Musical Set Rentals

Today, they are still becoming used in the theater, studied in music schools and are continually evolving both in the physical form and the strategies by which they are becoming played.

1.  Qin/ Guqin/ 7-string Qin

This is one of the most ancient instruments with a history of more than 3,000 years.  In the Zhou dynasty this was popularly referred to as guqin.  The earlier form of qin consisted of five strings.  Over the 2,000 years the 7-string qin was established as the common sort, hence it is also called the 7-string qin.  The qin resembles a shallow, oblong box which is created with two pieces of wood with diverse degrees of hardness—the bottom board and slightly bulged soundboard.  The qin is fretless and bridgeless even so, finger positions are marked along the soundboard by 13 studs.  The lower register of the qin sounds full, the middle register is wealthy and smooth, and the high register, bright.  In ancient times, it was the instrument to purify and educate the heart.

The qin has been traditionally the most honoured of all Chinese musical instruments.  It was not only utilized in court music, but also became an important part of people’s every day lives, and the most suitable companion for scholars and officials.  Due to the fact of its low volume and excellent variety in tactics and tone color, the qin is extremely suitable to be a solo instrument.  Sometimes it plays duet with dongxiao in modern day times.

two.  Zheng/ Guzheng

Another classic Chinese plucked instrument is the zheng.  Originally, it is created from bamboo material and utilized by ancient herdsmen.  Later it was really popular in the Qin dynasty (22`-206 B.C.).  Its strings increased from 5to 12, and wood instead of bamboo was utilized for its body.  The sizes of zheng vary from 16-string, 18-string, 21-string to 23-string, and so on.  The strings are created of silk or, far more commonly now, metal.   It has a treble pitch range, and its tone is mellow and clear.  With its expressive tone, it came to be commonly employed as a solo instrument in accompanying folksongs or in ensemble music.  These days, it is often used as a solo instrument.

3.  Pipa

The origin of pipa can be traced to Central Asia.  It arrived in China in the course of the Northern Wei dynasty (A.D.) 384-534). The instrument gained popularity in the course of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907).  The earlier form of pipa had 4 strings and on the neck there were 4 frets.  Several years later, frets were added to the body.  It gradually developed into the contemporary pipa, which has 6 frets on the neck and 18 or more frets on the body.  The pipa is played by making use of fingers of one hand, with the exception of the thumb to pluck the strings and the other hand on the frets.  This instrument, with its delicate and enchanting timbre can also generate quickly repeated notes as well as chords.  Because the ancient times up to the present it is a very common instrument for solos, ensembles, and accompanying operas and songs.

4.  Liuyeqin

The Liuyeqin is about a century old treble plucked instrument.  It is a typical ensemble and solo instrument that looks comparable to pipa but smaller in size.  Originally, it was employed as an accompanying instrument to a regional opera in Anhui province.  Later, its strings were increased from two to 3 or even four.  The smaller soundbox and short strings assists it produce a sharp, clear and crisp sound making it really capable of handling rapid plucking.

5.  Ruan, Yueqin, and Qinqin

These 3 plucked instruments are closely related to each other for they were derived from the same ancestor.

During the Han dynasty, (206 B.C. – A.D. 220) a sort of lute instrument was developed with a round soundbox and a straight neck.  This 4-string instrument was named qinhan-zi or pipa, or qinhan-pipa.  A scholar named Ruan Xian was a brilliant performer of this instrument in the 3rd century.  Given that then, the instrument was called ruanxian or ruan in the Tang dynasty and the name became permanent.

In the Song dynasty (A.D. 960-1280), the yueqin, a type of instrument comparable in shape to the ruan but with a shorter neck, was developed.  It has 4 strings that run over frets to the tuning pegs.  The kind of sound it produces is strident with a vigorous timbre.  When employed as a solo instrument, it is capable of leggiero passages.  The yueqin has located an essential location as an accompanying instrument in regional operas such as the Beijing opera.

Later, an instrument derived from the ruan, called qinqin appeared in southern China.  The instrument’s wooden soundbox is normally circular shaped.  Its name was possibly derived from qinhan-zi.

6.  Sanxian

The sanxian was recognized as an innovation by the Yuan dynasty (A.D.1280-1368) musicians and soon gained popularity.  It has a fretless lengthy-neck and a wooden soundbox which is covered by snake skin. Because of its fretless neck, the player’s hand