Musical Instruments From China
Writing by Admin on Wednesday, 29 of April , 2009 at 9:42 am
China has an extremely rich history and culture, and its musical prowess is in no way inferior to the other facets. Chinese musical instruments may be made of various materials – stone, gourd, wood, silk, skin, metal, clay, bamboo or metal. They are mainly string, percussion or wind instruments, such as flutes, panpipes, mouth organs or clappers, gongs and drums. 
String instruments may be either bowed or plucked. The Erhu is an example of a bowed string instrument patronized by the Hu-gin family. The Gao-hu looks almost like the Erhu at first sight, but can play louder, faster, more vivid tunes than the two-stringed Erhu. It was originally used for Cantonese folk melodies and operas, and still occupies the leading position in concerts.
Among the plucked string instruments, the Pipa is a very popular instrument. It is like a lute with four strings, thirty frets and a body shaped like a pear. It is played using all five fingers, and every finger has a plectrum attached to it. The Pipa is popular for its dynamic range, and the wonderfully expressive sound that can be generated from it.
Among wind instruments, the Dizi is the simplest and most popular, due to its gentle learning curve and low cost.
If you are a music enthusiast who wants to depart from traditional European music, Chinese music is an extremely rich reservoir you may consider exploring.
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Category: Entertainment
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