Download Chinese Double Reed Instrument

管
子
Guanzi
Chinese Double Reed
Instrument
•Double reed bamboo
Bamboo
instrument
管
•“Guan” means pipe, or
tube
•Unlike other instruments,
such as the oboe or
Chinese "suona", the "guan"
has a cylindrical bore,
giving it a clarinet-like
tone.
•(The bore of a wind
instrument is its interior
chamber that defines a
flow path through which
air travels and is set into
vibration to produce
sounds.)
Timelines
•The earliest use of the word "guan" is traced back to Zhou Dynasty
where it refers to end-blown bamboo flutes such as the "xiao" or
"paixiao".
•The earliest double-reed instrument appears in the late Zhou dynasty
and is referred as "hujia" (literally translated to "foreign reed pipe")
because it had been introduced from the northwestern regions of China.
The "hujia" was used as the primarily military instrument for signaling,
and is depicted in early Chinese poetry as having a screeching, shrill
sound.
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltxe1DO6PH8
•Thee hujia wa probably created by Central Asian nomads, and evolved
into an important leading instrument in court and ritual music.
•At the height of the Tang Dynasty, the "guan", alongside many other
instruments, was introduced to neighboring countries,
•First mentioned in Confucius’s
Book of Odes, an anthology of
poems and songs dating from
the Zhou Dynasty (1027-771 BC)
to the Spring & Autumn Period
(770-476 BC).
•Traveled the Silk Road and was
introduced to China as the bili
in the Sui Dynasty (580-618 AD)
and reached its peak by playing
in court orchestras
throughout the Tang Dynasty
before traveling eastward.
•During the Song Dynasty,
court orchestras began to
disappear and the bili evolved
into a folk instrument. It was
around this time when the bili
became known as the guanzi.
•Guanzi was developed
in ancient Persia then
traveled to China as the
“bili” or “luguan.”
•It was popular in the
Xinjiang region and was
later introduced into
the mainland.
•It traveled west to east and is prominent in northern
China.
------>Bili------>Luguan------->Guanzi
Ancestors in the West
Georgia: Dudki
Duduk-Guitar Duo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9SGRmNpef8&feature=related
Qarnarta
Turkey: Mey
Balamam
Iran and Iraq:
Balaban
Descendants in the East
Korea: Piri
top to bottom: Korean Piri, Chinese Guanzi, Japanese Hichiriki (all
cylindrical double reeds related to the Duduk)
Japan: Hichiriki
Construction
•The "guan" consist of a short cylindrical
tube made of hardwood in northern China,
where the instrument is called "bili".
•Bamboo bilis are now rare
•Wooden Guanzi are made from a type of
rosewood
•Reeds are made from "Arundo" cane, which
is inserted into the top end of the tube.
•Traditionally, the instrument consists of 7
finger-holes on the back and 1 two thumbholes. The ends are decorated with metal.
•The modern versions of the instrument
developed in the 20th century have extra
holes and are fitted with metal keys to
provide a wider chromatic range. The
modern versions are played in larger
orchestras.
•Size: Approximately 25-30 centimeters
Notation
Creation of Sound
•The instrument's range is about two
and one-half octaves.
•It is capable of doing vibrato, wide
pitch bends, roulade, glissandi, among
others.
•Depending on the degree of liprounding, the instrument can produce
sounds that imitate the human voice,
or even animal sounds.
•It is said that the guan is difficult to
play, largely due to the difficulty of
controlling the embouchure (the way
the mouth is placed on the
mouthpiece)
•Chinese saying states that the sheng
takes 100 days to learn, but the "guan"
takes 1,000 days to learn.
Creation of Sound
•The instrument's range is about two and one-half octaves.
•It is capable of doing vibrato, wide pitch bends, roulade, glissandi, among
others.
•Depending on the degree of lip-rounding, the instrument can produce sounds
that imitate the human voice, or even animal sounds.
•It is said that the guanzi is difficult to play, largely due to the difficulty of
controlling the embouchure (the way the mouth is placed on the mouthpiece)
•Chinese saying states that the sheng takes 100 days to learn, but the guan
takes 1,000 days to learn.
Notable guanzi Players
Bao Jian
•
Bao Jian (鮑健, student of Hu
Zhihou)
•
Hu Zhihou (胡志厚)
•
Li Jinwen (b. 1923)
•
Liu Zhong
• Shan Wentong
•
Lin Youren, Wu Man, Li Jinwen, and Xuan Ke
Yuanheng (1894-1959)
•Guanzi differ
from region to
region.
•In the Guangdong region of
southern China, it is made from
bamboo and is called
"houguan" (Literally
Translated to "throat guan").
Houguan
-----Tone carries a strong nasal
Timbre
-----Some Houguan have bells
attached to the End
•Northern guan- Made of wood
-----Tone is expansive
Detail of 10th century Song Dynasty painting
depicting three guan players and two dizi
(transverse flute) players, accompanied by a
paiban (wooden clapper), performing in the
home of Han Xizai, a minister to the Song
Dynasty emperor Li Houzhu
Movement
•Called the Head Guan because it is a vital component in the Nine and Ten Genres of
Music in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
•Mainly found in folk guchui music, drum and wind music, and Buddhist and Taoist
music.
•
(Guchui-Wind and percussion ensemble in traditional Chinese music, usually
featuring suona, drums, gongs, and cymbals.
•Keyed alto and keyed bass guans are used are used in orchestra as it fills in the
middle register.)
•As a solo instrument, only one guan is used; however, there are some pieces in which
two guans are used.
Hong Kong Chinese
Orchestra in New York
•Guanzi has been used in a variety of musical contexts over the centuries, often as a
solo instrument used to evoke a mood of sadness.
•Being a solo instrument as well, guanzi can also have a clear and bright tone. It is
said to have a “countryside” tone.
•Also called the tougan (first oboe) because it frequently plays the leading role in
orchestras.
Media
Zhang Jia-Li (Guanzi) with LangLang (Piano)- From the “Silk Road”
Suite By Zhao Ji-Ping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-guKHZ943ck
“The Silk Road Fantasia Suite” with Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sEjL6hGQ1s
Father and Son Li Guoying and Li Yayang with Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltxe1DO6PH8
Guanzi with Sheng
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IxzOQQh0iw&feature=related
Sources
http://www.asza.com/iguan.shtml
http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Music/mus-guan.html
http://www.hkco.org/eng/learning_3_eng.asp
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1233192/houguan
http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/1560995
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Guan_(instrument)
http://english.cri.cn/1702/2005-5-3/[email protected]
Christine Hikaru Nishite