Chinese+Visual+Arts+and+Music

=Chinese Percussion Instruments=

by Lauren
When you think about drums, what is the first thing to come to mind? I bet you it’s not the Chinese orchestra. Drums however play a key role in Chinese music. And instruments such as the bangu drum, bianzhong bells and tanggu drum are some of the most well-known.

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The bangu drum is a Chinese frame drum. When it is struck by one or two tiny bamboo sticks, it creates a sharp dry sound. The drum is made of animal skin stretched over wooden wedges and is four inches deep, ten inches wide. Whoever plays the bangu leads the ensemble.======

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Bianzhong bells can be any size between eight inches to five feet tall. The bells are hung in a wooden frame and struck with a mallet. These bells don’t have clappers. The concave shape of the bell’s bottom directs sound waves. Some bells are embossed, which helps to single out the competing sounds.======

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Tanggu is another traditional Chinese drum. It is a medium size and is shaped like a barrel. It has two heads made of animal skin and it played with two sticks. During the Qing Dynasty, it was called the “Zhanggu”. The sound that this drum produces isn't definite. There are two types of Tanggu: the Da Tanggu and the Xiao Tanggu. The Xia Tanggu is much smaller and produces a higher pitched sound than the Da Tanggu.======

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Again, when you imagine drums, you don't normally imagine the Chinese Orchestra. However, drums played a major role in Ancient Chinese music. as during this time China had an unmatched level of acoustical science that was essential in supporting the elaborate musical art of those times. The Chinese combined both physics and engineering to perfect their drums and to arrive at desirable orchestration. These are accomplishments that have found their way into many of today’s modern drums and other acoustical instruments.======

=BIBLIOGRAPHY=

Bangu Drums(Online Image) http://www.mustcreate.org/images/teach2_1_1bangu.jpg, 3/12/09

"Bangu Drums." Enyclopedia Britannica. .

Bianzhong Bells(Online Image) http://pro.corbis.com/images/AABN001207.jpg?size=67&uid=%7B958491F3-533B-4947-978F-FD945A279056%7D, 3/12/09

"Chinese Percussion Instruments." Wikipedia. .

"Tanggu Drum." Wikipedia. .

Tanggu Drums(Online Image) http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/5059/CO_XIAOTANGGU.GIF, 3/12/09