Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
In Chinese mythology, Ling Lun is known as the person who started music. The Yellow Emperor asked him to create a system of pitch pipes. He made 12 bamboo pipes to copy the harmonious sounds of the mythical phoenix.
The history of Chinese musical instruments goes back over 8,000 years. They have changed from simple bone flutes in prehistoric times to the complex instruments used in today’s orchestras. Early Chinese societies had a vibrant musical culture that dates back to the Zhou dynasty, which was around 1046-256BC. During that time, people grouped instruments by the materials they were made of.
Today, modern Chinese orchestras are organised into four main groups: plucked strings, bowed strings, wind instruments and percussion.
Plucked strings: pipa (琵琶)
The pipa is a four-stringed instrument shaped like a pear. It was likely brought to China from West Asia over 2,000 years ago. It is famous for its expressive and dramatic sound. Thus, it has occupied a key position in modern Chinese orchestras.
The characters pi and pa in its name depict the inward and outward plucking action of playing the instrument. Many classic pieces still live on with the pipa’s help, such as Ambush from Ten Sides (1818).
Bowed strings: erhu (二胡)
The erhu, often called the “Chinese violin”, is a two-stringed instrument. It has a handle that runs through its body. It is played with a bow that moves between the strings, producing an emotional, weeping tone. This instrument has a rich history, having been used in China for over 1,000 years.
Wind instruments: sheng (笙)
The sheng is an ancient mouth-blown instrument dating back to at least 1100BC. It is made of small bamboo pipes arranged in a circle around a wind chamber. Each pipe features a free reed made of metal or bamboo. When a finger covers a pipe’s hole, the reed vibrates, producing sound.
Percussion: bianzhong (編鐘)
This musical instrument dates back to the earliest records of Chinese civilisation. Bronze bells first appeared during the Zhou dynasty. They were historically played to signify status and power.
The bianzhong serves as both a primary lead and a rhythmic anchor in modern Chinese orchestras. A full set of these bells requires two or more people to play, but smaller sets are often featured in modern concerts.
