Music
String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze
2014.06.25 / Source:

String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze River is popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in East China. The style is refined, smooth and indirect.

The instruments used for the String-and-Wind Music are the combination of both string instruments and percussion instruments.

Musical organizations of the String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze River were established in the region centered by Shanghai in 1911. Though originating from the ceremonial music of weddings or funerals and the folk music played in the temple fair, the String-and-Wind Music from South of the Yangtze formed its unique characteristics of two styles.

One of the styles is popularized in urban area, which is elegant and gorgeous, performed by the literary; the other is plain and simple, popularized in rural area.

The chief instruments used for String-and-Wind Music, are Erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle), Pipa (lute), Yangqin, Sanxian (a three-string instrument), and wind instruments such as Dizi (bamboo flute), Sheng (a reed pipe wind instrument) and Xiao (a vertical bamboo flute). Percussion instruments like drums and clappers are also sometimes included. During performances, each instrument contributes its individuality to the harmony of the whole, and embellishment and variations are common.