CHINESE MUSIC: GROUP AND PRIVATE LESSONS/WORKSHOPS
Ruan
The Ruan is a four-string Chinese lute found in both Chinese classical and folk music. Because of it's round circular shape it is often referred to as moon guitar. This instrument is at least two thousand years old. The ruan is found in three sizes: the small xiao-ruan, the middle sized ruan and the bass da-ruan. The most common tuning for ruan is GDGD although there are other variations as well.
San Xian
A long necked lute with three strings without frets. In Chinese, "san" and "xian" stands for "three" and "strings", respectively. The sound-body is made of round wooden box covered with snakeskin, just like erhu. A piece of plectrum is used to play the instrument. This instrument is often used for accompanying folk songs and local opera. The sanxian is most popular in the north.
Pipa
The pipa , a combination of pi and pa, originally referred to two right-hand techniques: pi meant "to play forward" and pa "to play backward". The archetype of the modern pipa, which had a half-pear-shaped sound box, a crooked neck, 4 or 5 strings and 4 frets, originated in Central Asia and arrived in China in the 4th century AD. The immortal poetry Song of the Pipa by Tang poet Bai Juyi reveals the instrument's great popularity in the Tang and Song period (618-1279). Until then a plectrum was used; after that time, performers only used their fingernails, which still persists today. The number of frets has gradually been increased, up to 23-25 frets in the modern type, expanding the instrument's range chromatically. Now the strings are steel wires, instead of silk, with or without nylon coiling round. Its range is over three and a half octaves.
Erhu
The Erhu is a two-string fiddle common in China. The name translates roughly to the words "two" and "barbarian", as it came to China approximately a thousand years ago from the tribal peoples of the north. The modern erhu has two metal strings that are very close to each other, a thin wooden neck and a round tubular body covered with python skin. The horsehair bowstrings are woven between the two strings of the instrument. The erhu is a very popular instrument and can be found in almost all forms of music in China.
Dizi
The Dizi is a Chinese transverse flute made from bamboo. It has six finger holes and an additional hole covered by a piece of very thin paper-like fibre that buzzes when played, called the membrane. The membrane is held in place by placing a small amount of natural gum or garlic juice around the hole, and slightly moistening as it is placed into position. The di mo must dry to the proper tension to produce the dizi's characteristic loud sound. Professional dizi players have a set of dizi flutes, each in a different key. Accidentals and slides were accomplished by very subtle adjustments of the fingers to cover only a quarter or half of a hole. Although a relatively easy instrument at first, the standard for good dizi playing is extremely high.
Bawu
The Bawu is a transverse flute/reed pipe with finger holes. The instrument is common to southern China and parts of Southeast Asia. It resembles a transverse flute in construction, except for the insertion of a small brass or bamboo reed into the mouthpiece. Bawu's range hardly goes beyond one octave and unlike free reed mouth organs, it is only played by exhaling. In China bawu has become a popular instrument in the film and pop music industry due to its sweet sound quality.
Hulusi or Bilangdao
The Hulusi is a single pipe free-reed instrument found in the Yunnan province in China. It is related to bawu, the Thai pi joom, and numerous other instruments like the dja mblai found through Vietnam and Laos. Hulusi is made of one to four bamboo pipes that have a small brass or silver reed placed on the pipe, surrounded by a gourd or brass (on modern instruments) wind chamber.
Zheng - guzheng
The Zheng or guzheng is the parent instrument of the Asian long zither family, often referred to in the west as Chinese harp. Originally believed to be invented during the Qin Dynasty (897-221 BC), the newest evidence shows that it may even be older. The modern zheng usually has 21 to 25 strings made of metal wound with nylon. There have been many attempts to modernize the zheng by adding more strings, tuning devices, and pedals like those on the concert harp, but few of these "improvements" have taken hold. The zheng is traditionally tuned to a pentatonic scale. The tuning can be adjusted by movable bridges.
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