Asian Music

Asian Music 1 Asian Music Chinese Pentatonic Scale: 1,2,3,5,6 (4&7 included in GDYY) Tempi: Kuaiban 快板 (fast) ; Manban 慢板 (slow), Beats: ban (strong), yan (weak) Texture: Heterophonic All instrument playing the same qupai (skeletal melody) simultaneously, each with slightly different embellishments (jiahua), according to their idiomatic figurations (capability of instrument) Natural “give and take” sensitivity during performance. One elaborate, rest play simply Percussion Instrument Luo, Bo (cymbals) Clappers - Used to keep time Bangu - single-headed frame drum played with 2 bamboo sticks Jiangnan Sizhu 江南丝⽵ Performance context Performed at teahouses, by amateurs. Highly participatory and improvisatory Instruments Erhu • Bowed, 2 stringed fretless fiddle • Played with bow placed between strings • Mellow (compared to gaohu) •Played on thighs • Techniques: Glissando, Pizzicato, Vibrato, Harmonics Pipa • 4 stringed pear-shaped lute • Played upright, strummed with finger • Techniques: Fretted pitch bends,Tremolo, Harmonics, 轮指 (continuous strumming) Sanxian • 3 stringed fretless lute with long fingerboard • Plucked with thin, hard plectrum • Techniques: Microtones,Glissando, Vibrato Yangqin • Hammered dulcimer, played with 2 lightweight bamboo beaters with rubber tips • Can be used solo oraccompanying • Techniques: Tremolo Dizi • Transverse bamboo flute with six finger holes • Has reed membrane (dimo 笛膜 ) which vibrates to giveinstrument reedy sound • Techniques: Trills, Flutter Tonguing Xiao • Vertical end-blown bamboo flute • No dimo, gentler tone than dizi Sheng • free-reed mouth organ consisting of a series of bamboo pipes arranged in a circle with reed on its lowerend • Played by blowing and sucking air through mouthpiece • Can be used solo or accompanying •Techniques: Chords Guzheng • Zither with 21 strings stretched over movable bridges • Can be used solo or accompanying • Techniques:Pitch bending, glissando, tremolo

Asian Music 2 Guangdong Yinyue ⼴东⾳乐 Performance Context Used as secular entertainment, accompanying music in special events Instruments Same as JNSZ (Erhu, Pipa, Sanxian, Yangqin, Dizi, Xiao, Sheng, Guzheng) Gaohu • Two stringed fiddle • Higher pitched than erhu • Played between knees Yehu • Two stringed fiddle • Coconut soundbox Ruan • Four stringed plucked circular lute Qinqin • Three string lute with wooden round/hexagonal/octagonal body • Slender fretted neck Yueqin • Four stringed plucked lute with round, hollow wooden body • Short fretted neck • Now played with guitar pick Suona • Double reeded wind instrument • Wooden pipe with finger holes, flat copper bell Indian Raga: Scale system in Indian Classical Music Swaras: Notes of the scale Gamakas - Grace, graceful and decorations Sliding Gamaka Oscillation Gamaka Repeated Notes Tala: Organisation of time, Laya: Tempo Performance Context Traditionally played for Hindu worship and prayers Modern Performances can take place in concert halls and cultural festivals Carnatic Mus