Se (instrument)
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The ''se'' () is an ancient plucked
zither Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat bo ...
of
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
origin. It varied in size and construction, but generally had 25–50 strings with moveable bridges and a range of up to five
octaves In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
. It was one of the most important stringed instruments in China, along with the ''
qin Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...
''. The ''se'' gradually faded out of use, having evolved into the similar ''
zheng Zheng may refer to: *Zheng (surname), Chinese surname (鄭, 郑, ''Zhèng'') *Zheng County, former name of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, China *Guzheng (), a Chinese zither with bridges *Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC), emperor of the Qin Dynasty, ...
''. Modern versions of the ''se'' often resemble the ''zheng'', and attempts have been made to revive the instrument.


History

According to legend, the ''se'' was created by the god
Fuxi Fuxi or Fu Hsi (伏羲 ~ 伏犧 ~ 伏戲) is a culture hero in Chinese legend and mythology, credited along with his sister and wife Nüwa with creating humanity and the invention of music, hunting, fishing, domestication, and cooking as well ...
. It is said that the word for music, ''yue'' ( ), is composed of the characters ''si'' for silk (
Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), cocoons. The be ...
) and ''mu'' for wood (
Radical 75 or radical tree () meaning "tree" is one of the 34 Kangxi radicals (214 radicals in total) composed of 4 stroke (CJK character), strokes. In the ''Kangxi Dictionary'', there are 1,369 characters (out of 49,030) to be found under this ...
), and that it is a representation of the instrument. Historical accounts of the ''se'' begin in the
Western Zhou The Western Zhou ( zh, c=, p=Xīzhōu; c. 1045 BC – 771 BC) was a royal dynasty of China and the first half of the Zhou dynasty. It began when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye and ended when the Quanrong noma ...
period (1045–771 BC), and was a popular instrument during the
Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
(771-476 BC). Together with the ''
qin Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...
'', it is mentioned in the ''
Guan Ju Guan may refer to: * Guan (surname), several similar Chinese surnames ** Guān, Chinese surname * Guan (state), ancient Chinese city-state * Guan (bird), any of a number of bird species of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America * Guan ( ...
'', the famous first poem from the ''
Classic of Poetry The ''Classic of Poetry'', also ''Shijing'' or ''Shih-ching'', translated variously as the ''Book of Songs'', ''Book of Odes'', or simply known as the ''Odes'' or ''Poetry'' (; ''Shī''), is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, co ...
'' (11th-7th centuries BC). The ''se'' is also mentioned in ''
The Analects of Confucius The ''Analects'' (; ; Old Chinese: '' ŋ(r)aʔ''; meaning "Selected Sayings"), also known as the ''Analects of Confucius'', the ''Sayings of Confucius'', or the ''Lun Yu'', is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings a ...
'' (5th-3rd centuries BC). During the
Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
, the ''se'' was considered an instrument of elites, and was used to play ritualistic music for sacrificial offerings. By the
Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
(5th century BC), the ''se'' began developing into early forms of the ''
zheng Zheng may refer to: *Zheng (surname), Chinese surname (鄭, 郑, ''Zhèng'') *Zheng County, former name of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, China *Guzheng (), a Chinese zither with bridges *Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC), emperor of the Qin Dynasty, ...
'', another type of plucked zither. Thus, the ''zheng'' is sometimes considered to be a smaller and more simplified version of the ''se'', with fewer strings. ''Se'' was very popular in the pre
Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
and the
Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...


Archaeology

Surviving specimens have been excavated from
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
and
Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
provinces, as well as the
Jiangnan Jiangnan or Jiang Nan (; formerly romanized Kiang-nan, literally "South of the River" meaning "South of the Yangtze") is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, incl ...
region of China. The instrument has also been found at
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
,
Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
,
Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
, and
Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...
. The
Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng The Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng () is an archaeological site in Leigudun Community (), Nanjiao Subdistrict (), Zengdu District, Suizhou (during the Spring and Autumn period called Sui County), Hubei, China, dated sometime after 433 BC. The tomb co ...
(late 5th century BC) in
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
contained a wealth of musical instruments, including a ''se'', a complete set of ''
bianzhong Bianzhong (Chinese:编钟) is an ancient Chinese musical instrument consisting of a set of bronze bells, played melodically. China is the earliest country to manufacture and use musical chimes. They are also called Chime Bells. These sets of ch ...
'' (bronze bells), a ''
guqin The ''guqin'' (; ) is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument. It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favoured by scholars and literati as an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted b ...
'' (plucked zither), stone chimes, and a drum. The Institute of music of the Chinese Academy of Arts collects the ''se'' of the early
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, 207 cm long and 43 cm wide. The
Shōsōin The is the treasure house of Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. The building is in the ''azekura'' ( log-cabin) style with a raised floor. It lies to the northwest of the Great Buddha Hall. The Shōsō-in houses artifacts connected to Emperor Shō ...
storehouse in Japan has one ''se'' in its inventory of historical instruments, mostly from the 8th century.


Construction

Ancient ''se'' were built with a wooden sound board that curved slightly in the center, and had three bridges at the end, and one bridge at the head. Usually, four posts are built into one end to anchor the strings, although some instruments only had two or three posts. The board and posts are often
lacquered Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...
, and carved with decorative motifs. The lower end of a ''se'' has a long, arch-shaped opening for the strings to pass through. The strings were made of twisted
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
in varying thicknesses. The ''
Lüshi Chunqiu The ''Lüshi Chunqiu'', also known in English as ''Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals'', is an encyclopedic Chinese classic text compiled around 239 BC under the patronage of the Qin Dynasty Chancellor Lü Buwei. In the evaluation of Michae ...
'' (3rd century BC) states that: "A five stringed se, then became a fifteen stringed se. When
Shun Shun may refer to one of the following: *To shun, which means avoiding association with an individual or group * Shun (given name), a masculine Japanese given name *Seasonality in Japanese cuisine (''shun'', 旬) Emperor Shun * Emperor Shun ( ...
came to power, he added eight strings, so it became twenty-three." Another view suggests that the ''se'' started out with 50 strings. The ''
Shiban Shiban (Sheiban) or Shayban ( mn, Шибан, ''Shiban'', also spelled ''Siban''; uz, Shaybon / Шайбон) was a prince of the early Golden Horde. He was a grandson of Genghis Khan, the fifth son of Jochi and a younger brother of Batu Khan w ...
'' later changes it to 25. "A big ''se'' has 50 strings, a middle ''se'' has 25." It also says that Fuxi created the 50 stringed ''se'', called a ''sha'', whilst the
Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch or by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity ('' shen'') in Chinese religion, one of the legendary Chinese sovereigns and culture heroes included among the mytho-historical Three Soverei ...
reduced it to 25. There was also a "small ''se''" that had half the strings (14). The number of strings and length of the instrument differs from place to place, with archaeological finds of examples with 25, 24, 23, or 19 strings. To string the instrument, one needs to tie a butterfly knot at the head of the string, strung through a bamboo rod, over the bridge at the head and over the main body of the instrument and over into the tail-end bridge into the instrument, out of the sound hole at the bottom of the instrument, over the tail-end, and wrapped around the posts in four or three groups. Modern forms of the ''se'' generally do not have posts, and are instead strung a bit like the ''
zheng Zheng may refer to: *Zheng (surname), Chinese surname (鄭, 郑, ''Zhèng'') *Zheng County, former name of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, China *Guzheng (), a Chinese zither with bridges *Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC), emperor of the Qin Dynasty, ...
'', to which it resembles.


Performance

There are very few modern players of the ''se'', which largely became extinct in ancient times, although it is conceptually survived by the ''
zheng Zheng may refer to: *Zheng (surname), Chinese surname (鄭, 郑, ''Zhèng'') *Zheng County, former name of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, China *Guzheng (), a Chinese zither with bridges *Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – 210 BC), emperor of the Qin Dynasty, ...
''. The only notable ''se'' player in the 20th century was
Wu Jinglüe Wu Jinglüe (吳景略) (February 5, 1907 – August 16, 1987) is considered one of the most important guqin players of the 20th century and was also an active researcher and teacher. He was born in the town of Xitang, Changshu County, near Suz ...
, who was primarily a ''guqin'' player. There are also very few surviving examples of musical tablature for the instrument, a majority existing in ''
qinpu Qinpu () are tablature Sheet music, score collections for the guqin, a Chinese musical instrument. Description Qinpu are collections of tablatures of music for the guqin. In the past, music was passed on from teacher to student. Only recently ...
'' ( tablature for the ''guqin'') in which the ''se'' was used to provide accompaniment for the ''qin''. In recent times, there has been a revived interest in the ''se'', with some musicians studying it. There are also a few factories that make modern ''se'' using nylon-wrapped metal strings, though the instrument needs to be properly researched using modern materials for it to be fully accepted as a playable instrument for general musical purposes. Sometimes electric guitar–style magnetic pickups are attached to a regular ''se'', allowing the instrument to be amplified through an instrument amplifier or PA system.


Similar instruments

In Korea, the instrument is called ''seul'', and is still used in Confucian ritual music, which is performed twice per year at the
Munmyo Munmyo (more specifically Seoul Munmyo or Seonggyungwan Munmyo) is Korea's primary temple of Confucius ("munmyo" is also the general Korean term for a temple of Confucius). It is located in central Seoul, South Korea, on the campus of Sungkyunkwa ...
Shrine in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
. According to ''Akhak Gwebeom'', the ''seul'' is the largest among
string instruments String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the Str ...
and the string consists of 25 strings. In Japan, the instrument is called ''shitsu'', and was once used in ''
gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794-1185) around t ...
'' music, but not in modern performances. A fourteen-stringed ''shitsu'' is used in ''mingaku'' music.(宮内庁書陵部蔵) In Vietnam, the instrument is called ''sắt'' and is used in a limited context in ancient Chinese music.


See also

*
Traditional Chinese musical instruments Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories known as (). The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instruments considered traditional exist that may not fit these group ...


Notes


External links

{{Traditional Chinese musical instruments Chinese musical instruments Zithers