Yueqin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The yueqin (Chinese: 月琴, pinyin: yuèqín; also spelled yue qin, or yueh-ch'in; and also called moon guitar, moon-zither, gekkin, la ch'in, or laqin) is a traditional Chinese string instrument. It is a lute with a round, hollow wooden body which gives it the nickname moon guitar. It has a short fretted neck and four strings tuned in courses of two (each pair of strings is tuned to a single pitch), generally tuned to the interval of a perfect fifth. Occasionally, the body of the yueqin may be octagonal in shape.^photo

According to legend, the instrument was invented in China during the Qin dynasty. It is an important instrument in the Beijing opera orchestra, often taking the role of main melodic instrument in lieu of the bowed string section.

A similar Japanese instrument, called the gekkin, was formerly used in Japan. Another very similar instrument, called đàn đoản or đàn tứ, is occasionally used in Vietnam.

[edit] External links

• (Chinese) Yueqin page
• (Chinese) Yueqin photos (second and third rows)

[edit] Video

• Yueqin video from The Musical Instruments E-book

[edit] See also

• Đàn nguyệt
• Traditional Chinese musical instruments

Traditional Chinese musical instruments
█  Silk (string):    Plucked: Guqin • Se • Guzheng • Konghou • Pipa • Sanxian • Ruan • Liuqin • Yueqin • Qinqin • Duxianqin █ Bowed: Huqin • Erhu • Zhonghu • Gaohu • Banhu • Jinghu • Erxian • Tiqin • Yehu • Tuhu • Jiaohu • Sihu • Sanhu • Zhuihu • Zhuiqin • Leiqin • Dihu • (Xiaodihu • Zhongdihu • Dadihu) • Gehu • Diyingehu • Laruan • Matouqin • Yazheng █ Struck: Yangqin • Zhu
█  Bamboo (woodwind):    Flutes: Dizi • Xiao • Paixiao • Koudi █ Oboes: Guan • Suona █ Free-reed pipes: Bawu • Mangtong
█  Gourd (woodwind):    Sheng • Yu • Lusheng • Hulusi • Hulusheng
█  Percussion:   Wood: Muyu • Guban █ Stone: Bianqing █ Metal: Bianzhong • Fangxiang • Luo • Yunluo █ Clay: Xun █ Hide: Daigu • Bangu • Paigu • Tanggu
█  Others: Gudi • Lusheng • Kouxian