THE MUSIC OF CHINA

Bellwork• Define these new Chinese terms:

• Yue— music; also enjoyment or happiness.

• Han—a dynasty that existed from 206 BC to 220 AD

• Pipa—a four stringed lute

• Chui —means “rushing”; when a performer speeds up the final section of a song.

• Muyu– wooden fish percussion instrument

Muyu—percussion instrument

Animal Instruments: significance• In MET instrument book

Announcements

Reading #3 is due on September 3rd, this coming Tuesday.

Pre-Knowledge•Write down three words you think of when you hear Chinese music

• Name a city in China

•What material is some Chinese clothing made of?

• Name a Chinese bear

•What is a common Chinese plant? Hint—flutes are often made from it.• Name one dynasty

Timeline of Chinese PeriodsLegendary and Neolithic Period 6000-1500BCQin 221-207 BCHan 206 BC-220 AD

Three Kingdoms 220-265 ADTang 618-907 ADSong 960-1279 AD

Ming 1368-1644 ADQing 1644-1911 ADThe People’s Republic 1949-present

CFU: Create your own timeline• In groups of six construct a time line out of string and popsicle sticks.

•Write the time period name and dates on the sticks and tie them to the string.

•When you are finished, string it across the filing cabinet and music stand at the front of the room.

Guided Notes:The Four Fundamental Societal Functions• Li = Morals

• Zing = Law

• Yue = Arts and Music

• Zheng =Politics

The Importance of Music• Music is vitally important in Chinese culture.

• In every feudal state, dynasty and republic there was a “ bureau of music” throughout the history of China.

It was the bureau’s job to gather new music from around the country and to decide which music should be cherished and preserved for future generations.

Music and Politics• Music is a powerful political tool.

• In the Han Dynasty, yuefu ballads were songs of complaint that foretold the impending fall of the dynasty.

• In the 1930’s most of the texts of the folk songs from the north-western provinces were changed to express communist ideology.

• The xuetang public school music expressed fervor for a revolution, democracy and freedom.

CFU-American political/protest songs• Individually or in a group discuss and record your answers to the following questions.

• How were songs used in the civil rights movement to show solidarity?

• Can you think of any songs associated with American political leaders?

• How is the patriotic song “My Country Tis of thee” a protest song?

What other song has the same melody?

Pipa!

The Pipa• Is a pear shaped four stringed lute with 24 frets.

• The four strings are tuned A, D, E, A.

• A famous Pipa performer during the Tang Dynasty was: Pei Mianchu .

It is plucked using real or synthetic nails.

Active Listening Example #1The Romance of the Red River Valley, Pipa•What American instrument does this remind you of?

•What is the mood of this piece?

• Can more than one string be played at the same time?

Fact Check Listening Example #1The Romance of the Red River Valley, Pipa This programmatic song is a musical narrative that recounts a fantastic journey.

The title gives a literary description to the musical content.

Besides the pitches, you can also hear the tapping of the pick against the string as well as the lower strings slapping the wood on the rebound of the note.

These are examples of Chinese timbre that also includes non-musical sounds such as scratching or percussive sounds.

Continuity of Culture: Preservation• In order to build a strong cultural identity, the Chinese encourage uniformity in the arts.

• In western music, we are used to composers creating new works that are personified musical creations—statements evolving from the maker’s individual emotions.

• The majority of Chinese music compositions are re-composed from existing folk and popular oral and written musical sources.•  It became the performers responsibility to semi-improvise, choose dynamics, tempo, climaxes and various forms of ornamentation, and decide upon the appropriate addition and deletion of portions of thematic material.

CFU: Time capsule. What music would you keep?• In groups of four:• Pretend you are a member of the Indianapolis Bureau of Music.• Take one time capsule and 14 index cards.• On your scholar guide write down 7 songs you would like to pass on to the next generation and 7 songs you think would be better left behind.• Collectively decide which 7 songs you would like to keep, write them down on one index card each and place them in your time capsule.• Then, decide which 7 songs you would like to forget, write them down on one index card each and place them in the box of shame.

• There are some pieces that people decided to give away that others want to keep—pros and cons

Active Listening #2The Great Wave Washes the Beach, Pipa• Draw a picture on your white board of a scene this music evokes.

Just the Fax Listening example #2The Great Wave Washes the Beach, Pipa• Non-metered—free rhythm sections of music often occur in the introduction of this work.•  A programmatic song frequently depicts symbolism from nature.•  Chinese timbre can be described as the beautifying of mere sounds.•  Frequently, the interval which separates the melody from the bass note is an octave.•  Another common technique is when the same note is played on two different strings.

• The broad strummed chords symbolize the big crashes of the waves.

Exit ticket• Define Yue:

•Which time period falls from 618-907 AD?

• Describe the Pipa:

• Is the majority of Chinese music original or re-composed music?

• List the four fundamental societal functions: