The following types of folk musical instruments are common in various parts of Shaanxi:
Tanggu: The frame is made of wood, covered with cowhide, and surrounded by rivets and dense rivets. It is about 80 cm high and 70 to 90 in diameter. It varies by centimeters. There are wooden stands and drumsticks.
Waist drum: The frame is made of wood, long cylindrical, about a foot long, slightly thick in the middle, covered with cowhide, and beaten on both sides.
Fishing drum: made of bamboo tubes and covered with cowhide.
Handle drum: wooden frame, less than a foot high, more than a foot in diameter, covered with cowhide, fan-shaped, generally used with small musical instruments.
Flat drum: round, covered with cowhide on the top, nailed on the edge, empty on the bottom, not covered, used in opera scenes.
Big gong: Also known as "ringing gong" and "gou gong", it is about two feet in diameter, made of copper, and has a loud sound.
Small gong: also known as "hand gong", made of copper and round.
Bangzi: Mostly made of red jujube wood, one is quadrangular and the other is cylindrical, about 6 to 7 inches long. When struck against each other, the sound is sonorous.
Muyu: carved from hard jujube wood or walnut wood, shaped like a fish, slightly round, and struck with wood, the sound is clear and crisp.
Cymbals: made of copper, round, about one foot in diameter, with a round handle in the middle and an eye, which can be tied with cloth or linen and slapped together to make sound.
Xiao: Made of red bamboo, it is perforated according to the sound. It is played by inhaling air from the lips and pressing the fingers together to create the tone.
Flute: Bamboo pipe played horizontally, with all seven notes.
Sheng: Made of bamboo tubes and reeds of varying lengths, the sound is mellow and the tone is made by finger pressing, which is unique.
Suona: also known as "trumpet" and "Qiuci music". In ancient times, this music was spread from Qiuci in the Western Regions to the people in the mainland, hence its name. The general sound mouth is a copper trumpet, with a bamboo or wooden sound hole at the back, and a so-called "mimi" (commonly known as the mouth) on the air intake to set the pitch. Suona comes in various sizes, and is often used in operas, folk weddings, funerals, and festive occasions.
Sanxian: also known as "Xianzi" and "Tongtiao". The "handle" at the top of the string is longer, about two feet or more, and the sound is pronounced after the string is played. The pronunciation part is a small drum made of snake or python skin, with three strings. It has three ranges of high, low and medium, so it is also called "Sanxianzi". This instrument is commonly used in folk music, dance and opera.
Banhu: Also known as "Huqin", it was first spread to the mainland from the Western Regions and western Gansu, hence its name. The top of the huqin is a huqin with a huqin handle and "ears", which are specially hung with silk strings, which can be twisted and stretched to change the tune. The huqin has a huqin below, which is usually cut with a betel nut shell and glued with a thin thin wooden board to play the strings to make music. To pull the string, use a horsetail to bend the bow, embed it in the string, burn rosin to help astringency, pull the string, and produce a clear and loud sound. In addition to the thumb, use other fingers to press to produce various tones.
Erhu: Same as Banhu, except that the body of the Hu is partially covered with snake skin or python skin, and the ponytail is used to pull the silk strings to produce a richer and more pleasant tone.
Bamboo boards: There are many kinds, made of bamboo, such as two-page boards, knocking each other, or hitting each other up and down, can produce good news; four-page tiles, four bamboo boards, smaller, one hand You can take two pairs and shake them to make a sound; there is another way, small bamboo boards are connected in a string, about 4-6 pages, one hand holds the string of bamboo boards, and the other hand holds the saw-shaped bamboo strips, while shaking and pulling to make "ba,ba" - "Ke la la" sound to match folk dance music and rap.
In addition, there are various musical instruments such as pipa, dulcimer, trumpet, dishes, bowls, etc.; the second string (made of two thin cowhide bands) needs to wear iron sleeves on the fingers when pulling. When the bow string is pulled, it is more laborious than the huqin, and it makes a "squeaking" sound, which is matched with the music. The tone is simple, rich and powerful, and has a unique flavor. Since this instrument cannot be used by those with little knowledge, it is gradually abandoned.
The common tunes and performance forms of folk music include the following types: The Eight Immortals Drum (pan) is popular in many places, and the one near Xi'an is called "Yang He Gong and Drum", which is a folk percussion music; popular in In the area of ??Yanghe Village, Xinzhu Town, Xi'an City, temple fairs have been around since the time of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it has been widely played by the masses. With the cooperation of a variety of musical instruments, music can be played such as "Dragon and Tiger Head", "Two Dragons Playing with Pearls", "Monk Banging the Bell", "Qujiang Liuyin", etc. Its tone is high-pitched and exciting. , delicate and lingering, it is known among the people as "fairy music and fairy drums".
There are two types of "Eight Immortals Ban" and "Eight Formation Drums" popular in Tongchuan area:
Eight Immortals Ban: It was originally performed by eight women, and later evolved into a performance by four men and four women. The performers are dressed in ancient costumes, and each of the eight people represents one of the "Eight Immortals" in myths and legends. Each person wears a small object that can represent their identity to represent a certain immortal; the props are simple boards, and each person holds one in his hand. Made of mulberry wood, it is five to six shaku long, with four pages in one set, two large and two small, similar to the "yazi" in Bunraku. It is accompanied by hinges and hairpins during the dance, and the rhythm is beat while dancing. The formations include "Swallow Team", "Single Draw", "Putting Five Flowers", "Mountains and Mountains", "Pushing Mozi", "Baili Luohan", etc., and end with "Swallow Team" and "Single Draw".
Eight Formations Drum: According to Tongchuan folk artists, it evolved from Zhuge Liang's "Eight Formations Picture". It was monotonous when it was first performed, but was later improved by Liu Laohan (anonymous), a folk artist of the first four generations of Liujiabao. It became unique in Tongchuan, overwhelming the crowd, and has been passed down to this day. Today's "Eight Arrays of Drums" has ten performers (four women and six men). One of them is a male military general, holding a pole seven or eight feet long with a small flag on the top. In the middle of the venue, he represents Lu Xun, the governor of Soochow. , plays the role of conductor; another male old man is dressed as an old man, wearing a Taoist robe, and a "border (flat) drum" hanging on his chest. On the periphery of the performer, Huang Chengyan, representing Zhuge Liang's father-in-law, constantly guides Lu Xun who is surrounded by the formation to get out. Array diagram method. The remaining four men and four women were dressed as warriors, with flags on their backs and drums on their chests, and they were beating while performing. When the "Eight Formations of Drums" was performed in the past, the eight people were divided into two groups. Lu Xun was in the middle of the two groups and could pass in and out; the person dressed as Huang Chengyan was outside the two groups and could pass in and out. All the performers followed Yangko steps throughout. There are also "Four Flowers" (divided into inner and outer layers), "Twist Door Roll", "Swarm of Bees" (divided into face-to-face and back-to-back), etc. The "Eight Formations of Drums" beat drum music points are different from other places, with a set of civil and military, rough and fine playing methods. The beauty of its artistic sound is unique in Tongchuan. "Yulin Xiaoqu" used to be a sit-down repertoire. It was a unique piece of music based on the southern songs brought by foreign officials when they were guarding the border in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and fused with local folk songs. Usually one person sings alone, sometimes men and women sing duet or multiple people sing in turns. In 1982, Yulin Xiaoqu, as a local folk song, went to the province with the Yulin Song and Dance Troupe to perform in Beijing. It was highly praised by people from all walks of life at home and abroad. 9. Changjia Suona
The suona popular in Changjia Village, Zhidan County, northern Shaanxi Province, was named "Guan Chui" in the early Qing Dynasty. Its tone is high-pitched and exciting, and its tunes are about 200. There are more than thirty songs, which are unique in China. In March 1955, suona player Chang Wenqing participated in the Second Folk Art Observation Performance of Shaanxi Province and was rated first. The suona recordings recorded by Chang Wenqing, Chang Wenming, and Chang Xingmin have been spread to Australia and are well received by the international community. Friends appreciate it.