BCCPAM000M29-5-25000000000000

CHHfESE MUSIC. 79 No. 45.-The Pang-lcu (#~ jj) is a small flat drum, with a body of wood; the top is covered with skin and the bottom is hollow. The diameter of the head is about 6 inches. I t rests on a wooden tripod. It is chiefly used in popular orchestras to beat time and accompany songs and ballads. Besides the drums here enumerated, the Chinese possess several other kinds, Yarying from 5 inches to severa1 feet in diameter. They have the "tambour de basque," the, tambourine, and barrel drums of all kinds; some are richly ornamented with silk piece goods, some very simple and unadorned ; but it would take too much space to describe them all. 7°. GOURD. The gourd was introduced among the musical instruments by the ancient Chinese to represent plants and herbs. It is called ~ (p'ao), and its shell is at once thin and hard. Its hollow form rendered it available, and they made the she"rng. Iowadays, however, wood has been substitued for the calabash, a change which does not seem to have made much difference in the sound. No. 46.-The Sheng (~) is an instrument intended to symbolise the fe"-ng-huang or Phamix. The body or wind-chest is made of gourd, or ~imply of wood, and in its upper part tubes of different length are inserted. These tubes ar~ of five different lengths, and are so arranged as to resemble the tail of a bird, the middle tubes being the longest. The length of the tubes does not, however, make the sounds graver, for several of them have an aperture at a distance from the top which renders their length ineffective. The tubes in the lower portion are f~rnished with reeds exactly like those of our accordions ; a little above the reeds the t ubes are pierced so as to prevent their sounding, exce1)t by stopping the holes.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDA3MTIz