BCCPAM000M29-5-25000000000000

CHINESE "MUSIC. 69 The ycirig-ch'in is played with two light slips of bamboo, and it is capable of producing -extremely pleasing sounds when well played. I t may sometimes be beard together with the violin and the guitar, accompanying songs and ballads. 4 °. B.A.1rBOO. One would think that bamboo ought not to be distinguished from wood ; but, according · to Chinese ideas, there is a very great difference between these two substances. Bamboo is neither properly a . tree nor yet a simple plant, but it partakes the qualities of . both these products. I ts manifold uses have caused it to be considered a peculiai· material, particularly nseful in music. No. 29.-The P'ai-hsiao (:H~ j'). The Chinese were a long time in discovering that a tube pierced at different places may be made to produce as many sounds as there are holes by merely stopping these holes one after the other. In order to get the various sounds, the ancient Chinese used as many.tubes as there were sounds; these t ubes fas tened together produced the p'cii-hs·iao, or " Pandean pipes." The first instrument of this kind was made by the Emperor SHUN ; 1 it was a collection of ro tubes, gradually decreasing in length and connected togethe1· in a rough manner by silk cord. In subsequent ages .the number of tubes was increased to I 2, then to r6, and even to 24; at present, the p'ai-hsiao has invariably 16 tubes. These tubes are arranged upon a frame more or less carved and ornamented; they cor– respond to the 1 2 lus and the first four liis of the gl:ave series, and emit exactly the same notes as the bell and stone chimes. The sounds of this instrument represent the Volce t. tl 1 e ;•A h h · and +: e f'o1·1:o of the frame tVY•ities this bird with o . eng- iiang, or p remx ; u J r its wmgs spreacl.2 The tubes which give the notes corresponding to the !JtG'719 7-us, ,ir 1 ~ 1-f: + ~ Mf ~. See ~ .re. ~ ~ ~- 2 See ff~~-