Chinese Music Atlas

Instruments

Chinese Traditional Instruments

What is making that sound? Entries explain the structure, sound and playing of traditional Chinese instruments.

4 entries published

A guqin, a Chinese seven-stringed zither, seen from above
An erhu, a two-stringed Chinese bowed fiddle, photographed for a museum catalogue
instrument

Erhu二胡

A two-stringed Chinese bowed fiddle, held vertically and played with the bow hair passing between the strings.

A guqin, a seven-stringed Chinese zither, photographed for a museum catalogue
instrument

Guqin古琴

A seven-stringed Chinese zither, plucked with the right hand while the left hand stops the strings or touches them to sound harmonics.

A guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither, photographed for a museum catalogue
instrument

Guzheng古筝

A long plucked Chinese zither with metal strings tuned by pegs on the top board, used for home entertainment, folk music and court ensembles.

A pipa, a pear-shaped Chinese lute, photographed for a museum catalogue
instrument

Pipa琵琶

A pear-shaped Chinese lute, plucked and fretted, heard in opera and storytelling ensembles and in a virtuosic solo repertory.