The
ti , a wooden horizontal flute, is the most
popular of the "blown" instruments. The ti is made of a bamboo tube,
and possesses a clear, sharp, and pure tone. The famous ROC composer, Ma Shui-lung,
once composed a concerto for the ti
The category of Chinese violins
called hu-ch'in includes instruments that have only two
strings with a bow permanently caught between them. They yield a soft, elegant
tone. The use of portamento and vibrato can give a feeling of weeping or
complaint. In the modern Chinese orchestra, the hu-ch'in occupies a position
comparable in importance to the violin in the Western orchestra.
There
are few "plucked" stringed instruments in a Western orchestra. But due
to the broad development of plucked Chinese instruments-China has perhaps more
kinds of plucked stringed instruments than any country in the world-folk and
modern Chinese orchestras alike use them to a great extent. Musical scores that
survive from ancient times also favor plucked instruments. The p'i-p'a is a
representative plucked Chinese instrument. The T'ang Dynasty poet Pai Chu-i
described the timbre and variations of the p'i-p'a as "large pearls, small
pearls tumbling onto a plate of jade." The kucheng, a 16 or 21-stringed
zither, is currently the most popular plucked traditional Chinese instrument on
Taiwan. A gentle strum produces the liliting sound of graceful, flowing water.
In
traditional Chinese opera, the percussion section is referred to as wu-ch'ang,
literally, "martial scene." The player of the panku, a small drum for
keeping time, directs the rest of the orchestra through his different methods
and positions of striking his instrument. He has control over the overall
development of the action and
creation of atmosphere, and is equivalent to the conductor of a Western style
orchestra. Because of the richness of timbre and variety of Chinese percussion
instruments, these instruments are now frequently used in Western style musical
compositions. For example, a large gong can create a stately and imposing
stmosphere; dramatic effects can be achieved with the t'ang drum, and the
"wooden fish" (mu-yu) and lithophone (ch'ing) can produce an
atmosphere of mystery.
popular of the "blown" instruments. The ti is made of a bamboo tube,
and possesses a clear, sharp, and pure tone. The famous ROC composer, Ma Shui-lung,
once composed a concerto for the ti
strings with a bow permanently caught between them. They yield a soft, elegant
tone. The use of portamento and vibrato can give a feeling of weeping or
complaint. In the modern Chinese orchestra, the hu-ch'in occupies a position
comparable in importance to the violin in the Western orchestra.
ection is referred to as wu-ch'ang,
literally, "martial scene." The player of the panku, a small drum for
keeping time, directs the rest of the orchestra through his different methods
and positions of striking his instrument. He has control over the overall
development of the action and
creation of atmosphere, and is equivalent to the conductor of a Western style
orchestra. Because of the richness of timbre and variety of Chinese percussion
instruments, these instruments are now frequently used in Western style musical
compositions. For example, a large gong can create a stately and imposing
stmosphere; dramatic effects can be achieved with the t'ang drum, and the
"wooden fish" (mu-yu) and lithophone (ch'ing) can produce an
atmosphere of mystery.