Differences between Western Musical Instruments and National Musical Instruments

[ Musical knowledge]-Classification of musical instruments

-------------------stringed instruments. It can be seen that softness and beauty are the same characteristics of all stringed instruments. The timbre of stringed instruments is unified and has multi-level expressive force: the ensemble is passionate and the solo is gentle and graceful; And because of the rich and varied bow techniques (trembling, breaking, plucking, jumping, etc.), it has a smart color. The pronunciation of stringed instruments relies on mechanical force to make the strained strings vibrate, so the pronunciation volume is limited to some extent. String instruments usually play different sounds with different strings, and sometimes it is necessary to change the string length by pressing the strings with your fingers, so as to change the pitch. In terms of pronunciation, stringed instruments are mainly divided into bow-drawn stringed instruments (such as violins) and plucked stringed instruments (such as guitars). Bow and string instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass and electric bass; Plucked stringed instruments: Harp, Guitar and Electric Guitar.

---------------woodwind instrument. Woodwind instruments are one of the most abundant timbres in the musical instrument family, which are often used to represent the scenes of nature and rural life. In the symphony orchestra, whether it is used as accompaniment or solo, it has its special charm and is an important part of the symphony orchestra. Woodwind instruments mostly produce music by air vibration, which can be roughly divided into lip-singing (such as flute) and spring-singing (such as clarinet) according to the way of sound production. The material of woodwind instruments is not limited to wood, but also metal, ivory or animal bones. They have different timbres and distinctive features. From beautiful and bright to deep and gloomy, everything is available. For this reason, in the band, woodwind instruments are often good at shaping all kinds of vivid musical images, which greatly enriches the effect of orchestral music. Lip singing: Flute, piccolo; Reed: Clarinet, Oboe, English Horn, Bassoon and Saxophone.

-brass instruments-----------------. The number of copper pipes used in early symphonies was small. For a long time, only two horns were used in the symphony orchestra, and sometimes a trumpet was added until the first half of the nineteenth century, when brass instruments were widely used in the symphony orchestra. The pronunciation of brass instruments is different from that of woodwind instruments. They don't change the pitch by shortening the air column in the tube, but by changing the air pressure of the player's lips and connecting the instrument itself with an "additional tube". All brass instruments are equipped with cylindrical horns with similar shapes, and the tubes are in the shape of long cones. The timbre characteristics of brass instruments are majestic, brilliant and warm. Although the timbre has its own characteristics, the grand and broad volume is the same as that of brass instruments, which is beyond the reach of other types of instruments. Brass instruments: Trumpet, Cornet, Trombone, French Horn and Tuba.

-keyboard musical instrument-----------------. However, their vocal styles are subtly different. For example, the piano belongs to percussion instruments, while the organ belongs to reed instruments, while the electronic synthesizer uses modern electro-acoustic technology and so on. Compared with other musical instruments, keyboard instruments have incomparable advantages, that is, their wide range and the ability to emit multiple tones at the same time. For this reason, keyboard instruments, even as solo instruments, have rich harmony effects and orchestral colors. Therefore, since ancient times, keyboard instruments have attracted the attention and love of composers and music lovers. Keyboard instruments: Piano, Organ, accordion and Electronic Keyboard.

-percussion instruments-----------------. Its family members are numerous and have different characteristics. Although their timbre is simple, and some sounds are not even musical, they play a decisive role in rendering the music atmosphere. Usually, percussion instruments make sounds by knocking, rubbing and shaking the instruments. Don't think that percussion instruments can only strengthen the strength of music and prompt the rhythm of music. In fact, there are quite a few percussion instruments that can be used as melody instruments! Modern orchestras have added many percussion instruments with strange timbres in African and Asian music, and it is almost impossible to list them completely. Tuned percussion instruments: Timpani, xylophone; Atonal percussion instruments: Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Triangle, Tambourine, Castanets, Maracas, Cymbals and Gong.

Brief introduction of Chinese traditional musical instruments:

Wind instruments

Wind instruments in China have a very ancient origin. It is said that in the Xia and Yu dynasties four thousand years ago, there was a wind instrument composed of reeds called "Key".

in the 2th year of the Republic of China, three Neolithic "tombs" were excavated in Jingcun Village, Wanquan County, Shanxi Province. In The Book of Songs, there are records of musical instruments such as Xiao, Guan, Key, Yu and Sheng. Later, military music, also known as drum music, cross-blowing, riding and blowing, etc., was mainly composed of flute, horn, flute, etc. It was often played when the army marched, and it was also used as a guard of honor or played at banquets and other entertainment. The appearance of suona was late, and it was recorded in Ming Dynasty. Up to now, wind instruments are the main instruments in folk weddings, funerals and festivals.

According to different pronunciation methods, wind instruments in China can be divided into three categories:

1. Those whose breath vibrates the air column through blowing holes, such as flutes, flutes, flutes and flutes.

2. The breath passes through the whistle, causing the vibration of the air column and pronouncing it, such as

na, Guan, etc.

3. The breath is pronounced by vibrating the air column through the reed, such as

Sheng, Lusheng, Bawu, etc.

The following are the wind instruments commonly used in Chinese orchestras:

flute Ditze

flute is also known as horizontal flute and horizontal flute. According to legend, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian entered Chang 'an after he went to the Western Regions. After the Song Dynasty, it became an important instrument to accompany traditional Chinese opera.

The traditional flute, made of bamboo, has six pressing holes, one blowing hole and one membrane hole. When playing, it is pronounced by the vibration of the air column in the bamboo tube. There are two octaves in its common range, and the flute is crisp, high-pitched, transparent and round. Both solo and ensemble have their own characteristics and rich expressive force, so it is deeply loved by people.

there are many kinds of flutes, and the most common ones are flutes with a' (actual sound) and d2 (actual sound) as the barrel sounds. Because these two kinds of flutes are the main accompaniment instruments of Kunqu Opera and Bangzi Opera respectively, they are customarily called "Qu Di" and "Bangdi".

Xiao Hsiao

About 4,5 years ago, a musician named Lun invented the "music tube", which closed one end of a bamboo tube with a knot and blew it directly from the other end to make sound. This is the predecessor of Xiao. Before the Han Dynasty, a back hole was added to the Jingfang, which became five holes. During the Tang Dynasty, it was spread to Japan and called Shakuhachi (shakuhachi). When I arrived in Wei Dynasty, I opened another hole, and I haven't changed much since.

Xiao is a straight wind instrument with a V-shaped mouthpiece, and its playing method is similar to that of a flute. It has six sound holes, the first five and the last one, a low tone, and a range of two and a half octaves. The lowest pitch of the commonly used Xiao is d'.

Sheng Sheng

In ancient times, the big sheng was called "Fu" and the small sheng was called "He". There have been records about "harmony" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions in the Yin Dynasty in the 15th century BC. This instrument was often mentioned in China's poetry classics in the 6th century BC.

the traditional sheng is generally thirteen springs and fourteen springs, and after improvement, there are twenty-one, twenty-four, twenty-six, thirty-two, thirty-four, thirty-six springs and so on.

sheng is often used as an accompaniment instrument, and it can also be used for solo because of its clear and bright tone and wide range. Sheng is pronounced by reed vibration, which can be played by blowing and sucking, and can blow out more than two tones at the same time, so it can play harmony.

suona Suona

suona was originally a Persian (present-day Iran) Arabic musical instrument. The word suona is a transliteration of Persian SURNA. There have been records of suona in China since the Ming Dynasty. Up to now, it is the main musical instrument in folk weddings, funerals and festivals. There are many kinds of suona, such as large, small, rough and soft, which are very expressive. Almost all the skills of wind instruments can be played, and it can also imitate the singing, playing with the pipe, whistle and trumpet, and simulating different roles, such as Laosheng and Hua Dan. Its common range is two octaves. At present, the commonly used suona in Chinese orchestras is the D-tone high-pitched suona with G ′.

plucked instrument

plucked instrument is a general term for musical instruments that pluck strings with fingers or plectrums, and that are pronounced by striking strings with Qin and bamboo. The plucked instrument has a long history and a variety of shapes, and it is a kind of stringed instrument with great characteristics. As far back as 3, years ago, in the Zhou Dynasty, there were musical instruments such as "Qin" and "Se", and then they successively produced or imported Zhu and Zheng in the Warring States Period at weekends, string beans in the Qin Dynasty, pipa in the Han Dynasty, Ruan, Pipa in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Sanxian in the Yuan Dynasty, Yang Qin in the Ming Dynasty and so on.

According to the differences of musical instruments' shapes, performances and playing methods, plucked instruments can be roughly divided into three categories:

The first category is represented by lyre, including Qin, Zheng and other musical instruments. This kind of musical instrument has a rectangular wooden box as the body, and the strings are played flat. Except for the lyre, which can be played by strings, all the others only use its empty strings.

the second category, represented by pipa, includes Qin Liu, yueqin, Ruan, Sanxian and other musical instruments. They are equipped with four, three or two strings, which are pressed by the left hand and plucked by the right hand, and are mostly played on the legs.

the third category is dulcimer. It was laid flat on a wooden frame, and it was introduced from abroad in the Ming Dynasty.

There are many kinds of plucked instruments. Here, the most commonly used instruments in Chinese orchestras are introduced in turn: Pipa, Qin Liu, Yang Qin, Hezheng, Ruan and Sanxian.

pipa Pipa

The earliest "pipa" is a general term for plucking a kind of musical instrument. As far back as the 3rd century BC, China had a pipa with a long handle, a leather face and a round speaker, which was called a string drum. Twelve-column pipa also appeared in Han Dynasty. Around 35 BC, a kind of pipa, pear-shaped speaker, curved neck and four strings, which was introduced to China through India, was called Quxiang Pipa, which was the predecessor of modern pipa.

It has absorbed the advantages of Qin and Han Pipa, and has been continuously improved by later generations, with its range expanded from six phases to more than twenty. At first, the playing method was played with wooden fingers, and in the middle of Tang Dynasty, the playing skills became more and more complicated after long-term development. The expressive force is richer. Now it is spread all over China. In addition to solo, ensemble, harmony and other forms of pure fun, it is also widely used in accompaniment bands such as opera, folk art and singing, and is a very important plucked instrument in China.

Qin Liu Liuching

, also known as Liu Yeqin, Jin Gangtui and Tu Pipa, is shaped like a small pipa. It was originally an important accompaniment instrument for Shandong Liuqin Opera and Anhui Sizhou Shaoxing Random Play, and it was equipped with two or three strings. After the reform, it was added as a four-string, with a wide range, complete semitones and beautiful timbre. It was used as a high-pitched part for solo and Chinese orchestras.

sanxian Sanhsian

sanxian is also called "Killer". Developed from the "string drum" in Qin Dynasty, the name of Sanxian was first seen in the literature of Ming Dynasty. For example, "Drum Story" in the north, "Qingyin" and "Daoqing" in the south, etc., Sanxian is a major accompaniment instrument. Because of its powerful voice, it is often used to enhance the rhythm effect in the band ensemble. In addition, Sanxian is also a unique solo instrument.

Ruan Yuan

Ruan is a very important plucked instrument in the band ensemble. It is said that Ruan Xian, one of the seven sages of bamboo forest in Jin Dynasty, was good at playing this instrument, so he was also called "Ruan Xian". After the improvement of Ruan, there are big, medium and small, that is, high and low Ruan. It is common in folk operas and rap. In the ensemble of modern Chinese orchestras, they often participate in accompaniment. At present, the most commonly used ones are zhongruan and Daruan.

Yang Qin Yangchin

Stringing instruments were introduced into China from Persia only in the Ming Dynasty. It was first popular in the coastal areas of Guangdong Province, and then gradually spread throughout the country. Dulcimer has a crisp sound, a wide range, and can also play chords and rapid arpeggios at the same time. It is an extremely important instrument in ensemble, and it is also very distinctive and expressive in solo.

Zheng Cheng

is an ancient musical instrument, which was popular in Thailand as early as the Warring States Period (from 475 BC to 221 BC). It spread widely, from Lingnan to Inner Mongolia, and all over China several times. Especially in Henan, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia and other places, it is famous for its wide adoption. Now it has been improved, from thirteen to sixteen strings to twenty-one to twenty-five, and its performance has been greatly improved, which is very popular among people. It is used for solo, ensemble, ensemble and accompaniment of various operas, quyi and dances.

stringed instrument

A stringed instrument is a kind of musical instrument that rubs the strings with a ponytail mounted on a thin bamboo bow to make them vibrate and pronounce. Common stringed instruments in China include erhu, gaohu, Zhonghu, Gehu, Banhu and Sihu.

Hu Qin existed as early as the Tang Dynasty, and it was scattered in literary works. At that time, it was called "Qin Qin", which was widely circulated among the people in the northern part of China in the Northern Song Dynasty.