Music of the East: Music of China PDF

**Music of the East** **Music of China** - Chinese music is probably the most influential music in Asia. The Chinese thought that sound has an impact on the universe's harmony. They treated music in the highest sense; it was not for entertainment, but for calming the passions and sec...

**Music of the East** **Music of China** - Chinese music is probably the most influential music in Asia. The Chinese thought that sound has an impact on the universe's harmony. They treated music in the highest sense; it was not for entertainment, but for calming the passions and securing public harmony. - Chinese music is based on ancient doctrines and beliefs like those of Confucius, one of their foremost philosophers. The Chinese character for music, ***yue*** is the same as ***le*** which means "happy" implying a harmonious relationship. **Functions of Chinese Music** 1. Music in the service of socio-political ideals. 2. Entertainment music. 3. Work songs. 4. Religious music. **Elements of Chinese Music** 1. **Pitch** - Wu Sheng or the five-tone/pentatonic scale is the most common in Chinese music scale. 2. **Vocal Timbre** - The style of singing is usually thin and nasal. In Northern China, voices are high-pitched or have a shrill vocal quality. In Southern China, voices are mostly lyrical and gentle. 3. **Meter/Rhythm** - Chinese music is mostly in duple meter, a meter with two beats per measure. This fondness for duple meter can be attributed to the belief in the principle of natural duality 4. **Texture** - The harmony of Chinese music is often monophonic and heterophonic. A. **Vocal Music of China** Chinese vocal music is typically described as having a high-pitched, thin, nonresonant voice that is nasal in nature. Rather than being performed in chorus, it is frequently performed solo or monophonically. **Types of Vocal Music** 1. **Religious music** 2. **Art Song** 3. **Narrative music** 4. **Chinese Folk Song** B. **Chinese Music Instruments** I. **Bowed Strings** 1. Erhu (Chinese Violin) 2. Banhu (Bonghu) II. **Plucked Strings** 1. Yueqin 2. Ruan 2. Zheng 4. Pipa III. **Wind Instruments** 1. Dizi 2. Xiao 3. Sheng IV. **Percussion Instruments (Idiophones)** 1. Pengling 2. Zhong 3. Yunluo **Music of Japan** Japanese music is based on the five-tone or pentatonic scale, which is one of Chinese music's influences. Traditional Japanese music is meditative in nature, with a highly ritualized performance. **Foundations of Japanese music** 1. **Shomyo** -- buddhist chanting and based on sacred texts and hymns 2. **Gagaku -** means "elegant and refined music" **Japanese Vocal Music** ***Min'yo*** or Japanese folk song is a genre of Japanese traditional music. It is categorized into three froms; +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Kyo-Do** | **Warabe Uta** | **Hayara Uta** | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | Local Songs | Children songs | Popular songs | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | -Rural/village songs | -It features new or | -It is a common song | | | created pieces by | that is made or | | -Farmers songs | specialized lyricists | created as a product | | | and composers as well | by record companies | | -Song arranged by | as natural songs | and spread with the | | urban musical | passed down through | backing of the | | specialist | oral tradition | populace | | | | | | -Dance songs like | Ex. Nursery Rhymes | Ex. Anime Opening | | rain dances and | | songs | | festival songs | | | | | | | | Ex. Traditional Songs | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ **String Instruments (Chordophones)** 1. **Koto --** made of Paulownia wood with a 13-stringed zither. 2. **Biwa --** a short-necked lute used in gagaku and by blind monk entertainers to accompany early puppet shows 3. **Shamisen --** a long narrow three-stringed plucked lute **Wind Instruments (Aerophones)** 1. **Sho --** a mouthpiece organ that is similar to the Chinese Sheng. 2. **Shakuhachi --** a bamboo flute with four front finger holes and one back thumb hole 3. **Shinobue --** a five-holed vertical flute made from the lower part of a bamboo stem 4. **Hichiriki --** a bamboo oboe with seven front fingerholes and two back thumbholes **Percussion Instruments ( Idiophones and Membranophones)** 1. **Taiko -** ancient Japanese large drums with sizes ranging from a snare drum to drums as large as a car 2. **Hyoshigi --** a pair of hardwood or bamboo connected by a thin rope, used in theaters to announce the beginning of a performance 3. **Kane --** a dish-shaped bell hung on a bar; the percussionist beats the Kane with a special mallet **Music of Korea** 1. **Jeongak** or chongake -elegant music for nobility -court music for the higher/ruling class a. *Dangak* -- imported music from China b. *Hyangak* -- pure native Korean song 2. **Sogak** - music for the common people - vibrant and energetic music a. *Nongak* -- folk songs and farmers' songs b. *Shaman* -- ritual music with access to spirits c. *Pansori* -- dramatic vocal and percussive music d. *Sanjo* -- fast instrumental solos **Korean Folk Music** 1. **Content** Folk songs resonate with the emotions of the people and the simplicity of their lifestyle. 2. **Form** Korean folk songs use the verse-refrain form. One person sings the verse and the others respond with the refrain. 3. **Melody** Korean folk songs are based on five dialect areas, with each region employing different modes in their own language/singing styles **Korean Music Instruments** A. **Strings (Chordophones)** 1. **Gayageum** a zither with 12 strings, the most popular Korean instrument 2. **Geomungo** a zither with 6 strings and 16 props, plucked with a plectrum 3. **Haegeum** a vertical fiddle with a rod-like neck, hollow wooden sound box, and two silk strings B. **Wind (Aerophones)** 1. **Piri** a mellow-sounding double reed oboe made of bamboo 2. **Saenghwang** a mouth organ with 17 bamboo pipes, each with a metallic free reed 3. **Daegeum** a large transverse bamboo flute with a buzzing membrane that gives it a special timbre 4. **Taepyeongso** a double reed oboe with a conical wooden body, a metal mouthpiece and a cup-shaped bell C. **Percussion ( Idiophones and Membranophones)** 1. **Janggu** an hourglass-shaped drum with two animal skin heads 2. **Buk** a shallow barrel-shaped drum with a spherical hardwood body covered in animal hide on both ends 3. **Kkwaenggwari** a small flat high-pitched brass gong played with a hard stick