It is also called the qixianqin or ‘seven-stringed zither’ (七弦琴), as it has seven strings. The guqin is one of the oldest plucked instruments in China. Guqin 古琴 - Chinese Seven-String Instrument The melody she played was called Zhaojun’s Lament (昭君怨), and it is often played in Chinese opera.ĥ. From then on, Zhaojun got the nickname ‘falling geese’ or ‘dropping birds’.She was one of the ‘four beauties’ fabled in Chinese history. It is said that a flock of geese flying southward heard the music and forgot to flap their wings and fell to the ground. She took out her pipa and played sorrowful melodies. On the way to the new place, Wang Zhaojun felt sad and homesick on her saddle. One of the famous stories is about Wang Zhaojun, who was sent to the northwest of China to marry a ruler to keep the peace between two nations. There are many ancient stories and poems about this instrument. The pipa has been played for more than 2,000 years in China. Pipa musicians are mainly seen on stage or perhaps as entertainers at special parties or restaurants. Steel strings are now used, so players wear special finger plectra. Modern pipas have been re-engineered to fit better with Western-style music. One hole is covered with paper so that the flute has a peculiar buzzing sound that people like. Dizis generally have six or more finger holes. It is a kind of Chinese transverse flute that is often played in Chinese folk music or opera. The dizi or hengdi is another popular Chinese musical instrument. ‘Two Springs Reflect the Moon’ became an exquisite example of Chinese traditional instrument music. He composed the music to express the grief of his bitter life in the old society. The music was composed by a blind streetside folk musician called Ah Bing (阿炳).

The most famous piece of erhu music in China is ‘Two Springs Reflect the Moon’ (二泉映月). It allows for a high degree of virtuosity, covers three octaves, and can be made to imitate the sound of Chinese singing as well as birds and horses. Erhus generally retain their traditional tuning system, so they may sound odd to Western ears.

Guzheng chinese stringed instrument