The music of the Xibe people is divided into two parts: drama music and rap music. Dramatic music (called Yanggar Mudan by the Xibe people) is divided into two types: flat tune and Yue tune. Ping Tiao has a long history and is music sung by the Xibe people in the Northeastern period, while Yue Tiao was formed after the Xibe people moved westward and began to have contacts with the Han people, and it contains elements of Han music.

The so-called flat tuning and over-tuning are based on the tuning of the third string. The tuning of the flat-tuned third string is 562 (ODG); the tuning of the over-tuned is 151 (GDG); the higher the tuning, the lower the flat tuning. Yue Diao was sung in Yue Diao for more than 20 years after it was first formed, and then it was sung in Ping Diao. Ping Tiao and Yue Tiao each have different tunes (or brands). The Xibo opera music has its own characteristics, but also has elements of the popular music in Shaanxi and Gansu.

The structure of Xibe rap music is simple, and most of the songs are composed of single sections, so they are very easy to remember and spread widely. The most common ones are single sections with two sentences. The beats are mainly single beats such as 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4. However, there are many types of modes, which is a major feature of Xibe folk rap music (folk songs).

The Xibe people’s rap music is rich and colorful, the most famous ones are: field song tune, butterfly song tune, Hailange tune, golden button tune, wife-in-law tune, crying wedding song tune, and wedding song tune , Jacina tunes, hunting song tunes, migration song tunes, lullaby tunes, etc. ?The Xibe people don’t have many types of musical instruments, but there are several unique instruments worth introducing, namely the Mokena, Dongbul, and reed flute. The Mekna is a harmonica, an oral instrument made of two-inch steel sheets. When playing, place it between your lips and pluck the thin steel sheet on the left with your right finger to vibrate and produce sound. The level of the sound is controlled by the size of your mouth. Generally, It’s only fifths and not very loud.

It is an instrument that Xibo women like to play. The Dongbul is a unique plucked instrument of the Xibe ethnic group. The headstock and fingerboard resemble three strings, and the sound box is similar to the Kazakh Dongbul. Dongbul is generally used as accompaniment for dances, and there are twelve kinds of tunes. The reed flute is a double-reed flute made of reed stems with six holes in each tube. It is mainly played during work breaks. The reed flute is generally used for solos, and occasionally used to accompany singing. The Xibe people have a long history of using musical instruments of other brother ethnic groups, such as Sihu, Sanhu, Sanxian, Muyuer, Mandalin, Yangqin, etc. However, Western musical instruments such as violins and pianos have not been introduced to the areas where the Xibe people live for a long time.