Yangqin

The yangqin is a Chinese zither. Many historians believe that the instrument made its way to China through the Silk Route. The Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes that connected across over 5,000 miles from China to the Middle East. A majority of the items in trade from this route included silk products, thus giving it the name “Silk Route”. The trade route contributed heavily to the growth of civilization in China. It is believed that, if the zither was introduced by land from another region, it was from the Persians. The Persians had a similar dulcimer instrument in ancient times that many believe was the origin of the yangqin. However, other historians have different theories of the introduction of the instrument in China, including that the Chinese people created the instrument without any kind of outside influence or introduction.

Older versions of the instrument were made with silk strings and bamboo—giving it a soft timbre and a smoother sound. Newer versions of the instrument use steel strings to give it a brighter timbre and a louder sound. Modern versions of the instruments have 144 strings. They have either four or five bridges. The yangqin is played by using bamboo hammers that have a rubber head. The instrument can be played by striking the strings with the rubber side for a softer, muted sound, or with the bamboo side for a louder, sharper sounds. Many players carry different types of hammers to create different sounds while playing.

The instrument is extremely important in the Jiangnan Sizhu region of Shanghai, and is also popular among some Cantonese groups. The yangqin is especially important in Chinese chamber music and orchestral ensembles.

Here is an example of the yangqin used in an ensemble setting. In the beginning, the percussive instrument follows the lead of the yangqin.

Here is an example of a solo yangqin performance.

I thought this example was super interesting because the instrument sounds EXACTLY like bees.

This video is a solo performance of Johann Pachelbel’s Cannon in D Fantasia based on the chords patterns used in the piece. The instrument is versatile because of its chromatic construction. Music that is not totally based on the pentatonic scale can also be played on the yangqin, though traditionally that’s not what it is used for.

Just for funsies…because it’s getting close to Christmas time. (: