Chinese Traditional Musical Instrument Guzheng
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 dyna...
The 'Eight Tone' Instruments and Confucian Ideals
Zhou court scholars can be credited with inventing the world's earliest system of musical instrument classification. While many instruments are mnentioned in the Shijing (Classic of Songs, c.7th c...
Ancient Chinese love music
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...
A major characteristic of Chinese instrumental variations
A major characteristic of Chinese instrumental variations is the use of identification motives called the hewu (refrain head) or hewei (refrain tail) that appear in the beginning and end of each movem...
Characteristics of China's Music
Westerners sometimes describe Chinese music as loud. The Chinese themselves consider the northern style more dynamic and energetic and the southem style softer and more graceful. All of these characte...
Some common traditional Chinese musical instruments
The pipa lute originated in Central Asia and is an instrument of great virtuosic possibilities. It is the subject of many paintings and poems and has held a societal position similar to that of the gu...
A Story about Guqin
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. O...
Confucius' Understanding of Music
Propriety is the generic term for the rites related to daily lives and social activities,which are used as codes of conduct for human behavior.The Duke of Zhou called for making rites and music at the...
Complex Chinese Vocal Music
Perhaps the most intricate aspect of traditional Chinese music,and of much East Asian music,is the use of nuance in instrumental and vocal timbre.Even when playing one instrument, there are minute dif...
The Origin of Chinese Drum
Although its exact origin is still unknown, drum occupies a prominent place in Chinese culture. According to the ancient literatures, it might as old as Chinese history itself.The existing earliest do...
