Playing the Sheng (Revised Edition)

Author: Yan Haideng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1987-01-01
Features: The playing techniques of the sheng (Chinese mouth organ) are very rich. They include traditional techniques; new techniques developed on the basis of tradition; techniques learned and adapted from other instruments. Here, we have preliminarily categorized them and used some symbols to mark them. At the same time, when discussing oral techniques, we have used the pronunciation of certain words for analogy, such as "leng" (cold) and "gen" (follow). The main purpose of this is to help beginners more easily locate the position of their tongues and grasp the correct method more quickly. Whether these practices are appropriate or not, we hope to discuss them together. The tones of many other instruments are arranged in the order of the scale, but the pitch positions of the sheng are arranged based on fingerings and the habits of the player. Therefore, there are no unified rules for the pitch positions of the sheng or the lengths of its pipes. However, when using the same type of sheng in the same region, the basic method of pitch arrangement is consistent.