Grade 8 Worksheet No.

2
MUSIC Chinese Music
Quarter 2-Wk.2-Module 2

For several thousand years Chinese culture was dominated by the teachings of the

philosopher Confucius, he conceived music in the highest sense as a means of calming the

passion of dispelling of unrest and lust, rather than as a form of amusement. Traditionally

the Chinese have believed that sound influences the harmony of the universe. Significantly,

one of the most important duties of the first emperor of each new dynasty was to search out

and establish that dynasties through standard of pitch. A result of this philosophical

orientation was that the Chinese theoretically opposed music performed solely for

entertainment.

This lesson will show you the traditional instrumental and music vocal of China.

MELCs:
 Listen perceptively to music of East Asia (Japan, China, and Korea) (MU8SE-IIa-h-2)
 Analyzes musical elements of selected songs and instrumental pieces heard and
performed. (MU8SE-IIc-h-4)

EXPLORE:
Picture Analysis

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By Ancient Chinese Tomb Painter - http://www.xn--rhtw9vlu4bfqe.tw/EastCapital/viewthread.php?action=printable&tid=2273&sid=B56Pkr, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17862226

1. What will you observe on the given picture?

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2. Is the picture shows similarities with the previous lesson that we have? Explain it.
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3. Do you have an idea on our topic for this lesson?
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LEARN:

The music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese Civilization with documents

and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou

Dynasty (1122 B.C.E). In ancient China, music was regarded as central to the harmony and

longevity of the state.

Instrumental Music of China

Chinese traditional music is played on solo instruments or in small ensembles or in

small ensembles of plucked and bowed stringed instruments, flutes, and various cymbals,

gongs, and drums.

1. Yueqin – moon-shaped lute with shorter neck and

four strings, played with a spectrum, used for
accompanying local operas.

http://www.china-expats.com/Images/Instruments/YueQin.htm

2. Pipa – four-stringed lute with 30 frets and a

pear-shaped body. This instrument has an
extremely wide dynamic range and remarkable
expressive power.

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By This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, CC0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57858544

3. Erhu – two-stringed fiddle and one of the most

popular Chinese instruments. It is used as a solo
instrument as well as in small ensembles or large
orchestra, and by various ethnic groups.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/AQ6TU0X5zW3Ctikmj2SCNSW1-c3GSVrJ5TbqmSPVr8tQ1nGtjv60iLs/

4. Yunluo – literally “cloud gongs” or “cloud of gongs”, is

a set of ten small gongs mounted in a wooden frame.
The Yunluo’s gongs are generally of equal diameter but
different thickness. The thicker gongs produce a higher
pitch.

https://www.britannica.com/art/yunluo

5. Sheng – or Chinese mouth organ, looks like a set

of panpipes,with 12 to 36 bamboo pipes. Each pipe
is of different length with a brass reed at the bottom
and a hole that must be blocked in order for the note
to sound. This makes it possible to sound several
notes simultaneously, so chords and melody can be
performed at the same time. Sheng is one of the
oldest Chinese musical instruments.

https://www.britannica.com/art/sheng-musical-instrument

6. Dizi – is the traditional Chinese flute. It can

have a membrane over an extra hole to give the
characteristic rattle effect. The player plays the
Dizi by blowing across the mouthpiece and
produces the different notes by stopping the six
holes found in the rod.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/480759328944639812/

7. Zheng – an ancient Chinese

instrument that has an arched
surface and elongated-
trapezoid with 13 to 21
stretched over individual
bridges. It’s playing range
http://andrewsalamanca.com/2016/05/gu-zheng/ spans three to four octaves.

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 8. Penling – these are two small bells made of
high-tin bronze, without internal clappers, and
hemispheric or bottomless gourd-like in shape.
The instrument has a delicate, clarion and
melodious tone. It is a coloring rhythmic
instrument, either in ensembles or in theater
music, bringing an effect of peaceful dreams.
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/140174607123877643/

Vocal Music in China

Chinese Vocal Music has traditionally been sung in a thin, non-resonant voice or in falsetto

and is usually solo rather than choral. All traditional Chinese music is melodic rather than

harmonic. Chinese vocal music probably developed from sung poems and verses

accompanied by music.

1. Mo Li Hua – is a traditional Chinese song with a beautifully gentle and lyrical melody. The

lyrics about the jasmine flower also turn it into a love song. The song describes a custom of

giving Jasmine flowers, popular in the southern Yangtze region of China. Another version

describes the fear of plucking the flower.

By Asoer - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14666682

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 Mo Li Hua (English Translation)

What a beautiful jasmine flower

What a beautiful jasmine flower

Sweet-smelling, beautiful, stems full of buds

Fragrant and white, every praises

Let me pluck you down

Give to someone’s family

Melody and tone color are prominent expressive features of Chines music and great

emphasis is given to the proper articulation and inflection of each musical tone. Most

Chinese music is based on the 5 tone or the Pentatonic Scale though heptatonic scale is

also used.

Play the pentatonic scale (do-re-mi-so-la) on the piano keyboard, lyre or guitar. Hum

the pentatonic scale using “loo”.

https://m.basicmusictheory.com/c-major-pentatonic-scale

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ENGAGE:
Activity 3: Song Analysis
Direction: First Alternative: Listen to Mo Li Hua https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S41_Veb3LA
Second Alternative: Listen to Mo Li Hua on the Radio
Process Questions:

1. What is the message of the song?

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2. Describe how the musical elements and instrumental pieces reflect Chinese culture?

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3. Is there a Filipino song that portrays similar meaning? Explain the similarities and why?

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APPLY:

Based on the previous activity, describe the folk song through the use of its musical

elements.

Musical Elements Description that reflects Chinese Culture

TIMBRE
DYNAMICS
RHYTHM
MELODY
FORM

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