Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments

Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments

Chinese national musical instruments are well known not due to their long history, but more importantly because of the varieties and tones so that not a single country's national musical instrument can be comparable.

According to relevant records, more than 20 kinds of musical instruments emerged during the period of Yin and Shang dynasties (BC 1600 - BC 1046), with percussion and wind instruments playing an important role. There were more than 70 kinds of musical instruments during the Zhou Dynasty (BC1046 - BC 256), along with the percussion and wind instruments with fixed pitches. Until the early Qin period, according to the production of materials, musicians divided musical instruments into eight categories, known as the "eight instruments: gold, stone, earth, leather, silk, wood, gourd, and bamboo. 

From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn period, playing such musical instruments as the Sheng, Yu, and Se (wind instruments), five-string lute, and Qin zithers became popular in folk communities. After the Qin and Han dynasties, the guzheng, pipa, flute, Suona, huqin, ruan (plucked string instrument), Yangqin, and other instruments emerged in succession in China. Some of these instruments were derived locally from China, and some introduced from border ethnic groups or foreign countries to the Central Plains.

1. Name of Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments
2. Guqin (古琴) ɡǔ qín
3. Sheng (笙) shēnɡ 
4. Suona (唢呐) suǒ nà
5. Erhu (二胡) èr hú
6. Xiao (萧) xiāo
7. Pipa (琵琶) pí pa
8. Yangqin (扬琴) yánɡ qín
9. Guzheng (古筝) ɡǔ zhēnɡ
10. Banhu (板胡) bǎn hú

A Large Musical Instrument System

With the efforts of generations of national musicians, Chinese traditional musical instruments have constituted a large musical instrument system. According to incomplete statistics, China now has more than 600 varieties of national musical instruments with unique characteristics. These traditional national musical instruments can be generally divided into four categories: wind, bowed, plucked strings, and percussion in accordance with the sound and playing methods.

1, Chinese wind instruments

Chinese wind instruments have a long history. On the carapace-bone-scripts unearthed in the Yin Ruins showed the names of such musical instruments as he (small Sheng).

 For wind instruments, they make sounds through an air column, reed, or coupling vibrations of both by airflow stimulation, which causes the instruments to make sounds with the airflow. Common wind instruments include the flute, Sheng, Suona, Xiao (vertical bamboo flute), pipe, Bawu, gourd flute, and Lusheng (reed-pipe).

The flute is also known as the cross flute or bamboo flute. Traditional flutes are mainly made of bamboo. The flute has six tone holes, one blowing hole, and one flute diaphragm hole. The ancient flutes were called "Hengchui." During the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty (156-87 BC), the flute was introduced to the central plains through the in the western region. The flute tone limit can reach 2.5 octaves. AS the flute is small and easy to carry, with loud and clear timbre and rich expressive forces, it is often used for solos, ensembles, and accompaniment for operas, songs, and dances. It is a widely used and popular musical instrument. The cross flute, also known as the G-tone flute, is typically used to accompany clapper opera drama in the north (clapper opera mostly uses the G tone). The cross flute is thinner and shorter than the bamboo flute, boasting a clear and bright timbre, and especially outstanding in expressing jubilant, lively, and energetic feel with a strong northern style. Well-known flute songs like Meet with happiness, Five Bangzi, and Birds in the Shade are examples using the cross flute. The bamboo flute, also called D-tone flute, is named for its accompaniment in Jiangnan string and wind music performances and Kunqu opera. The bamboo flute is a little longer, with a beautiful timbre. Pure and simple, listeners appreciate the flute, which expresses indirect and delicate emotions, showing a gentle Jiangnan style. The widely spread flute music includes Journey to Suzhou, Flying Partridges, and Zhonghua Liuban.

The Sheng is the earliest reed-pipe wind instrument in China and the world's first musical instrument with the use of free reed. It makes sounds through the combination of the reed and pipe, and the free vibration of the reed in the reed frame. The sheng consists mainly of the hopper, bamboo pipe, and reed. Legend has it that the sheng varies in shape and size, and there are long and short tubes. As one of the national musical instruments with the widest purposes among traditional Chinese musical instruments, the sheng boasts a gentle timbre, emanating peacefulness. It can be used to play not only monophony but also harmony with outstanding effect, thus playing a prominent role in folk wind and percussion bands. Also, it is also widely used in singing, folk arts, and opera accompaniment. Nowadays, 17-reed sheng is more widely used. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chinese musical instrument makers and performers have made constant revisions of the Sheng, and have developed the 21-reed Sheng, 24-reed Sheng, 36- reed Sheng, 51-reed Sheng, Kuoyin sheng, Jiajian Sheng, mediant Sheng, bass Sheng, and keyboard Pai Sheng.

The Suona is a world musical instrument, widely spread in more than 30 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The Suona emerged in China in about the third century. There is an image of a musician playing the Suona on a fresco in the 38th cave of the Kizil Grottoes in Xinjiang's Baicheng. At present, the Suona is popular in more than 20 ethnic groups in different regions of China, so the name varies among different ethnic groups. It is also called Suona, Laba, Jina, and Wulawa by the Han; Sunaier by Uyghurs; Bailai, Zainai, and Shala by the Li people; and Bishikuer and Narenbilige by Mongolians. The Suona generally consists of a double-reed whistle (made from reed), core (copper), and rod (white wood and rosewood) and copper bowl (shaped like a loudspeaker). It sounds cheerful, loud and clear, and harmonious. It is typically an accompanying musical instrument for general wedding ceremonies, funerals, music festivals, and sacrifices and Yang Ge parties. Famous musical composition is A Phoenix Worshiped by Hundreds of Birds.

The Xiao, also known as vertical flute, is a straight wind instrument. Different from bamboo flute, it has fixed tone holes without a membrane hole. In ancient times, use of the Xiao was spread among people living in Sichuan and Gansu. It is made of a bamboo pipe with a V-shaped mouthpiece. The Xiao covers a wide variety, with such common ones as the black bamboo Xiao, nine-section Xiao, and Yuping Xiao. The Xiao has a pure, soft, and elegant sound, and it is suitable for playing long, peaceful, and lyrical works, but the volume is weak with minor changes in the extent of the volume. It is mostly used for solos or ensembles with the Guqin (Zin Zither), such as Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye.

2, Bowed instruments

Bowed instruments are collectively called Huqin in Chinese. Initially, the Huqin was the musical instrument used by people in the north. It was during the Northern Song period that it was introduced to the Central Plains. After thousands of years of common creation and development by people of all ethnic groups, it has become a national musical instrument with strong characteristics. The Huqin mainly uses a bow and strings as the source of sound through friction for vibration. It is a musical instrument by means of resonance and coupling to create vibration and sound. With beautiful sound and rich impressive forces, it is widely used for solos, ensembles, and accompaniment. Nowadays, common bowed instruments include the Erhu, Gaohu, Zhonghu, Jinghu, and Horse-head stringed instrument.

The Erhu is a bowed instrument that has become the most widely spread and most representative in China. It consists of a head, axis, rod, Qianjin, Qinma, sound box, strings and bow, most of which are wooden in red sandalwood rosewood, and ebony. The strings are of metal or metal over-spun strings. The bow is made from horsetail. The Erhu has a soft sound. It is suitable for playing soft and meticulous lyrical music. Through some special skills, it can be used to play strong or cheerful melodies, and mimic the sounds of gongs and drums, neigh, and bird tweets among others. It is a solo musical instrument with rich impressive forces.

With the efforts of Erhu performers in history, the playing techniques of the Erhu have witnessed great development. The commonly used techniques include bow skills namely bow separation, fast bow, trembling bow, suddenly bow, and jump bow, and various finger methods such as rubbing plucking, beating tone, and sliding tone. For a long time, the Erhu occupied a very important position in such musical performance, forms as ensembles, singing and dancing, folk operas, and rap music, but it was only an instrument for accompaniment. It was not until dramatic reforms made by Liu Tianhua, an Erhu master that made the instrument used in solos. In addition, in the course of developing the Erhu, masters Hua Yanjun, Sun Wenming, and Liu Mingyuan and so on, made lifetime contributions to the great development of the Erhu in techniques and artistic standards. Famous erhu music compositions include The Moon Reflected on the Er-Quan Spring, Listen to the Pine, Guang Ming Xing, and Bird's Singing in an Empty Mountain.

The Banhu also called Yehu, Qinhu, Huhu, Daxian, and Piao emerged along with clapper opera. It is shorter than the Erhu and often made from coconut shells or wood and bamboo. The rods are mostly made from hardwood. The bow hair is placed between the two strings for playing. In the Huqin family, the Banhu belongs to one of the powerful high-tone musical instruments. Its timbre is sonorous, clear, and unique, suitable for showing lively, warm, and unrestrained feelings. The Banhu can be used for solos and ensembles and is also an important accompaniment instrument for the Hebei Bangzi, Pingju opera, Lv opera, Henan Opera, Shaanxi Opera, Shanxi opera, Lanzhou drum opera, Daoqing opera, and other operas and folk art forms.

The horse head string instrument is a unique bowed instrument of the Mongolian people. It is called Molin huer by Mongolians. It is named after the horse's head carved on its upper part. Legend has it that the instrument became widespread among Mongolian people in the 12th century. Its sound box is made from pine and made into a trapezoidal shape. Both sides are covered with horse skin or sheepskin. Its rod is thin and long, made from Elmwood or red sandalwood. The two strings are made from horsetails, and so are the bowstrings. With a large volume and mellow sound, it has rich impressive forces and is often used for solos and accompaniment for folk songs and rap.

3, Plucked string instruments

Plucked string instruments are the collective term for musical instruments that use fingers and use bamboo to strike the strings to make sounds. It has a very long history, and the Qin and Se emerged as early as the Zhou Dynasty. According to the shapes, performances, and playing methods of musical instruments, plucked string instruments can be divided into two categories: one represented by the Pipa, and the other the Guqin and Guzheng.

The Guqin is a musical stringed instrument of ancient China and has a long history of several thousand years. In 1977, the United States launched the spaceship named "Voyager" in an effort to communicate with alien life. Twenty-seven world-famous songs were selected to make a disc that was sent into space. Flowing Water played on the guqin was one of them. Since then, people around the world have paid attention to ancient guqin. On November 7, 2003, the guqin was registered as an Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.

The earliest Guqin had five strings. Emperors Wenwang and Wuwang of the Zhou Dynasty knew the music well enough to add two strings to the guqin. That's why the guqin usually has seven strings. The body of the guqin is usually elongated, and hollow in the center. There are 13 Hui or strings. They are above the surface of the guqin without supports. The surface of the guqin is used as the finger plate. The surface board of the guqin is made of a whole piece of phoenix tree wood. Its surface is arched and with two crescent and square-shaped fixtures on the forehead and waste of the Guqin. There are more than 90 techniques in playing the guqin by hands.

The Guqin has seven strings and is tuned in a pentatonic scale, with a major second or minor third between two strings next to each other. So playing the different strings may create the same tone, which is marvelous. Referring to the expression of music, the Chinese ancients considered that the "Qin is the best of all the stringed instruments, which are the best of the eight kinds of musical instruments" (New Discourses: Guqin, Xinlun.Qindao in Chinese, by Huan Tan), meaning that the guqin is superior to other instruments in depth and strength of music.

There are four traditional ways to play the guqin: solo, Qin ensemble and Xiao (a vertically- played bamboo flute), Qin accompanying a song, and an ensemble of Gagaku (a type of royal music of ancient China). Since ancient times, there had been thousands of solo pieces composed for the guqin. Some were written on the basis of natural scenes, such as Lofty Mountains (Gao Shan), Flowing Water (Liu Shui), Three Variations of Plum Blossom (Mei Hua San Nong) and Wild Geese over the Clam Sands (Ping Sha Luo Yan). Some of them express the feelings and emotions of people, such as Three Farezvells at Yang Pass (Yang Guan San Die), Memory of an Old Friend (Yi Gu Ren), The Lament (Li Sao), and Misty Xiao Xiang River (Xiao Xiang Shui Yun). Other pieces are about historical and folk stories, such as Song of the Autumn Frontier (Qiu Sai Yin), The Song of Chu (Chu Ge), and Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute (Hu Jia Shi Ba Pai). The Guqin can well express the emotions of human beings or describe natural scenes.

Compared with other stringed instruments, such as the Guzheng, the Guqin is of a smaller size and has a thinner board. There is a thick layer of lacquer on the surface of the Guqin. So, the sound played by the Guqin is softer than that played by the Guzheng. The timbre of Guqin is low and a little bit oppressive. However, as long as people listen carefully, they will find that it sounds firm and melodic, similar to the sound of musical bells and stones, or quiet and sweet, like the sound of a vertically played flute. In a word, it has special characteristics. Speaking to the functions of the guqin, it is a tool for self-entertainment rather than for pleasing others. It is not suitable for playing in front of many people. Chuang-Tzu (Zhuang Zi) once said, "By playing the Qin, one can please himself (herself)." Other people consider playing the guqin as a way for self-entertainment and self-cultivation. In essence, the Guqin can be compared to a hermit who is introverted and thoughtful. The Guqin was popular among scholars, as they improved and cultivated themselves by playing it. Before playing the Guqin, the players would first wash their hands, preen their clothes and burn some incense. Then they played the guqin not only for music but also for harmony between human beings and nature. The ancients thought that to listen to music was like reading the feelings and intentions of a person. The Qin was like a mirror, which reflected the inner feelings of people. The songs and postures for playing the Guqin can help us understand a person well.

There are many stories about the guqin. It is said that Yu Boya was good at playing the guqin, while Zhong Ziqi was good at listening to guqin songs. Zhong Ziqi knew what Yu Boya was thinking. Once, Yu was thinking of lofty mountains when he was playing the Qin, and Zhong said, "Fantastic, it makes me think of the Taishan Mountain." Then, Yu started to think of flowing water, and Zhong said, "Wonderful, it makes me think of flowing water." Later, after Zhong died, Yu played the last song for Zhong and then destroyed his Qin, meaning he would never play the guqin any more because there would not be a kindred spirit like Zhong. That's why Gao Shan Liu Shui (meaning the lofty mountain and flowing water) has a meaning of kindred spirits or confidant.

Some people even found their lover when listening to guqin songs. This story is about Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun, who lived in the Western Han Dynasty. Sima Xiangru was a famous poet and musician. He was good at playing the Qin. The name of his Qin was “Lvqi” one of the best Qin in ancient China. When he was young, Sima Xiangru loved reading. Due to poverty and lack of glorious life, Sima Xiangru went to seek shelter with Wang Ji, magistrate of Linqiong County. There was a rich man named Zhuo Wangsun in that county. He had a daughter named Zhuo Wenjun, who was then 17-years old. She was a beautiful young woman and loved playing the drum and qin. In addition, the girl had natural talents in literature. At that time, her husband had just died. Zhuo Wangsun and Wang Ji were friends. Then Sima Xiangru began to know the woman and wanted to meet her. One day, Sima Xiangru visited the Zhuo family and played a song with the Qin, and sang:

This male phoenix has returned to his old home,

From roaming the four seas searching for his mate;

Time was not yet ripe; there was no way to meet her;

Then what a surprise: this evening I come up to this hall,

And there's a dazzling maiden in the women rs quarters.

The room is near but she far: this poisons my guts.

How can we entwine our necks like mandarin ducks?

How can we flutter about, and together soar?

His direct, brave and passionate courtship moved Zhuo Wenjun, who had been listening to the song behind a curtain. They fell in love with each other at first sight and then eloped. Later some people composed a piece of music on the basis of the song of Sima Xiangru and called it A Male Phoenix Seeks his Mate (Fu Qiu Huang). This song has been passed down for thousands of years.

The Guzheng is one of the oldest Chinese plucked string instruments and became popular in the State of Qin (today's Shaanxi) as early as the Spring and Autumn period. During the Tang and Song dynasties, it had 13 strings and later increased to 16, 18, 21, and 25 strings. Presently, the most commonly used one has 21 strings. The sound quality depends on the quality of the panel and strings, and other rim materials can slightly improve the timbre. The best materials for the guzheng are old mahogany, red sandalwood, and golden-thread nanmu. The left hand is used to control the strings and the right hand for playing the strings. There are many finger methods including holding, strumming, picking, wiping, and shaking. The left hand performs such movements as pressing, sliding, kneading, and trembling, and playing with sliding fingers is a kind of feature performance of the guzheng. It is often used for solos and ensembles, instrumental ensembles, accompaniment for singing and dancing, operas, and folk art forms. With a broad tone range and beautiful timbre, it is known as the "King of Instruments," and "Oriental Piano." Well-known guzheng compositions include Song of the Homebound Fishermen and Lotus on Water.

Plucked string instruments with the Pipa as the representative also include the Liuqin, Yueqin, Ruan, and Sanxian. When it is played, the left-hand controls the strings, and the right-hand play it. The Pipa is an exotic musical instrument, and it was introduced to the Central Plains from India via Qiuzi (today’s Kuqa in Xinjiang) during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420-589). It is wooden with a half-pear-shaped soundbox. It is held vertically in the arms of the performer. It has a broad range of sounds, with a clear and beautiful timbre. It can be used for playing impassioned performances of military music and lyrical cultural music. The Pipa was considered the representative of scholar music along with the Guqin in history. Since the late Qing Dynasty, it has become an indispensable element of traditional Chinese musical instruments. In addition to solo and orchestra performances, the Pipa is widely used in opera, folk art, singing and so on. Well-known pipa compositions include House of the Flying Daggers and Ambush on Ten Sides.

4, Percussion instruments

Percussion instruments are the oldest instruments in human history. Sounds are made by striking the body of the instrument, and rhythms and the timbre are adopted to enhance and perform music and render atmosphere. It is mostly used for folk drum and gong music. Common percussion instruments are drums, clapper drum, waist drum, wood block, small gong, big gong, Yunluo, cymbal, and handbell. In addition, in the classification of some musical instruments, the yangqin is also classified as a percussion instrument. All ethnic groups have different styles of drums. Commonly used drums include the hand drum of the Uygur people, Bajiao drum (eight-angled drum) of the Manchu and Bai people, the elephant-foot drum of the Dai people, the long drum of the Yao people, hand drum of the Tibetans, and hourglass¬shaped drum of ethnic Korean people.

The Yangqin, which is also known as a dulcimer, was introduced from Persia (today's Iran) and Arabia to China towards the end of the Ming Dynasty. It was first popular in Guangdong province, and later all over the country. It is made of wood, with the mainframe as its resonance box in the shape of a butterfly, so it is also called "butterfly dulcimer." When it is played, it is placed on a wooden stand, with both hands holding flexible small bamboo whips to strike strings to make sounds. It boasts bright and clear sounds suitable for the performance of light, lively and cheerful moods, and the feelings of joy and delight. It can be used for solos, ensembles, or rap music and opera accompaniment. It has experienced many years of development in China, having traditional Chinese characteristics and folk styles not only in the production of musical instruments, the art of performance, or the creation of musical compositions. It has become one of the favorite musical instruments in China.

Drums are made from wood with a round framework covered with animal skin. It has different shapes and sizes. Big drums use two thick wooden whips (drum whips), making different sounds with different pitches and timbre due from striking on different positions. The center of the drum makes downbeat sounds and the sound become increasingly strong from the center to the edge. It is mainly used for drum and gong bands or national music bands to create an atmosphere and stimulate feelings. The Bangu (clapper drum) is covered with a single layer of animal skin. With a thick frame and small drum heart, thin bamboo sticks are used to strike the drum heart to make high-pitched sounds, mostly used for accompaniment for Peking opera and other local operas.

The Gong is made from copper. Round with low sounds in the center and high-pitched sounds on the edges, the big gong are the largest of such instruments. The big gong boasts a rough and loud timbre and is often used for national musical instrumental ensembles playing the role of strengthening musical rhythms and playing up the atmosphere. The Yunluo (Chinese gong chimes) is an instrument with fixed pitches that can play tunes. It consists of a number of small brass gongs with the same size and different pitches, and the small gongs are arranged on a wooden stand according to the order of pitch. The number of each strand of yunluo varies. The playing method is similar to that of the dulcimer, including clicking, double-clicking, rolling striking, light striking, and heavy striking, and it can also play double tones, arpeggios, and tetrameter chords (both hands holding two whips striking at the same time). After improvements, the yunluo boasts a clear and bright timbre, and can also be used for accompaniment, ensembles, and for solos as well.

Varieties of Unique Local Music

According to the forms of performance, China's national instrumental music can be divided into two major categories, namely solo and ensemble. There are nearly 1,000 pieces of solo compositions, and nearly 100 ensemble pieces, such as Guangdong music, Jiangnan string, and woodwind instrumental music, Chaozhou string music, Xi'an drum music, and Jiangsu Shifangu (10 drum sound variations), including more than 10,000 compositions. These are important components of traditional Chinese music. Based on the characteristics of various local music and orchestral formulation and performance, they can be divided into five categories: string and woodwind instrumental music, string music, wind and drum music, wind and percussion music, drum and gong music.

1, String and woodwind instrumental music

String and woodwind instrumental music involve one or two pieces of string instruments and bamboo wind instruments as the core of the band. This kind of music is popular mainly in the South. Its characteristics can be summed up in four words, namely, small, light, fine, and elegant. Jiangnan string and wind instrumental music, Guangdong (province) music, and Fujian (province) Nanyin music are the typical representatives. Jiangnan string and wind instrumental music was a kind of string and wind instrumental ensemble music popular in Shanghai province, Jiangsu province, and Zhejiang province in modern China. Wenming Yaji was a string and wind instrumental music established in Shanghai in 1911.

Performed on a regular basis, famous pieces included Er Liu, On the Street, and Song of Joy. Later, the Jun Tian Music Society, Society of National Music, and Shanghai Traditional Music Research Association, and other such groups were established, playing a positive role in driving the development of Jiangnan string and wind instrumental music. The main instruments used include the flute, Erhu, Sanxian, Pipa, dulcimer, vertical flute, Sheng, drum, clappers, and woodblock. Famous music pieces are generally known as the "eight pieces," namely Lao Sanliu, Man Sanliu, Zhonghua Liuban, Man Liuban, Song of Joy, Yunqing, Si He Ru Yi (All is happening as desired), and On the Street.

Guangdong (province) music consists of string and wind instrumental ensemble music that originated from Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta region in the late 19th century. When it first emerged, this kind of music focused on the performance of songs, Qupai music, and interlude music in local opera. Often used for folk customs and festivals, it later gradually became instrumental music with Guangdong characteristics, and well-known performers included Yan Laolie, Qiu Hechuan, Lu Yicheng, and He Liutang. In addition to performance, adaptation, and improvement of musical instruments, they wrote lots of musical compositions. Guangdong music mainly involved the high bow hair tension of five instruments and low bow hair tension of three instruments. Currently, the main musical instruments are the gaohu (Cantonese huqin), Yangqiu, Pipa, vertical flute, Yehu, and Guzheng. There are such representative compositions as Zao Tian Lei, Descending Curtain, Chain of Rings, Rain Pattering on Plantain Leaves, Peach Blossom, Bitter Hate, Climbing High Step-by-step, and Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake.

Fujian Nanyin music is simple, elegant, calm and harmonious with a long history. From frescos dating back to the Tang Dynasty, there were musical instruments of the same type, for example, the Nanyin pipa, vertical flute, and clappers, and some instruments sharing the same performance gestures. The tune names of Nanyin are closely related to music from the Tang dynasty. It was widely spread in Fujian during the Qing Dynasty and now is popular in some countries in Southeast Asia.

The performance forms of Fujian Nanyin fall into two categories, Shangsiguan and Xiasiguan. The instruments included in the Shangsiguan are the vertical flute, Erxian, Pipa, Sanxian, and clappers, mainly played indoors; the instruments included in the Xiasiguan include mediant Suona, Pipa, Sanxian, erxian, and some small percussion instruments, which are mostly played outdoors. Nanyin consists of three components, namely, Zhi, Pu, and Qu. Zhi means suites of fingering, also called large divertimento music. Each set of divertimento music includes a libretto, score, and pipa performance with a story plot. Pu means suites of instrumental music, so they are instrumental divertimento music. For instrumental divertimento music, each divertimento includes a gong-chi music score and Pipa performance. The most widely spread ones focus on the description of natural landscapes, flowers, birds, and insects. Representative works include Four Seasons, Plums, Eight Galloping Horses, and Birds Returning to Their Nests. Qu refers to Sanqu, and it is an independent form of vocal music. There are such representative pieces as Dagun, Zhong Gun, Da Bei, and Zhong Bei.

2, Chinese traditional string music

Chinese traditional string music, also known as string music, Xuanshi music, or Xiyue (fine music), is popular in the north, south and central plains. It was used to accompany operas and folk arts in the Song and Yuan dynasties. Later, it referred to music ensembles featuring several plucked stringed instruments and bowed instruments. Due to their elegant styles and long history, Chinese traditional string music is also known as elegant and ancient music, with typical representatives including the 13 sets of stringed musical instruments of Beijing, Bantou tunes of Henan, and fine music of Chaozhou. Despite the popularity in different regions, variations in local features and styles, these varieties of music share a lot in common in tones, band combinations, and forms of performance, and the structure of music. Generally, only three or four pieces of string musical instruments with local characteristics are used, such as the Guzheng, Pipa, Yangqin, Sanxian, and huqin. Each instrument has its own characteristics of independent performance with harmonious coordination of various instruments.

3, Wind and drum music

Wind and drum music involves such main instruments as Pipes, Suona, Haidi (smaller-sized Suona), and flutes, along with other orchestral and percussion instruments. There are wide varieties of wind and drum music spread in various places, and the performance forms can be divided into three categories, namely, wind and drum music mainly based on Pipes, with representatives including the Hebei Music Association, North Shanxi folk pipe-wind music, and music of the Beijing Zhihua Temple; wind and drum music mainly based on the Suona (or Haidi), with representatives including wind and drum music of Jilin, Liaoning, east Hebei, southwest Shandong, Shanxi, and Yili. Wind and drum music is mainly based on the flute, from the southwest and central Shandong.

4, Wind and percussion ensemble

Wind and percussion ensemble features orchestral instruments or wind and percussion instruments, and the two kinds of instruments are equally important. Wind and percussion ensembles are popular mainly in the southern part of China. There are such well-known representatives as the South Jiangsu Shifangu, Shifan drums, and gongs, drums Shifan, wind, and percussion ensemble of Zhejiang province. Xi'an drum music, popular in Xi'an and its neighboring regions is also a kind of large-scale wind and percussion ensemble with a long history. According to relevant research, it originated from Yanyue (court banquet music) of the Tang Dynasty, boasting such characteristics as grandness, graciousness, elegance, rich compositions, structural integrity, and beautiful tunes with imperial music features. Its structure of the musical composition is similar to that of grand pieces from the Tang Dynasty. Xi'an drum music is mainly based on bamboo flutes, in two forms of performance, namely indoor and outdoor music. Outdoor music is often performed in the streets at the temple fairs and on other occasions.

With rich varieties and gorgeous tones, China's national musical instruments constitute a large piece of Chinese folk music and create exquisite pictures. They are the product of the wisdom of the working people and nurture the great nation with its unique way.