China is one of the major countries in the world in both terms of political and military power but also culturally. Music is one of the rich cultural traditions which is present in China. Music in China can vary greatly both due to the many cultures within the country but also the influences of other cultures. In Chinese music culture, there are their own categories for musical instruments which are called the eight sounds. These categories are stone, earth, bamboo, metal, silk, skin, wood, and gourd. These categories describe the materials of the instrument but also the timbre of the instrument. One chordophone is the pipa. Below is an example of the pipa being played and how it is played. Traditionally most stringed instruments in China used silk for their strings, but in modern times you may see nylon or metal strings more often.
An instrument similar to the pipa is the liuqin. The liuqin is very much like a smaller version of the pipa. The Ruan is another stringed instrument, which is said to be influenced by and descended from the oud, the stinged instrument from Arabic culture which influenced the guitar. The Guqin is another silk type chordophone instrument, which is played horizontally. Below is a video which shows off the Guqin.
Another notable Chinese stringed instrument is the Erhu, which used a bow, similar to a violin or fiddle. The erhu has two strings typically, and to get other pitches when playing, the musician will hold the strings in different places, like frets on guitars. The bottom is similar in shape and form to a drum, which allows for better amplification. The body is constructed with wood and snakeskin. The neck of the erhu is made of wood, the same as the body. Below is an example of an erhu solo performance in a Chinese orchestra.
There are plenty of Aerophones in Chinese music; one notable one is the dizi. The dizi is a type of flute which goes back thousands of years. The dizi is traditionally made from bamboo. Another aerophone is the sheng, which are reed instruments with several different pipes. It can sometimes be known as the Chinese mouth organ. The sheng can be traced back as far as three thousand years ago. The Hulusi is also a significant instrument in China. The Hulusi is similar to the sheng in that they both have multiple pipes. Another instrument is the Suona, which is a type of horn. The suona was one type of instrument in China which was influenced or introduced through the silk road or trade, although there is not a definitive origin of the Suona.
One important cultural music tradition is the Chinese opera. The opera was once a very popular form of entertainment for those who are culturally Chinese, up until recent decades. This is due to a variety of cultural factors. Chinese opera began during of the reign of the tang dynasty's emperor Xuanzong.Performers are expected to be able to show multiple talents on stage, including dance, acting, musical skills, mine, and martial arts. There are two main classifications of the operas, which are Wenxi (civilian plays) and Wuxi (military dramas), but these can encompass a wide variety of genres. In the Chinese opera there are four common character archetypes which are played on stage, these are: sheng (the male role), dan (the female role), Jing (the painted face male role), and Chou (the clown).
Here is an example of one an acrobatic performance from a Chinese opera.
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