Tag Archives: music

The ruan (zhongruan)

Posted on 2011-09-15 by Danwei

The ruan (阮) or moon guitar is a four-stringed Chinese instrument similar to the pipa. It is also sometimes called the qin pipa (秦琵琶) and ruanxian (阮咸). The most common ruan is the zhongruan (中阮) or tenor ruan. The bass ruan … Continue reading →

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The erhu

Posted on 2011-09-14 by Jeremy Goldkorn

Perhaps no musical instrument is more evocative of China than the erhu (二胡), but its origins are in central Asia: The erhu is one of several instruments including gaohu, zhuihu and jinghu that were historically known as “huqin” (barbarian’s fiddle) … Continue reading →

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The rawap – a Silk Road lute

Posted on 2011-08-30 by Josh Summers

I lived in the far west of China in Xinjiang from 2006 to 2010, and I was captivated by the musical heritage of the Uyghur people. Much of their history and entertainment revolve around gatherings of song and dance, and … Continue reading →

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The dizi

Posted on 2011-06-29 by Danwei

The dizi (笛子) is one of China’s oldest instruments. Similar- though not identical to- the Western flute, the dizi probably originated around 8,000 years ago and remains ubiquitous in contemporary China. Early dizi were made from bone but bamboo became … Continue reading →

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The pipa: How a barbarian lute became a national symbol

Posted on 2011-06-10 by James A. Millward

‘Playing the pipa behind the back’ is a special kind of Chinese gongfu that expresses flying in heaven at Dunhuang. [See image of pipa player from Mogao caves at Dunhuang] The road to industrialization with Chinese characteristics was taken by Mao Zedong after … Continue reading →

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Paper Boy: A contemporary composition for the guzheng

Posted on 2011-06-09 by Danwei

This track is Paper Boy, composed and performed on the guzheng by Wu Fei:  You can buy Paper Boy as a single on Amazon and iTunes (for 99 cents). • See also The guzheng on Danwei.

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The guzheng

Posted on 2011-06-09 by Danwei

The guzheng is a 21-stringed zither that has been played in China – in one form or another – for about two thousand years. Aside from having 21 strings (compared to the guqin‘s 7 strings), the guzheng’s other major difference from … Continue reading →

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Chinese instruments and the creation of a national music

Posted on 2011-06-08 by Nick Frisch

Modern Chinese instruments are a lot like modern China: a disparate patchwork of various Parts forcibly cobbled into a Whole that, to hear some tell it, Always Was and Ever Shall Be. That is a bit of an exaggeration: no … Continue reading →

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The guqin

Posted on 2011-06-08 by Danwei

The guqin, also just called the qin and sometimes “the scholar’s lute” in English, is perhaps the most Chinese of all instruments. As qin performer and scholar John Thompson puts it: The guqin throughout its long history has been the musical … Continue reading →

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Chinese drums

Posted on 2011-06-08 by Danwei

Drums and percussion instruments have been used in China since at least the Shang Dynasty (1562-1066 BC) when their use was recorded on oracle bones. In this video, Wang Jun (王军) does some improvised drumming on the flower pot (花盆鼓) … Continue reading →

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