Qiang flute performance and production skills

Sichuan
🎧  Listen to Introduction

Qiang flute is a folk vertical blowing instrument made of two bamboo tubes about 15 to 20 cm long with the same size of tube holes, wrapped with silk thread, and with bamboo reeds inserted in the tube heads. It is mainly used for solo performance, and there are more than ten ancient tunes. The content of the music is quite extensive, mainly to convey the thoughts and yearnings of the Qiang people. The Qiang flutes in Chibusu and Shaba areas were brought from the western region by the Qiang people who migrated south during the wars of the Qin and Han dynasties. According to historical records, before the Western Han Dynasty, there were four holes on the surface of the Qiang flute. In the 1st century AD, the musician Jing Fang added a high-pitched press hole to make it five holes. Ma Rong of the Eastern Han Dynasty once wrote in "Flute Fu" that "the modern double flute originated from the Qiang." In modern times, the Qiang flute has become six holes. It can be inferred from this that the Qiang flute has existed for at least two thousand years. The sound of the Qiang flute often gives people a sense of illusion and moving. The Qiang people often use it to express their emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. The pieces often played include "Zhe Liu Ci", "Xiang Qu", "Sha Lang Qu", etc. Qiang flute is mainly played by puffing cheeks for breathing. It can be played for several minutes in one breath. Even a simple tune requires high skills. In addition, there are techniques such as laryngeal vibrato and up and down glissando of fingers in the playing of Qiang flute. In addition, the sound quality and melody of the double-tube production and the resonance of double reeds are unique. The production of Qiang flute generally uses straight rod, round tube, long section, and arrow bamboo with uniform thickness at the head and tail, moderate thickness of bamboo meat, tough texture, fine fiber, and not easy to crack. The pitch is determined according to the length, thickness and size of the tube. The hole spacing must be exactly equal, otherwise the pitch will be different. Since the Qiang people have no written language, their historical culture has been passed down from generation to generation orally, and Qiang flute has also become an important channel for communication and inheritance of national culture. The melody, timbre and playing skills of Qiang flute are unique, and it is a rare treasure in the treasure house of national musical instruments in my country.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

China tourist attractions related to the heritage