CHINESEMUSICALINSTRUMENTS

　　Therearemanydeeptraditionsofthebowed,plucked,wind,andpercussioninstrumentfamilies,andmanyinthesefamiliesofinstrumentsarelistedherebelow.Theseinstrumentsareusedfortraditionalmusic,classicalmusic,folkmusic,andmodernmusicandcompositions(therearealsomanyotherolderinstrumentsusedbythemanyMinoritygroupsinChina).(NOTE-allofthetuningslistedinthebowedandpluckedinstrumentsarefromthelowestpitchedstringstothehighest-andtheword"qin"琴means"instrument"):

　　BowedInstruments:

　　1.Erhu二胡-theChinesetwostringviolinwithmetalstrings,tunedafifthintervalapart,toDandA,orsometimestoCandG."Huqin"isthenameforthisfamilyofChinesebowedinstruments;and"qin"isthegeneralnameforaninstrument.Itiscallednanju(orthenanhu南胡)byCantoneseandTaiwanpeople..

　　2.Jinghu京胡-theBeijingOperatwostringviolinpitchedoneoctaveabovetheerhu.Thesoundboxismadeofbambooandthestringsareusuallymetal;traditionallythestringsweresilk,andsilkstringsareoccasionallystillused.Thestringsaretunedafifthintervalapart.

　　3.Gaohu高胡-thesopranoversionofthetwostringerhu,tunedafourthintervalhigherthantheerhu,withmetalstringstunedafifthintervalapart.

　　4.Zhonghu中胡-thedeeper"viola"versionofthetwostringerhu,withmetalstringstunedinfifthintervals;andtunedafourthorafifthlowerthantheerhu.

　　5.Gehu革胡-thedeeper"cello"versionofthetwostringerhu,withmetalstringstunedafifthintervalapart.Beigehu倍革胡isthebigdeeper"bass"withfourmetalstringstunedinfifthintervals.

　　6.Sihu四胡-anerhutypeinstrumentwithfoursilkstringstunedinfifthandfourthintervals,toC-G-C-G,orD-A-D-A.Itsoundsmuchlikethehumanvoice,andithasabowwhichhastwosimultaneousbowingparts.

　　7.Dalei大擂-anerhutypeinstrumentwiththesoundboxmadeofcopper,tunedlowerthantheerhu,alsosoundingmuchlikethehumanvoice,withtwometalstringstunedafifthintervalapart;traditionallytheyweretunedafourthintervalapart.

　　8.Banhu板胡-alouderhutypeinstrumentmadeofcoconut,withtwometalstringstunedinfifthintervals.

　　9.Nanju(ortheNanhu南胡)-theCantoneseoperaerhu,withtwometalstringstunedafifthintervalapart.

　　10.Matouqin马头琴(orinMongolian,theMorinHuur,theMorinKhuur,theMorinXuur,theMorinKhor,ortheMarinhur,ortheChaoerineasternMongolia),theMongoliandeepsoundingtwostringbowedinstrumentthatgotitsnamefromthecarvedhorseheadbythetuningpegs,withnylonormetalstrings,andtraditionallywithhorsehairstrings,andtheyaretunedafifthintervalapart.Therearethreedifferentsizes,liketheWesternviolin,viola,andcello.TraditionallyineasternMongoliathefingerboardisplayednormallylikeaviolin,andtheinstrumentisalsocalledtheChaoer,butinwesternMongolia,traditionallythestringisplayedwherethebottomofthenailmeetstheskinofthefinger,sothatthesoundisproducedwithboththenailandthefinger.DiMatouqin低马头琴-thebiggerandlowerpitchedMatouqin,alsotunedinfifthintervals.

　　PluckedInstruments:

　　1.Pipa琵琶-thefourstringChinesefrettedlute,withmetalstrings,andoccasionallywithsilkstrings.ItistunedG-C-D-G,orA-D-E-A.

　　2.Liuqin柳琴-thesmallpipa,theChinesefrett