Historical Instruments From China

Credit: Thoman
Clarinet: Reed Instrument

Hello, again fellow viewers today I will be telling you about historical instruments from China. This is only part one, so I am gonna put 6 here and some more in the next one. Anyways I hope you enjoy and learn a lot of things.

Information/History:
Classical Chinese assumed that music would purify people's minds. More than 30,000 years ago has 70 types of melodious (musical) instruments. During that time, the royal family and aristocrats had their own orchestra, this displays their wealth, power, position, and taste distinguished on peasants. However, music was never limited to the upper social class, the music trend solemnity turned into entertainment.

Huge and complex instruments like the Bronze Chimes gave way to more lively and easy-play wind and reed instruments. The Tang Dynasty, one of the strongest one of the strongest and most prosperous empires in Chinese history, was a golden age for musical development. Many of the Tang emperors were musicians or composers themselves.

Chinese traditional musical instruments can be mainly classified into three categories, string, wind, and percussion.

Now we are done with all the history I will be telling you/showing you some ancient instruments.

1. Pan Flute

Credit: The Whisper

The Pan Flute is a traditional musical instrument especially frequently used in folk song or melodies. It is also known as panpipes or syrinx in the west. In China, pan flutes are often made with bamboo, normally from 10 to 24 bamboo pipes with different lengths tied together and each one is tuned to one keynote. The pan flute is played by blowing horizontally across an open end against the sharp inner edge of the pipes. 




2. Morin Khuur

Credit: Sound of Mountain Music

The Morin Khuur was also known as the 'Horse Head Fiddle', is a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument which is very popular among the Mongolian people in north China. It is the most loved and iconic musical instruments of the Mongol people. The origin of Morin khuur goes that once  Wrangler's favourite colt (Toddler horse)(?) was dead, in memory of his colt he made an instrument with his body.

The design of the Morin Khuur is closely linked to the all-important cult of the colt/horse. The instruments hollow trapezoid-shaped body is attached to a long fretless neck bearing a carved horse head at its extremity. Just below the head, two tuning pegs jut out like ears from either side of the neck. the soundboard is covered with animal skin and the bow is made out of horse hair.

3. Hulus

Credit: Top China Travel 

The hulus, known as cucurbit flute or bottle gourd silk in the west, is a free reed wind traditional Chinese instrument. It is most popular among the ethnic group living in Yunnan and the nearby provinces in southwest China, especially among the Dai People the word Hulu is implying meaning gourd and si means silk, representing the unique sound of hulus is as soft and beautiful as a quality silk.

Hulus normally has 2 or 3 pipes made of bamboo which pass through a gourd wind chest, the centre pipe has a finger hole in the main pipe. Given it is easy to learn, Hulus ha gain popular among tourist both domestic and overseas.

4. Lu Sheng

Credit: ChinaHao.com

Lu Sheng is a wind instrument for Miao, Yao and Dong ethnic people living in southwest China. It has been originated in central China with a history of over 3000 years, then it went quite popular among those ethnic group people in south-west where is mainly today's Guizhou province. During the Tang Dynasty, the excellent Lu Sheng masters from the southwest part of ancient China had come to the capital city to perform their skin to please the emperor and had attained highly appreciation. 



5.Sheng

Credit: Wikipedia 

Sheng, one of the oldest musical instrument in China, is a kind of wind instrument, and it's the oldest musical instrument used reed in the world. It has played an active role in promoting the development of Western musical instruments. In 1978, Pao Sheng, the earliest form of Sheng were unearthed in Hubei Province in a royal tomb with a history more than 2,400 years ago. The development of the Sheng can be traced back to 3,000 years ago. The instrument is quite similar in form to another kind of instrument called the Paixiao.

Sheng originally consisted of several bamboo pipes bound together with ropes or wooden frames. To make Sheng distinguishable from Paixia, designers added bamboo reed and cup-shaped Dou to it. The cup-shaped Dou is made of Calabash, and the blowtorch is made of wood. A dozen bamboo pipes are arranged on top of the Dou. After the Tang Dynasty, performers began to make wooden Dou. Later, Dou and the reed were made of copper.

6. Dombra

Credit: Wikipedia

Dombra is a traditional instrument in the Kazak ethnic group people in west China. It is a long-neck two strings instrument. The tune of Dombra is never too loud and the skill is mainly obtained by the Kazak people, therefore the sound of it represents a very distinctive regional colour. It is particularly quite good at playing quick melodies due to its unique picking skills.

Reflection: Well, I think I did very well, I worked really hard. Next time I should include a diagram to explain how to use it. 

Well, that is all, for now, I hope you learned something, stay tuned for more. Until next time, I hope you have a great day, Bye!