Chinese Instruments

Chinese music is the art of instrumental music and organized sound developed in China. It is one of the oldest and most advanced of all popular musical systems. Among many Chinese traditional musical categories of instruments, the most popular are the stringed instruments called the pipa, the guzheng, erhu, and the dizi flutes. Stringed instruments were originated and modified in foreign regions.

Traditional Chinese Instruments and Chinese String Instrument

Music is an important part of the Chinese tradition. For thousands of years, China has preserved its musical tradition by passing on knowledge from generation to generation. The following are some of the traditional Chinese instruments:

Erhu

Erhu is a traditional string Chinese instrument that has been around for a thousand years. Erhu usually consists of wood, nut, two strings bowed, two tuning pegs, and a resonator. The front of the soundbox is layered with python skin. The python skin helps Erhu to create sound.

Pipa

With nearly two thousand years of history, the pipa is another wonderful Chinese sting traditional music instrument. It is sometimes called the Chinese lute and is kept in the instrumental family.

Guzheng

Guzheng, also known as Zheng, has a history of two thousand years ago. Some earlier versions were made using silk strings and bamboo pipe frames. This is tuned usually to the five-note scale called the pentatonic scale. It is generally made of a 64-inch rectangular body consisting of a head, a soundboard and a tail. Across the soundboard, you get 21 bridges and strings. The instrument strings gradually increased from five to thirteen, and now twenty-one.

Ruan

Ruan is a member of plucked instruments and lute; is referred to as Ruanqin, especially in Taiwan. Ruan is noticeable due to its moon-round body. The strings were made using silk, but that all changed during the 20th century when steel was used.

Liuqin

Liuqin consists of four strings, about 24 frets and a body-like pipa. The most commonly used wooden body materials for making liuqin are rosewood, willow wood and red sandalwood. The tone created by this instrument can be called piercing or penetrating. Despite the high pitch, the liuqin instrument can be played in both solo performances and Chinese orchestra.

Sanxian

Sanxian is a famous plucked string instrument. It is different from its Chinese lute counterparts due to its bold design and long fingerboard. It usually consists of three strings, three tuning pegs and a resonator.

Yangqin

During the 17th century, Yangqin, also known as Cymbalom or Santur, became famous in China due to Middle Eastern trade. Since then, this stringed instrument became famous in the country.

Guqin

Guqin is also a string instrument in China and is usually made of a wooden body covered with black lacquer and attached with seven silk strings. The instrument produces some of the best ancient Chinese musical instrument sounds.

Guzheng Chinese Instruments

A gossip is an ancient tool. Zheng refers to zither type instrument, which is spread with strings between two bridges. Guzheng is a Chinese bridal ointment with fixed bridges at both ends and intermediate bridges. Typically, it has 18 or more strings and dynamic bridges. The Chinese orchestra usually has a few guzheng members, but it can also be played as a solo instrument. It became more popular after the Qin and Han dynasty. Today, many of China's traditional musical instruments include the most popular stringed instruments, the pipa, the guzheng, the erhu, and the dizi and bamboo flutes.