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2. China, officially known as the People’s Republic of China, is a country
located in East Asia. The modern word, “China” is most likely derived from
the name of the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty. It is the world most
populous country. The people of China call their nation Chung-Hua, and
its capital is Beijing. China is also known as the “Flowery Kingdom” and
many of the fruits and flowers (such as orange and orchid) that originated
in this country are now grown all over the world.
The music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with
documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical
culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 Bc – 256 BC). It is based on
the doctrines and beliefs of some of a well-known Chinese philosophers.

3. Here are the characteristics of the elements of
Chinese music:
Musical Elements Characteristics
Rhythm Uses duple meter
Timbre Vocal – high-pitched, thin, non-
resonant, nasal or in falsetto
Texture Vocal – solo or monophonic
Instrumental – heterophonic and
played with more instruments
Melody Based on pentatonic scale

4. To the Chinese, music has a practical use in their lives. To them,
music is used in teaching, in giving guidelines for behavior in society,
and in giving power to the government. Most importantly, music is
used to arrive at an agreement and cooperation in society.
The Chinese tonal system is based on the Ling Lun Chinese
Legend. The most famous legend concerning the origin of Chinese
music says that around 2697 BC, Emperor Huang-ti sent a certain
Ling Lun to the mountains to cut some bamboo pipe(lus) that will give
a definite tone to which would be the basis of music and harmony in
the government kingdom. From these pipes, the fundamental pitches
would be derived. It is now called the Lu System.

5. Traditional Chinese music uses a five-tone scale called Wu-Sheng
and the remaining two tones are used through changing tones or pien.

6. It is believed that the Chinese scale is connected to the Chinese
patterns in life like their outlook in cycles of dynasties, seasons, the five
planets, and five basic elements.

7. The Affinity of the five sounds with the five
relations of men and things are explained as
follows:
•1. Kung – the note corresponds to the
emperor, the ruler, or the chief
•2. Shang – the note corresponds to the
minister
•3. Chaio – the note is related to the people
•4. Chih – the note represents the affairs of the
state
•5. Yu – the note represents material objects

8. Vocal Music
The following are the types of Chinese vocal
music:
1. Religious
a. Buddhist or Temple Music (Sanskrit) –
chanting music covering verse, hymns, and
liturgies
b. Taoist – religious folk music and used
in ceremonial rituals

9. 2. Xiaoling - It is the vocal art song of the 12th to 13th
century. It is based on the poetry of Qu. It is perform
with the wooden clapper.
3. Zhugongdiao – It is a type f narrative song about a
romantic legend accompanied by the drum.
4. Folk Music – It is describes the lives of most
Chinese people. An example of this is sange. It is a
mountain song on strophic form using fewer refrains. It
has two or four phrases with the same length and each
phrase has a different musical thought.

10. Instrumental Music
The instrumental music of China is heterophonic. It is played with
more than one instrument together with a voice. Chinese court music
is called Yayue, which literally means “elegant music”. It is a form of
Chinese classical music, which incorporates elements of Early Chinese
folk music and religious traditions. Every dynasty tried to retain its
ancient style.

11. Yayue may be classified into T’angKo and Yiieh-
hsuan.
1. T’angKo or chamber song is performed inside the
hall. It may be performed in the ceremonies in honor
of heaven and earth, the gods, or the ancestors.
2. Yiieh-hsuan or chime music is performed in the
garden fronting the halls where rituals are done. It is
accompanied by two dances, the wen-wu which is a
civil dance and the wu-wu which is a military dance.

12. Earth Stone
Musical Instruments
Ocarina or xun – It is a wind instrument
having an oval body with finer holes and a
projecting mouthpiece. It is typically made of
baked clay.
Bianqing – It is a stone chime suspended
on a frame and struck with a mallet. This
instrument is used only in a court and
religious ceremony.

13. Metal
Yun-lo – literally refers to “cloud gongs” or
“cloud of gong”; a set of usually ten small
tuned gongs mounted in a wooden frame
Po-chung – a single bell suspended upon a
frame outside the temple at Confucian
ceremonies on the right side of the “Moon
Terrace”

14. Bo – flat cymbals
Suona – oboe type instrument

15. Pengling – a percussion instrument of
two small bells which are made of high-
tin bronze
Muyu – a percussion instrument
carved from a block of wood and into
the shape of a fish

16. Skin
Bolang gu – a traditional Chinese pellet Bangu – a flat board drum used in Peking
Operas

17. Bamboo
Dizi – a Chinese flute
Guan – a wind instrument with the body
of a cylinder fitted with a reed mouthpiece

18. Silk
Pipa – a four-stringed lute Ruan – also known as the moon guitar;
has four strings and frets

19. Gourd
Sheng – It is one of the
oldest Chinese musical
instruments. It is
commonly called as the
“Chinese mouth organ”.
It is made of 13 – 17
bamboo pipes with
different lengths. Zheng – It is an ancient Chinese
instrument. It has an arched surface and
is elongated-trapezoid with 13 to 21
string stretched over individual bridges.

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