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Chinese Ensemble Music - Coggle Diagram
Chinese Ensemble Music
Guangdong hanyue
Origin: Eastern Guangdong
Performance context: Operas, Teahouse performances, Weddings, Funerals, Performances for rituals
Instrumentation: Sanxian, Xiao, Yangqin, Gaohu, Guzheng, Clappers, Cymbals, Dizi (may not always be present),
Prominence of Gaohu, Yangqin
Pentatonic scale, Heterophonic texture but with more abrupt changes of texture (Jiahua improvisation used)
Mood: Bright
Tempo: Sudden change from slow to fast tempo
Jiangnan sizhu
Origin: Shanghai, Jiangsu & Zhejiang
Meaning of Jiangnan sizhu: Strings in string instruments are made of silk, wind instruments are made of bamboo
Performance context: Teahouse performances, neighbourhood recreation centres, private homes (play for own pleasure, often played
without musical notation
Instrumentation: Erhu, Dizi, Pipa, Sheng, Drums, Yangqin, Xiao, Sanxian
Pentatonic scale - passing notes are often added, fa and ti did not exist traditionally as the pipa could not play it due to less frets
Heterophonic texture - Different instrumental parts play the same tune simulaneously, each instrumental part creating its own melodic rhythmic variants, good performers will improvise melodic and rhythmic variants with each performance to interact with other performers
Jiahua improvisation: expanding the melody by adding notes or compressing the melody by reducing notes, when someone is playing a complicated version of melody others should stay clear and not be in direct conflictt, when others are shifting to a higher register others should go the opposite direction in order to create a sense of balance
Erhu & Gaohu: Glissandos and vibratos
Guzheng: Glassandos, pitch bends and vibratos
Pipa: Glissandos and tremolos
Dizi: Trills and vibratos
Sounds elegant, light-hearted, lively with prominent wind instrument
Structure: yi ban yi yan or yi ban san yan (similar to 2/4 or 4/4)
Stock melody memorised
Tempo: Generally acclerates through a piece