- Numerous musical instruments from Asia date back thousands of years.southern asia image by NataV from Fotolia.com
The continent of Asia has a rich history of musical instruments, dating back thousands of years. Numerous different varieties of instruments from Asia are still played today. These instruments and the pieces orchestrated for their use reflect Asian culture, both past and present. - Several kinds of flutes are native to Asia. For instance, oblique flutes, hollow pipes with holes for fingers, are popular in western Asia. Musicians play this instrument by placing their lips at the top end of the flute and blowing softly. In Japan, the shakuhachi flute provides an example of the common endblown variety of flute. In some parts of Asia, nose flutes once played an important role in culture, though they are less common today.
According to the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, 8,000 years ago residents of central China played very precise flutes made from the wing bones of red-crowned cranes. These flutes are the oldest known musical instruments. - Several popular stringed instruments from Asia have ancient roots and are still played today. For instance, a four-stringed Chinese lute called the pipa dates back over 2,000 years. The pipa player plucks the strings with his right hand, using the fingers on his left hand to manipulate the strings to create melodies and sound effects. Unlike playing a guitar, the strings of the pipa are played by plucking the strings outward. A smaller version of the pipa, called the liuqin, has a similar tone to the mandolin. It commonly accompanies singers for folk or opera music.
- Asian percussion instruments not only provide rhythmic accompaniment, but may also perform dramatic solos. Percussion instruments may also represent specific character roles in productions. Percussion instruments in Asia are divided into three categories: wood, brass and leather.
The xylophone, a wood instrument played by hitting wooden bars with mallets, has its roots in Southeast Asia dating back to the 1300s. Like many Asian instruments, the xylophone spread in popularity to Africa and Europe. Another example of a wood instrument is the muyu, a hollow block of wood carved into the shape of a fish. Sounds are produced by striking the muyu.
Examples of Asian instruments from the brass group include a small gong called the xiaolo and cymbals known as yunlos.
Leather instruments include the bangu, also known as the jing bangu. The frame of this drum consists of thick pieces of hard wood fastened together in a circle and enclosed with a metal band. The bell-shaped drum has an open bottom, while the top gets covered with pig or cow hide. The musician plays by striking the center of the skin with a pair of bamboo sticks.
