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The Music Of China

ChemMaster 5 April 2008 Chinese Culture 27 views No Comment  Print This Post

Article written by Kitsie

Everyone knows about music, right? Guitars, pianos, and harps are all modern instruments that most people are familiar with. What about ancient Chinese music that dates all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty, from 1122 BC - 256 BC? What about the music of our ancestors? Though the music today may have a richer aspect, and be more commercialized in Hong Kong and Taiwan, most of its diverse, unique aspects are retained in the music produced in Mainland China.

According to Chinese mythology, the founder of music, the father to all songs and instruments we have to this day, was Ling Lun. He invented the first musical instrument by turning bamboo pipes into an instrument that is able to produce and mimic the sounds of the birds. During the Qin Dynasty, which is where the first and now oldest written music originated from, is the Youlan, translated to mean, the “Solitary Orchid.” The music in the Qin, Tang and Han Dynasties were mostly played by an instrument, then known as the Guqin, an instrument that has seven strings, and bears a strong resemblance to that of a zither.

Although music was seen as a center to the harmony and longevity of a particular form, musicians held a much lower position then those of a painter in Ancient China. However, every emperor took the folk songs that were written seriously, to the point that they were willing to send officers to collect songs and inspect its popularity among the citizens or villagers.

In 1601, a Jesuit priest, Matteo Ricci, became the first European to reach China with a musical instrument, which was the harpsichord. He trained four eunuchs in the Ming imperial court on its usage, so they could entertain the emperor.

Usually, the traditional music in China is played on solo instruments such as various stringed instruments, flutes, cymbals, or gongs. Bamboo pipes are the very first instruments to be created and expanded, and the Guqin are the oldest known musical instruments from China. Chinese orchestras mostly consist of bowed strings, woodwinds, plucked strings, or even percussion.

For the vocal Chinese music however, it has always been traditionally sung in a thin, non-resonant voice, or in falsetto, and is usually sung solo rather than choral. These voices are much more preferred in our elder generation, unlike our current, younger generation, who prefer the low, baritone voices, or voices that touch a chord. To the younger generation, the voices of a traditional Chinese orchestra might even make their hairs stand on end.

It has been widely speculated that Chinese vocal music most probably developed from sung poems, or verses with music, that were written by the great teachers or literature writers from the earlier eras. Instrumental pieces that are played on the Erhu or Dizi are more popular outside of China, unlike the instrumentals that are played by the Pipa or Zheng, which are more favoured within China.

Folk music, however, is often seen at weddings or funerals, and usually includes a form of oboe called a Suona, and percussive ensembles which are called the Chuigushou. There is a variety of this particular genre of music, varying from jolly to sad, that are often based on Western pop music and theme songs. Their music is descended from the imperial temple of music in Beijing, or Wutai Shan. However, Xi’an drum music, consists of wind and percussive instruments, and is popular around Xi’an, although it has received an adequate amount of popularity outside of China, in a highly commercialized form.

All in all, although the music in our current era is soothing to the ear, it wouldn’t do to let the music of our ancestors get swallowed up in time, would it? Besides, some instruments from the dynasties are really highly interesting to learn, and are very soothing to the ear. Learning it wouldn’t hurt, and we should do everything we can in our power to preserve our traditional music, so that it can still be something of a legend, for generations to come.

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