Chinese Flashcards
Describe the Er Hu
The Er Hu is a 2-string bowed fiddle. It has a cylindrical or hexagonal sound box with snake skin stretched over its front. Its strings are tuned to D and A.
Describe the Er Hu’s bow
The bowstick is made of bamboo and the bowhair is made of horsehair, which is placed between both strings.
Describe the Gao Hu
The Gao Hu is a shriller, higher-pitched, more nasal and smaller version of the erhu (use erhu description). Its strings are tuned to G and D, where the D string is tuned one octave higher than the Er Hu’s D string.
Describe the Gu Zheng
The Gu Zheng is a curve board Zither. It has a long sound box placed horizontally on a stand. It has approximately 21 metal/nylon strings each with its own movable bridge.
Describe the Pipa
The Pipa is a pear-shaped lute with a wooden body. It has 4 strings and up to 30 frets. It is held vertically upright and is nowadays played with artificial fingernails made of plastic or tortoise-shell.
How is the Gu Zheng played?
The Gu Zheng is played with plectra attached to 3 fingertips of the right hand. A vibrato effect is created by pressing down the left side of the bridge with the left hand. A glissando effect is created by sliding both the right and left hand over the strings.
Describe the Yang Qin
The Yang Qin is a trapezoidal struck dulcimer. It has 144 steel alloy strings arranged in courses, with each course having up to 5 strings.
How is the Yang Qin played?
It is struck with hammers made of bamboo, with their tips covered with rubber.
Describe the San Sian
The San Sian is a plucked fretless lute with a long shaft and 3 strings. It has snake skin stretched across its rounded rectangular resonator.
How is the San Sian played?
The San Sian is held horizontally to the player’s chest. It is traditionally plucked with plectrum but nowadays played with fingernails or smaller artificial plectrum.
Describe the Di Zi
The Di Zi is a transverse flute made of bamboo. It has 6 finger holes and 1 membrane hole.
How is the Di Zi played?
The Di Zi is played horizontally by blowing air directly into the instrument.
Describe the Sheng
The Sheng is a mouth organ. It is made of vertical bamboo pipes inserted into a windchest with a blowpipe on one side. There are free-beating reeds attached to the bottom of the pipes.
How is the Sheng played?
The Sheng is played by alternately inhaling and exhaling to vibrate the reeds inside.
What is the purpose of percussion instruments in the ensemble?
To mark/beat time.
