Muyu is a wooden percussion instrument, usually shaped like a fist-like sphere with a hollow middle part, which is used for sound vibration and amplification. There is a sound hole on one side of the sphere, which has the same function as the F-shaped hole on the violin, allowing the amplified sound to spread; on the other side, a long and flat outer edge is added to facilitate the hand or fixation on the support. on the shelf. The method of playing is to use a drum stick or a small wooden hammer to hit the ringing area on the outside of the instrument to make a sound. Wooden fish can come in different sizes, with the larger the size, the lower the pitch.

Extended information

Uses

1. Religious aspect

Because wooden fish is one of the most important musical instruments and ritual objects in Buddhist rituals In temples in many Asian countries, it is easy to find larger wooden fish, which are used in more solemn ceremonies and chanting, while smaller ones are often used in the morning and evening or during evening classes. The wooden fish used in temples will be placed on thick soft cushions to maintain the vibration of the wooden fish.

2. Chinese or Asian music

Muyu also plays a very important role in the percussion instruments of the Chinese orchestra. Currently, a set of 5 different sizes is more commonly used. Wooden fish, the wooden fish are fixed with supports and arranged according to the size of the wooden fish and the pitch and bass; in modern times, some manufacturers have also tried to make cymbals such as those in Western music, and developed a set of wooden fish groups with fixed pitches, but they are not popular. .

3. Western music

Muyu produced by Western music manufacturers.

Wooden Block(s) was also introduced in Western music in the 20th century, but its names vary greatly in different countries. In the early days, it was called "Wooden Block(s)", "Temple Block(s)" )", "Chinese Wooden Block(s)" and other different names gradually formed a common sense. "Wooden Block(s)" generally refers to the square small wooden box design, while wooden fish is called " Temple Block(s)", "Chinese Temple Block(s)" or "Chinese Wooden Block(s)", but the latter, except for a few British composers (such as Britten), has rarely used this name in modern times. .