Chinese Music Monograph Series

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 CHINESE
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
Yuan-Yuan Lee
&
Sin-yan Shen

C h i n e s e   M u s i c   S o c i e t y   o f   N o r t h   A m e r i c a
C h i c a g o ,   U S A

In this book, the authors discuss the Chinese instruments with their readers by comparing with Western instruments from the aspect of cultural acoustic. Different acoustical preferences in different cultures lead the way of all the developments in music as well as the instruments played.

"The primary difference between musical systems of different culture is their preference of intervals, and thus a difference in the breadth of their harmonic system".

For example, Chinese music is built upon a specific harmonic system, which is not only different but also broader than what is known in the West. This system reflects on the tuning of all of the Chinese string instruments. Chinese string tuning is stacked fifth-fourth rather than using the fifth-fifty stacking of the violin family, which includes the violin, the viola, and the cello. Chinese music also does not treat the second as a discord as in classical European and American music.

Here we are dealing with specific intervals, but in reality music is always the total combined effect of many intervals, while your brain still remembers them, whether they be sounding at the same time or slightly apart, that causes your brain to be stimulated in desired fashions.

The cultural acoustical preferences of a people or a nationality determines the types of tone of instruments it accepts. Now let us start our journey into this fascinating series of treasures from another world.

The book is most fully illustrated and with an index of detailed topics and personalities.


Happy reading.
C O N T E N T S

ISBN 1-880464-03-9
Price: US$ 22.95
US shipping & handling: US$ 3.50
Foreign shipping & handling: US$ 4.50
Book size: 6" X 9" paperback
Total 208 pages
fully illustrated
Includes index of detailed topics and personalities

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