STUDY GUIDE: THE MUSIC OF CHINA
China has a long musical tradition documented in historical and notated sources. Traditional
Chinese music depends more on memorization, repetition, idiomatic realization, and
embellishment of standard instrumental pieces, rather than on improvisation. The music for
Peking (or Beijing) Opera contains sound codes that emphasize the drama created by
combinations of instruments. While Confucianism revered proper sounding music for inducing
correct social behavior in ancient times, the Communist Chinese in the 20th century exercised a
similar philosophy by filling songs with propaganda. Much Chinese music and many of its
instruments derived from interactions of the numerous minorities over thousands of years, and
their music further developed into standard repertories.
Diversity of Peoples
 What is the significance of the population size and diversity of China?
Beijing
What is the significance of the following:
Jingju
Liyuan
Qing chang
Jinghu
Nan ban zi
The Qin and Its Music
The following terms have specific meanings. What are they?
Qin
Jinzhi
Wenzipu
Jianzipu
Dapu
Sanqi
Rudiao
Ruman
The Pipa and Its Music
 What is a Pipa?
 What is the difference between Yan ue, Wen and Wu?
Winds and Strings Ensembles in Shanghai
 What are Jiangnan sizhu, Jiangnan, Si and Zhu?
 Describe a typical Jiangnan sizhu ensemble
o What are the instruments used?
o How do they make music?
 What is the technique Fangman jiahua?
Jingju Theater (Capital Theater, or Peking Opera in the West)
 What are arias and recitatives? How are they similar to Jingju theatre?
 What is heightened speech?
 What are the different characters and who plays them?
 What is the function of Jingju instrumental music?
Explain the significance of the following terms:
Fuqi
Weisheng
Wenchang
Jinghu
Erhu
Yue qin
Sanxian
Ruan
Dizi
Sheng
Suona
Wuchang
Danpigu
Ban
Daluo
Xiaoluo
Naoba
Datangu
Xiaotangu
Muyu
Ban
The Value and Functions of Music
 What value and function does music have generally in Chinese culture?
 Who was Kong Fuzi? What were his ideas about music?
 What is the significance of Shi yin and Chi yue?
 Who was Mao Zedong? What were his views?
 What was the status of musicians before and after 1949?
New Musical Directions in the 20th Century
Explain the significance of the following:
Kang Youwei
Xiao Youmei
Zhao Yuanren
Songs of the Masses
Jiang Qing
The Rise of Popular Music
Define the following terms and definitions:
Liuxing gequ
Canto Pop
Xibeifeng
Tongsu yinyue
Cui Jian
Zhong jinshu
Mongolian Music
 The relationship between Han and non-Han people in the PRC is complicated. What are
some of those complexities?
 What are Topshuur, Morin huur, Tsuur, Höömi, and Mei sheng?
Deeper Discussion
 How could we say that minority music affected mainstream music in North America the
way it did in China?
 To which Western musical instrument would you compare qin practice, and why?
 What are some comparisons in the Western music repertoire to programmatic pipa
music?
 What could be a Western equivalent to Jiangnan sizhu?
 In what ways can we compare jingju to Western opera or a Broadway musical?
 What are some Western equivalents to ban in the construction of new songs and works?
 How is music used for propaganda in our Canada? The United States?
o Or, how is music used to instill values in our country?
 Why did Communists censure Confucian musical practices?
o Conversely, why did the Communists during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76)
utilize Western musical practices such as orchestration, harmony, ballet, and
scenic design, in spite of being anti-Western?