Sanxian: also known as “harp”, traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Handle very long, rectangular speakers, two skins, strings three, side-hold in the arms to play. Sounds wild, uninhibited. You can solo, ensemble or accompaniment, is widely used folk music, opera music and rap music.
Origin
As early as 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang unified destroyed after completion of the six countries, the levy made common people to build the famous Great Wall frontier, in order to adjust the heavy labor, people of all ethnic groups in northern China, once a kind of small rattle handle them transformation, in the above tied stringed, made of round, leather, long-handled, can plucked instruments, then known as the “string drum used by peddlers.” This is the three-stringed lute predecessor, the first in the northern frontier military use. Qing Mao its age “River Words”, saying: “three-stringed lute from the Qin, the thirty bulging of the system and change shape easily loud, that the bulging, Tang Yue people learning of the World that Hu Yue, Definitely.”
Tang Chin Choi Order “Jiaofang mind” in the name of sanxian appeared, but its type system was unknown in the Tang Dynasty ten Kabuki were no sanxian. Yuan Dynasty, sanxian vibe in the Central Plains, is the main musical accompaniment Yuan was once called string cable. Yuan Shen Yuan Qu Qing Wang Shifu’s words “North West Wing string cable spectrum” that is, as a three-stringed lute accompaniment of musical instruments.
Sichuan Guangyuan Luo Bridge Song Dynasty Tombs Unearthed Kuregaku stone has played sanxian images, Jiaozuo, Henan Golden West Fengcun tomb out there playing three-stringed lute music figurines, Liaoning Lingyuan rich jiatun Yuan tomb murals have played sanxian image description sanxian in Song and Yuan Dynasties has been widely spread in the country.
Modern sanxian
Shamisen is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument nation. Because Zhang sanxian named. Subject to different geographical, ethnic and cultural customs influence sanxian always a variety of shapes, roughly grouped into large and small two three-stringed lute. After the 1950s, a number of musical instruments and stringed lute virtuoso reformers in both improved on the basis of three-stringed lute, was a great success.
Modern three-stringed lute is improved on the basis of traditional three-stringed lute, a large three-stringed lute of 60 type, 80 type large three-stringed lute, respectively, in 1960 and in 1980 successfully developed, hence the name. Two kinds of three-stringed lute by China Academy of Music, Mr. Xiaojian sound design, Beijing Folk Instruments Songguang Ning master production, 60 type large three-stringed lute, length 116.8 cm, piano drum length 23.8cm, width 21.5 cm, thickness 9 cm; 80 type large sanxian length 117.8 cm, piano drum length 26.5 cm, width 23.2 cm, thickness 9.8 cm. Compared with the traditional big three-stringed lute, two shamisen improved drum resonance cavity to expand, frame edge is thin, oval-shaped wall, digging an echo groove, so that the pronunciation pure and honest. Appropriate to shorten the piano bar, easy left hand fingering Anxian. Yamaguchi down. The lower end of the fingerboard is flush with piano drum, extended treble range. Piano bar inside hollowed out with the drum cavity switched on, enhanced resonance. Playing, piano drum left in place of copper curved bracket so that helped prop piano bar with both hands to reduce the burden for the content and play the full performance of the song playing skills to create the conditions.
86 treble sanxian
86 treble sanxian is based on the traditional and improved by a small three-stringed lute. Main characteristic is improved sound quality, lingering longer. Specific approach is appropriate amplification piano drums, piano drum equipped double resonance cavity, the main resonance cavity at the bottom, oval; auxiliary resonance cavity at the top, crescent-shaped, with a hole between the two chambers connected, is tuned C, G, C or D, A, d. To meet the needs of different sounds. Has two kinds of main resonance chambers of different sizes :86-1 and 86-2 type. 8 & l type main cavity is small, auxiliary chamber to large; 86-2 type main chamber large auxiliary cavity is small. In 1986, the piano sound by the China Conservatory of Music Professor Xiaojian design, Beijing Folk Instruments Strings production division Songguang Ning production success. In 1991, through the Ministry of Culture expert technical appraisal.
Structure
Sanxian structure is relatively simple, can be divided into the headstock, piano bar and piano drum three parts, by the headstock, pegs, Yamaguchi, piano bar, drum box, film, the bridge and strings and other components. Mostly Spade, is a three-stringed lute the decorative parts are generally embedded bone flower ornamentation or carving out the middle out of the string groove, groove side opened peg holes, three pegs placed on both sides of the headstock. Piano bar semicircular cylindrical body, a smooth surface is sanxian fretboard, top inlaid with Yamaguchi, the bottom was a square insert piano drum. Piano or drums drum called Drum head is sanxian resonance box, which is slightly oval frame on both sides of the drum from Mongolia to python. Qin Ma placed Mangpi center. Using stringed strings or steel strings, starting from the treble strings were outboard, middle and inner chord chord, outboard with sub-strings, the strings with erxian inner chord with the old strings. Three strings are tied at one end of the drum below the diamond piano wood case, the other ends of the strings is wound around the three axes.
Species
First, the South Sound sanxian
Many ethnic Chinese use sanxian. Mongolian song and dance ensemble and instrumental accompaniment for the three-stringed lute, shape and Han big sanxian identical. In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Han also spread large and small three-stringed lute, especially small three-stringed lute, not only South Zhuang drama bands used in Jingxi, Molen De Paul’s singing as a musical accompaniment. Hani sanxian also the size of two large called “dry Mary tables,” small is called “string dry”, constructed with the Han sanxian similar, but the piano drum Mongolia with pig bladder or bamboo shell, the first color deep chord with sausage made with finger plucked, not only a lot of solo tunes, but also commonly used in the instrumental ensemble.
Sanxian spread due to the different regions and uses a lot of varieties, such as small three-stringed lute, two-sided small three-stringed lute, board a small three-stringed lute, a large three-stringed lute, short rod big three-stringed lute and electric sanxian.
South Sound sanxian: referred to the South chord is a chord song, popular in Fujian and Taiwan in the vicinity of a small three-stringed lute, playing folk music because of the name of Fujian South Sound.
South Sound Department sanxian high music. Its structure and the same common national sanxian, length 98 cm. Headstock modeling simple, some Chengbian shovel, but more rounded edges and corners; carved out of some beast. Piano bar with ebony piano drum frame plate Lai wood and other hard wood production. Resonance box looks more rounded long square, octagonal and some made their resonance box bore smaller than the average for the big three-stringed lute. Three strings using stringed, from low to high are called bus, midline or sub-lines. Tuned in (a, d1, a1). Pronunciation darker, softer tone.
South chord playing method and general sanxian similar, but has a unique fingering, notation names and symbols are basically the same as with the South Pa. In Southern Fujian folk music ensemble sound, often played with the South Pa same melody, sometimes two octaves relationship was mutual tie off, sound is good.
Second, a large three-stringed lute small three-stringed lute power sanxian
Big sanxian: also known as “drum sanxian” or “chord book”, is about 115 centimeters in northern rap drum accompaniment book is named. It is the musical instrument can also be used for bass, deep and loud sounds, and more for the northern rap music as a drum books, storytelling, monochord of accompaniment and Quju, Lvju other local opera accompaniment, instrumental ensemble and solo or join. Often living in the main chord accompaniment folk status.
In recent years, reforms have been successful trial use of appropriate national orchestra big sanxian short game. It features while maintaining a large three-stringed lute, the reduced size of the fretboard, piano bar is short, the bit closer, is conducive to play fast playing skills, since device slidably activities Yamaguchi, were able to transpose, not only for accompaniment, ensemble, more suitable in solo.
Small three-stringed lute: also known as “song chord”, is about 90 centimeters, so named because of opera accompaniment. Because circulating in the South, and “south string”, “South sanxian” said. It is the high music, sound bright and crisp, and more for the South Pingtan and other rap music accompaniment and genre, Juban drums, tidal song, nanguan other instrumental ensemble, and adapted for the opera, opera, opera and other places opera accompaniment. Guangdong music, opera and Suzhou Pingtan used a small three-stringed lute have differences, they are adapted to their own characteristics.
Early 1980s, the successful development of two-sided small three-stringed lute accompaniment Pingtan. Zhang Qin drum strings on both sides, both sides can play, side door set into a low-key chamber accompaniment for men, the other side of the door for women given a high-profile chamber accompaniment. In Henan Opera (Ohira tone, big chord play and opera) musical accompaniment, the widespread use of a kind of small three-stringed lute plate surface steel strings, pronounced crisp, rough, with rich local color, except for the singing accompaniment, but also in the drama simulate the wind, the sound of water and multicolored butterflies, and other special sound effects.
Sanxian in the folk music accompanied the spread of folk there is very strong playing skills base, but in general, sanxian prominent bright sharp tone, pitch rod length and have no character because the relationship is difficult to grasp, it is a small three-stringed lute, though still widely used in the genre of traditional music genre. But modern folk music, mostly in the Zhongruan replaced only occasionally using a large three-stringed lute used for bass. A large number of folk art folk music, still continue to be a large three-stringed lute accompaniment for the main instruments.
Electric sanxian: successfully developed in the 1980s. Maintaining the traditional three-stringed lute national style, in front of the python piano drum cavity inside, with a thin layer of water Catalpa, from the placement of the pickup and the role of the sonic reflections. Electric stringed lute with a large volume, long-lingering, mellow sound, and strong performance advantages, both playing traditional music, but also to simulate lute and guitar and other instrument sounds, portamento effect is similar to Hawaiian guitar, playing lyrical music is very artistic expression.
Manufacture
Skin to skin on both sides of the drum piano available, white, blue and white were the best. Fretboard process directly related to the three-stringed lute pronunciation and use its length determines the effective chord length; width affects the playing skills of the play; thickness deformation problems involved. Pass to the bottom of the concave groove, between the change in the intensity of playing and to prevent the sand tone.
Sanxian headstock is the decorative parts, the upper mostly flat spade, top wide curved backwards bent on carving patterns or inlaid bone ornaments, there are upper wishful shape, carving big top flowers, bottom center opened rectangular slot through the end of the string, string axis cylindrical cone, with mahogany, pear slightly harder geometric piano bar made of wood.
Tuning
Sanxian often “hard in the string” tuning,
There are many law sanxian tune a stringed instrument, folk generally defined as “the strings hard” or “soft in the string” two, while the “hard in the string” the most commonly used.
“Hard in the string” is the string with the string of five degrees in relation to outboard chord with octave relationship in; “soft in the string” is the string with the string of four degrees in relation to outboard octave chord with li relationship. Sanxian vocal range is generally three octaves, it emits huge volume, timbre crisp, bright and honest.
Central Conservatory of Music in 1964, Wang first (Jiangsu 1933 -) developed by four strings sanxian tuning EADG.
Wang first developed in 1976 and then four strings sanxian tuning GCDG.
Playing shamisen, left Anxian, right hand fingering chords or pulling strings plectrum, which are derived from the lute tablature. As shamisen rod fretless, playing melody changes in the level range between freedom, can play the variety of portamento, in all rap, drama and singing accompaniment, can play well off role in the swapping and playing a semitone The song is particularly flexible, best adapted lyrical melodies and passionate playing tunes with rich expression.
Use
Sanxian is a very versatile playing stringed instruments, it can not only participate in national orchestra solo and ensemble, but also used for rap and opera accompaniment, especially in rap music accompaniment, the playing techniques have been developed to a high level. Sanxian divided into junior lines and small three-stringed lute, a large three-stringed lute accompaniment opera is mainly used, etc., a small three-stringed lute to accompany some of the local opera, such as Lvju (Shandong local opera) and so on. In the north, a variety of drum books, such as Jingyuntaigu, River drum, plum drum, bass drum, Shandong, Northeast drums, Laoting drums, drum Jingdong, Beijing monochord, Tianjin is to reconcile Northern storytellers, as well as Quju, Lvju, Henan, Shanxi Clapper , Peking Opera and Opera, etc., are used as the main shamisen accompaniment of musical instruments. In the south, and more for genre, Guangdong music, Fujian South Sound, Changzhou stringed, Juban drums and drums and other musical genres Juban instrumental ensemble, opera, opera, Cantonese opera and other places such as rap music Pingtan ultimately sanxian. Sanxian piano drums on both sides Mongolia due to the unique film and sound particularly appealing, playing stringed lute used when sitting, legs apart, his left leg slightly protrusion, or ride in the left leg on the right leg, right leg placed on the piano drum headstock oblique left. Rotary light left hand piano bar, with the index finger, middle finger, ring finger Anxian, gestures were claw-type, right hand with the thumb, index finger held paddles or wear a bone nail plucked strings pronunciation, and the remaining three fingers grip on the palm of the hand, fingers shells can also be used played. There are many law sanxian tune a stringed instrument, folk generally defined as “the strings hard” or “soft in the string” two, while the “hard in the string” the most commonly used. “Hard in the string” is the string with the string of five degrees in relation to outboard chord with octave relationship in; “soft in the string” is the string with the string of four degrees in relation to outboard octave chord with li relationship. Ethnic band or solo, sanxian also scheduled a “hard in the strings,” such as fixed as C, G, c, D, A, d, or G, d, g, etc.. Range is usually three octaves. Sanxian sound, solid treble crisp, bright and mellow tenor, bass let the fullness. Larger volume. Left hand techniques have boards, sticky, knead, buckle, slide, etc., right hand bombs, pick, double play, double pick, roll, minutes, sweep, smashing, rubbing children and other techniques. Can freely play big, minor third, perfect fourth, fifth and octave other two-tone, three-tone composition can play chords, and transpose music.
“Zhou Wanchun” has good system with three-stringed lute known southern area, especially the “Pingtan small three-stringed lute”, the majority of Pingtan professional performer and enthusiasts like in Pingtan sector enjoyed a high reputation. Pingtan famous artists Xu Yun Zhi Zhou Wanchun instrument number written specifically for storytelling begins publicity in concert before each performance. “Zhou Wanchun,” the three-stringed lute and the erhu have been a number of museums and instrumental music lovers collection.
Playing skills
There are many different shells, pick, double play, double pick, brush, round, rubbing, etc.
Volume and skills
Sanxian larger volume, tone rich, the larger the magnitude of change. In small three-stringed lute with a large three-stringed lute two kinds. Northern various drums, stringed and other folk art, the use of a large three-stringed lute accompaniment, Southern storytelling class opera, Kunqu opera and other string and wind instrumental ensemble class, multi-purpose small three-stringed lute.
Three-stringed lute virtuoso
Xiaojian sound
Male, born in October 1928, Hunan people. Chinese Music School. In 1952 graduated from the Art Institute of Central South troops. Now engaged in national instrumental sanxian professional. 1952-1953 South troops Art Theater players ,1954 to 1965 General Political Opera Troupe members, since 1964, is now HSBC China Conservatory teacher, professor, developed a three-stringed lute played Qin techniques to become rich expressive solo musical instruments, summed up the scientific theory and teaching theory played. Created, adapted a number of sanxian solo, creating a system of teaching materials, training a group of musicians and professional teaching personnel, two three strings to change the results, the Ministry of Culture and Technology Achievement Award.
Song Guangning
Mr. Song Guangning, childhood learning from master in Beijing following the national musical instrument making, after the liberation of national musical instrument with the Master to enter Beijing to continue to engage ethnic instruments produced several decades assiduously, conscientiously produced through the central national troupes and major Conservatory learn from history teacher repeatedly discussed, and gradually formed a unique style, especially Ruanxian liuqin, pipa, such as the production truly a three-stringed lute, is recognized as China Ruanxian and Liuqin production technology representatives.
Namesake Prose
Synopsis
By Shen wrote in 1918 entitled “shamisen” prose, which is one of our earliest prose poem, published in the August 1918 issue of the “New Youth” magazine (ie, Volume V No. 2). This poem is only more than 140 characters, combining emotion scene, poetic hazy, unique imagery, has a very harmonious aesthetic effect.
The poem read
At noon, when the sun like fire, can not go to masking, let him Zhishai a long street. Quiet little pedestrian road; Only lengthy wind, blowing roadside poplar.
Someone broke in the door, half-yard green envelops Xicao are afloat shining golden light. There was a whispered side walls, blocking a person playing the shamisen, but not cut off that sanxian Gudang noise.
Sitting outside a worn clothes in the elderly, head in hands, he quietly.
Poetry Appreciation
The poem is divided into three sections, each section is a picture. Three subsections poems were from far and near, clearly showed vision, medium shot, close-up, which in turn are combined into a common level, a mood, a complete picture of the financial muddy realistic.
Authors first describe the vision, highlights the “noon time, like fire and sun” and “less pedestrian road” Strip, intense sunshine, deserted streets, so that the screen shows unique static sense. Of course, such a sense of calm and a lot of poetry in the description of workers “quiet night” different, the night quiet, tranquil and often cold, and “shamisen” in the midday summer “static” unexpectedly fired one kind of burning sensation, people dull. In the context of such a silence, only the three-stringed lute focus on side wall are moldering Gudang, so that the original kind of loneliness, a sense of boredom and added a bit heavy. This is the second section of the poem in an atmosphere immersed. In this section of the poem, the author did not specifically describe three-stringed lute played by, and intended to show the three-stringed lute sound and rhythm, however, a move in this very quiet among the whole picture and sound blend, silhouetted against each other, laying The overall style of poetry. Although in this second section of the poem, there are “green envelops Xicao”, “floating shiny gold”, it seems revealing a somewhat natural life, but ultimately give way Gudang sanxian noise. The third section of the poem expresses such a scenario, the authors use a specific way, draw up a wearing rags, Shuangshoubaotou silently, the elderly, though not visible expression of his face, but his movements, That attitude has indicated toggle sound of the “three-stringed lute”, is aroused sympathy in his heart, and showed his inner loneliness and grief. This is one the characters as the protagonist, with scenery, sound as the background picture, a true expression of one aspect of the social life, the ancient Chinese northern town of aging and decline of the draw was extremely vivid, the author seems to be the performance of a troubled world decline of feelings, there seems to be one kind of humanitarian sigh.
This poem by a three-stringed lute slowly spit tone poem with a series of initials are d, t of the word, to the sound of Writing sanxian, again positive and negative words sound mixed with the sound of the word ginseng, but also showing sanxian vocal cadence. “Shamisen” Although it is poetry, but it also uses the word classical poetry of expression, citing two-tone vowel rhyme to help syllables harmony, resulting in a flavor of the sound effects. This new poem in the development of Chinese classical poetry depicting inherited the fine tradition of music and create some innovation, it also made a valuable exploration and attempt. It should also be noted that the “shamisen” as used in the vernacular, white thoroughly, but never vulgar, which in that era, indeed commendable.
With the prose poem form, however, think it is only read poetry, as Mao pointed out, the poem “than our common branch lines written in the same length and end of the sentence the word rhyming poetry more ‘poetry something’ “(” On the early vernacular poetry “, in” Literature “Phase VIII).
