Musical trip to... China!

Before we dive into the music of China we should explore the importance of music within their culture. In China music wasn't originally played for enjoyment but rather "that music is meant to purify one’s thoughts" (Tianyuculture). Chinese music consists of some traditional Chinese instruments like erhu (two stringed fiddle) and dizi (flute) but also instruments that we are familiar with like pianos and guitars. Pressbooks said that "Chinese music is characterized by its use of pentatonic scales and complex rhythms, as well as its emphasis on melody and expressiveness." (Pressbooks.cuny). 

Something interesting about Chinese music is that it operates based off the pentatonic scale which is a five note scale. Not only that, but their style of music can be broken down into three modes: The Zhi mode, The Yu mode, and the Shang Mode. "The Zhi mode is often used in folk music and has a bright and lively character. The Yu mode is used in slower, more contemplative music and is often associated with sadness and longing. The Shang mode is used in more formal and ceremonial music and has a more serious and dignified character."(Pressbooks.cuny) The scales and modes of Chinese music are what make it unique and create a diverse range of emotion in the music. In Chinese music, there's something called heterophony that helps create depth in the music. It makes it almost sound as if the music was improvised. Heterophony is when multiple voices or instruments play the same melody with slight variations. It's important to note that heterophony is NOT specific to Chinese music but an important characteristic of it. 

Chinese music can be divided into genres like folk, Cantopop, Mandopop, and traditional music. Of course there are more categories, but these are some major ones. Traditional music is characterized by its use of traditional instruments and classical structures. The pop versions are western influenced and have similar structures as pop music that we are familiar with. Below is a song titled "Red Scarf" preformed by Weibird. 

Notice how similar it sounds to an American pop song? You can hear and feel the build up of emotions within the song through the shifts in dynamics. There's a steady beat in the background and a simple band playing along. Like most pop songs, the form follows the same pattern of having the verse, bridge, chorus and so on. It pretty much sounds like a pop song that we are used to hearing on the radio. 

Let's take a look at something completely different.. a peking opera performance sample. This performance is of "The Drunken Concubine" at a high school by Luoyun Wang. 

Chinese opera can also be known as Chinese theater and that's because it combines the skills of singing, dancing, mimicking, and acrobatics. It's crazy, the things that she can do with her voice. She has so much control over her voice and range. The tempo of the song seems to remain fairly consistent as she moves along with the song as well. Do you hear that the instruments are kind of playing the melody that she is singing? That is an example of heterophony, where they sound similar but there are small differences to make each part unique. 

Chinese music is also often associated with festivals, weddings, and celebrations and accompanied by performances of some sort. One of my favorite things to watch is the Chinese Lion Dancing performances, so I wanted to add that into here as well. Here is a video of lion dancers with LED lights! 

In these performances, the main instruments used are drums, gongs, and cymbals. It's believed that these performances will bring good fortune and scare of evil spirits. Rhythm is key for this kind of music, both the dancers and the instrumentalists have to be in tune. 

Citations:

Chapter 4: The Music of China – Listening to the World, pressbooks.cuny.edu/apiza/chapter/chapter-5-the-music-of-china/.  Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.

“LED Acrobatic Double Lion Dance.” YouTube, youtu.be/TSdEXwUmH3c?feature=shared.  Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.

“Peking Opera Performance Sample.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=73_9UvNX920.  Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.

“Traditional Chinese Music and Beyond.” Tianyu, 29 Aug. 2024, tianyuculture.us/traditional-chinese-music-and-beyond/. 

“韋禮安 WeiBird《如果可以 Red Scarf》MV - 電影「月老」主題曲導演親剪音樂視角版.” YouTube, youtu.be/8MG--WuNW1Y?feature=shared.  Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.