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Zhonghu
The ''zhonghu'' (), short for ''zhongyin erhu'' () is a low-pitched Chinese bowed string instrument. Together with the erhu and gaohu, it is a member of the huqin family. It was developed in the 1940s as the alto member of the huqin family (similar in range to the European viola) to increase the pitch range of the instruments used in a Chinese orchestra. The ''zhonghu'' is analogous with the erhu, but is slightly larger and lower pitched. Its body is covered on the playing end with snakeskin. The instrument has two strings which are generally tuned to the interval of a fifth, to A and E or to G and D (this latter tuning equivalent to the violin's lowest two strings). It has a deep, mellow sound similar to that of the cello. Presence in popular music Composer Jeremy Zuckerman has used the ''Zhonghu'' in critically acclaimed shows' music such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Specifically, he has said in the podcast Song Exploder that along with the ''e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Orchestra
The term Chinese orchestra is most commonly used to refer to the modern Chinese orchestra that is found in China and various overseas Chinese communities. This modern Chinese orchestra first developed out of Jiangnan sizhu ensemble in the 1920s into a form that is based on the structure and principles of a Western symphony orchestra but using Chinese instruments. The orchestra is divided into four sections – wind, plucked strings, bowed strings, and percussion, and usually performs modernized traditional music called ''guoyue''. The orchestra may be referred to as ''Minzu Yuetuan'' () or ''Minyuetuan'' () in mainland China, ''Chung Ngok Tuen'' () in Hong Kong, ''Huayuetuan'' () in Southeast Asia, or ''Guoyuetuan'' () in Taiwan. The term modern Chinese orchestra is sometimes used to distinguish the current form from Chinese traditional music#Instrumental ensemble, ancient Chinese orchestras that existed since the Shang dynasty and was used in royal courts and later during Confuc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huqin Family Instruments
''Huqin'' () is a family of bowed string instruments, more specifically, a spike fiddle popularly used in Chinese music. The instruments consist of a round, hexagonal, or octagonal sound box at the bottom with a neck attached that protrudes upwards. They also usually have two strings, and their soundboxes are typically covered with either snakeskin (most often python) or thin wood. Huqin instruments usually have two tuning pegs, one peg for each string. The pegs are attached horizontally through holes drilled in the instrument's neck. Most huqin have the bow hair pass in between the strings. Exceptions to having two strings and pegs include variations of huqin with three, four, and sometimes even more than five. These include the zhuihu, a three stringed huqin, the sihu, a huqin of Mongolian origin, and the sanhu, a lesser-known three-stringed variation. The most common huqin are the ''erhu'', which is tuned to a middle range; '' zhonghu'', which is tuned to a lower register, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaohu
The ''gaohu'' ( 高胡; pinyin: ''gāohú'', ; Cantonese: gou1 wu4; also called ''yuehu'' 粤 胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument developed from the ''erhu'' in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng (1898–1981) and used in Cantonese music and Cantonese opera. It belongs to the ''huqin'' family of instruments, together with the '' zhonghu'', ''erhu'', ''banhu'', '' jinghu'', and '' sihu''; its name means "high-pitched ''huqin''". It is the leading instrument of Cantonese music and opera ensembles. Well known pieces for the ''gaohu'' include ''Bu Bu Gao'' (步步高, Higher Step By Step) and ''Ping Hu Qiu Yue'' (平湖秋月, Autumn Moon on Calm Lake). Construction and design The ''gaohu'' is similar in construction to the ''erhu'' but has a slightly smaller soundbox, commonly circular, and is tuned a fourth higher, to G4 and D5. Whereas most ''huqin'' are placed on top of the left thigh, the traditional ''gaohu'' is played with the soundbox held in b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huqin
''Huqin'' () is a family of bowed string instruments, more specifically, a spike fiddle popularly used in Chinese music. The instruments consist of a round, hexagonal, or octagonal sound box at the bottom with a neck attached that protrudes upwards. They also usually have two strings, and their soundboxes are typically covered with either snakeskin (most often python) or thin wood. Huqin instruments usually have two tuning pegs, one peg for each string. The pegs are attached horizontally through holes drilled in the instrument's neck. Most huqin have the bow hair pass in between the strings. Exceptions to having two strings and pegs include variations of huqin with three, four, and sometimes even more than five. These include the zhuihu, a three stringed huqin, the sihu, a huqin of Mongolian origin, and the sanhu, a lesser-known three-stringed variation. The most common huqin are the ''erhu'', which is tuned to a middle range; '' zhonghu'', which is tuned to a lower register ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Musical Instruments
Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories (classified by the material from which the instruments were made) known as (). The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, Rock (geology), stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instruments considered traditional exist that may not fit these groups. The grouping of instruments in material categories in China is one of the first musical groupings ever devised. Silk Silk () instruments are mostly stringed instruments (including those that are plucked, bowed, and struck). Since ancient times, the Chinese have used twisted silk for strings, though today metal or nylon are more frequently used. Instruments in the silk category include: Plucked * ( zh, c=wikt:古琴, 古琴, p=gǔqín) – 7-stringed zithers * ( zh, c=wikt:瑟, 瑟, p=sè) – 25-stringed zither with movable bridges (ancient sources say 14, 25 or 50 strings) * () – 16–26 stringed zither with movable bridges * () – harp * () – four-st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music Of China
The music of China consists of many distinct traditions, often specifically originating with one of the country's various Ethnic groups in China, ethnic groups. It is produced within and without the country, involving either people of Chinese origin, the use of traditional Chinese instruments, Chinese music theory, or the languages of China. It includes traditional classical forms and indigenous folk music, as well as recorded popular music and forms inspired by Western culture. Documents and archaeological artifacts from early History of China, Chinese civilization show a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou dynasty (1122–256 BC) that set the tone for the continual development of Chinese musicology in following dynasties. These developed into a wide variety of forms through succeeding dynasties, producing the heritage that is part of the Chinese cultural landscape today. Traditional forms continued to evolve in the modern times, and over the course of the last c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaohu
The ''gaohu'' ( 高胡; pinyin: ''gāohú'', ; Cantonese: gou1 wu4; also called ''yuehu'' 粤 胡) is a Chinese bowed string instrument developed from the ''erhu'' in the 1920s by the musician and composer Lü Wencheng (1898–1981) and used in Cantonese music and Cantonese opera. It belongs to the ''huqin'' family of instruments, together with the '' zhonghu'', ''erhu'', ''banhu'', '' jinghu'', and '' sihu''; its name means "high-pitched ''huqin''". It is the leading instrument of Cantonese music and opera ensembles. Well known pieces for the ''gaohu'' include ''Bu Bu Gao'' (步步高, Higher Step By Step) and ''Ping Hu Qiu Yue'' (平湖秋月, Autumn Moon on Calm Lake). Construction and design The ''gaohu'' is similar in construction to the ''erhu'' but has a slightly smaller soundbox, commonly circular, and is tuned a fourth higher, to G4 and D5. Whereas most ''huqin'' are placed on top of the left thigh, the traditional ''gaohu'' is played with the soundbox held in b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huqin
''Huqin'' () is a family of bowed string instruments, more specifically, a spike fiddle popularly used in Chinese music. The instruments consist of a round, hexagonal, or octagonal sound box at the bottom with a neck attached that protrudes upwards. They also usually have two strings, and their soundboxes are typically covered with either snakeskin (most often python) or thin wood. Huqin instruments usually have two tuning pegs, one peg for each string. The pegs are attached horizontally through holes drilled in the instrument's neck. Most huqin have the bow hair pass in between the strings. Exceptions to having two strings and pegs include variations of huqin with three, four, and sometimes even more than five. These include the zhuihu, a three stringed huqin, the sihu, a huqin of Mongolian origin, and the sanhu, a lesser-known three-stringed variation. The most common huqin are the ''erhu'', which is tuned to a middle range; '' zhonghu'', which is tuned to a lower register ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Last Airbender
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic pronoun ''thee'') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drumhead Lutes
A drumhead or drum skin is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands, so that it vibrates and the sound resonates through the drum. Additionally outside of percussion instruments, drumheads are also used on some string instruments, most notably the banjo. History Originally, drumheads were made from animal hide and were first used in early human history, long before records began. The term ''drumhead'' is first attested in English in 1580, in the writings of the soldier Thomas Churchyard, who mentioned how "Dice plaie began ... on the toppe of Drommes heddes". In 1956, Chick Evans invented the plastic drumhead. Plastic drumheads made from polyester are cheaper, more durable, and less sensitive to weather than animal skin. In 1957, Remo Belli and Sam Muchnick together developed a polymer head (also known as Mylar) leading to the development of the Remo drumhead company. Despite the benefits of p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ma Xiaohui
Ma Xiaohui () is an erhu player and composer from Shanghai, People's Republic of China. She is one of China's few first-class traditional artists embracing an international career. Critics have referred to her as "an artist who speaks with the world through Erhu" and "a musician who plays with heart." Ma is perhaps most readily recognized for her duet with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the Oscar - winning soundtrack for the film ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts regarded her 1999 Millennium Stage performance among that year's ten finest concerts. Raised in an academic family and having played erhu since age six, Ma graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and served as concert master for the Shanghai Traditional Orchestra before commencing her independent career. Among her diverse associations, Miss Ma is a member of the United Nations Oriental Art Center, guest professor at Southwest Jiaotong University (Chengdu), love envoy o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
