An Introduction to Chinese Music

An Introduction to Chinese Music

What do you know about Chinese

Music?
Review work from last lesson.

LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to

know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

Ancient Traditions

Chinese civilisation is one of the oldest

in the world.
Chinese musical systems and
instruments were developed in China
before most other countries.
Music could influence the soul.
Music could affect nature and natural
phenomena.
LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to
know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

Ancient Traditions

Scales are associated with planets and

months of the year.
Religious chants and songs had to
start on a particular note of the scale
according to the month in which the
ceremony took place.
Chinese music is always inspired by
nature.
Descriptive music is very popular in
LOs:
To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to
China.
know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

What do you know about

Chinese Music?
Listen to this extract and make notes under the
following headings:

Melody
Melody

Tonalit Texture
Tonality
Texture
y

Improvised
Neither
quality to
major nor
the solo
minor but
(ornamentat
feels
ion)
diatonic
Repeated
melodic
fragment by
the whole
ensemble
LOs:
To explore the

Heterophonic
OR Melody
and
Accompanime
nt
(Homophonic)

Instrument
s
Instrument
s

Rhythm
Rhythm

Percussion
String solo
Plucked
string
instruments
harmony
Wind
melody

Shorter
rather than
longer notes

sound world of Chinese music; to

know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

A system of
music had been
developed and
many
instruments had
been invented
lute, lyre,
stringed zither
3000
BC
(chin).
Emperor
Fuh Shi

The pitch of a
root bass was
fixed and called
Huang-chung
(Yellow Bell). 12
notes of the
octave were also
fixed and named.

2679 BC

The chin had 5 strings,

which represented the 5
planets then known:
Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn. Chin
now has 7 strings G, A,
C, D, E, G, A Complex
music which string,
which finger, how to play
the note.

2633 BC

Emperor Huang
Ti
(Yellow
Emperor)

LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to

know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

Fixing the Scale

Ling Lun (Ruler of Music) in a valley of tall

bamboo
Cut a length of hollow bamboo and blew through it
=Fundamental bass note
Pitch pipes with bamboo the same thickness and
diameter
Ancient Chinese symbol for Heaven = 3, for Earth =
2
Fundamental = C?
Second pipe = 2 thirds of the fundamental = perfect
5th = G
Third
pipe
= 2the
thirds
of the
second
pipe = music;
perfectto
LOs:
To
explore
sound
world
of
Chinese
th
5know
= D the basic details of the Chinese scale and
If a note was outside of the C-C octave, the pipe

An Introduction to Chinese Music

Listening
Chin music entitled Liushui (Flowing
waters)
Does this music paint a picture; as
effectively as the previous piece?
Do you think that the pitch-range of this
instrument is particularly wide or narrow?
LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to
know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

Associated with
moths of the year

The 12 L
Most
harmonious
= no
semitones
and easy to
sing

No such
thing as a
chromatic
scale
First 5
notes were
the only
notes used
for many
centuries

Notes transposed
to any pitch
(similar to different
keys)

First 5 notes =
pentatonic scale

LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to

know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

Homework
To design and create a piece
of display work on Chinese
musical instruments.

LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to

know the basic details of the Chinese scale and

An Introduction to Chinese Music

What have you learned?

On your post-it, write 2 things
youve learned and 1 question for
next lesson.

LOs: To explore the sound world of Chinese music; to

know the basic details of the Chinese scale and