to this aspect discussed the issue of namin

the masterpiece of the chinese string music

masterpiece in the past

《The Moon Over a Fountain》《lofty mountains and flowing water》《Plum blossom and three flowers 》《Farewell to my concubine 》《courtship》《Guang ling Verse 》《Fishing Junks At Sunset 》

the style of music which will use this type of music

Soft: refers to the soft characteristics of Orchestra Ensemble sound;

Fineness: refers to the delicate and delicate performance style;

Light; refers to music that focuses on expressing lightness and pleasure.

The above characteristics are related to the indoor performance of stringed music.