| Like every country has its own traditional music | | | | cannot play and frequently used for performing |
| and musical instruments, China also has traditional | | | | vivid and brisk rhythms. Gao-Hu has louder |
| musical instruments that have been developed | | | | volume yet brighter tones, and thus it serves as |
| over the centuries. Traditionally, Chinese musical | | | | both a solo and leading instrument in performing |
| instruments have been classified according to the | | | | Cantonese operas and folk melodies. |
| materials they are made up of. These materials | | | | Pipa is a type of plucked string instrument and |
| are namely, stone, silk, gourd, metal, bamboo, | | | | belongs to the Lute family. It is a four-stringed |
| clay, skin, and wood. Among these, the stone and | | | | lute with 30 frets and pear-shaped body. The Pipa |
| wood instruments have become outdated. | | | | is to be held upright by the instrumentalist and |
| Chinese musical instruments may also be classified | | | | played with five small plectra attached to each |
| into string, wind, or percussion instruments. String | | | | finger of the right hand. This musical instrument |
| instruments may be classified into plucked string | | | | has a remarkable expressive power and an |
| instruments and bowed string instruments. The | | | | extremely dynamic range. Yueqin, a plucked string |
| older instruments consist of long zithers, panpipes, | | | | instrument, is a moon shaped lute with shorter |
| flutes, the sheng, or mouth organ, and percussion | | | | neck and four strings. Gugin is another important |
| instruments, such as clappers, gongs, and drums. | | | | plucked string instrument, which is like a |
| Various lutes and fiddles were introduced later to | | | | seven-stringed zither. |
| China from Central Asia. | | | | Wind musical instruments are very popular in |
| Erhu is a type of bowed string instrument. It is a | | | | China. A Dizi, traditionally made of bamboo, is the |
| two-stringed fiddle and is one of the most popular | | | | simplest wind instrument. This instrument is |
| Chinese instruments in the Hu-qin family. Gao-hu is | | | | especially popular, as it is a low cost instrument |
| another bowed string instrument. Gao-Hu is | | | | and is relatively easy to learn. |
| mostly used for high-pitched tunes that Erhu | | | | |