Bamboo Flute

Introduction of different kinds of bamboo flutes-- First, let me introduce some bamboo flutes to you.
The master of Bamboo Flute - Jiang Guoji
Recital of Jiang Guoji in Hong Kong
My reviews on Mr. Jiang's bamboo flute recital
Discography of Jiang Guoji

Introduction of different kinds of bamboo flutes

   All bamboo flutes are made by bamboo, except bone whistle and bone flute which are the oldest musical instrument found in China.  As the Chinese traditional flutes are made of natural texture, the sound produced is natural too. Blowing of wind, singing of birds, splashing of water, talking of human being... How amazing it is! That's why I love woodwinds-- The sound of nature. Listening to bamboo flutes makes you feel like you're in a deep deep mysterious forest, with the uttermost serenity, unaffected by the noisy and lousy world. The sound of bamboo flutes is quite different from western flutes, for the latter are made of metal and the sound is not as soft as the bamboo flutes. But both bamboo flutes and western flutes require technique, flexibility and patience. There are variety of bamboo flutes, here are some of the bamboo flutes. I hope you'll enjoy this page. "Di" or "Dizi" simply means "flutes" in Chinese. You will find the Chinese name for the flutes in the brackets. The word before "di" describes the types of flutes. The suffix for flutes is always the same, as "--di".

Introduction of Bone Whistle & Bone Flute (guxiao, gudi)

    In 1973, 160 pieces of bone whistle and bone flute were unearthed from the ruins of Hemudu located at YuYao city of Zhejiang province, China. These bone instruments are the relics of New Stone Age, which is 7000 years ago from now. The bone whistle of Hemedu is made by the middle part of the bird's limb bone, which is 6 to 10 cm long. The bone whistle is hollow, the body of the whistle is slightly curved, and at the protruding side it has one to three round or oval holes. Some have one hole at both ends of one side, some have one side jammed are called flute. The difference between bone whistle and bone flute is here.
Bone whistle and bone flute from Hemudu can still make simple tones. The sound is sharp, which is familiar to the singing of a bird.
What's the use of making such instruments with such a sharp tone then? It is probably used for entraping birds or making simple sound messages by Chinese ancestors. One of these looks like the vertical flute played by today's children. Bone whistle and bone flute, not only the ancestor of bamboo flute, but also the oldest instrument which is found in China till now.

Introduction of Crooked bamboo flute (qudi ) &
Curved-pipe bamboo flute (wanguandi )

    Crooked bamboo flute is similar to curved-pipe bamboo flute. But the latter is an octave lower than the former one.In the position of without key, the lowest tone of curved-pipe bamboo flute can reach the lower octave of usual big "G" bamboo flute. Its main advantages are: Arms and fingers can be relaxed, fingering remains unchanged and it can give a fluent performance.

Introduction of Binding flute ( paidi )

     Mr. Zhao Songting, the bamboo flute master and teacher of Mr. Jiang Guoji, first created the method of bindinf several bamboo flutes of different tones together into bundle in the early 1960's. Therefore, it is called binding bamboo flute. At that time, Mr. Zhao performed "Busy at picking tea", "The landscene of Wujiang" by using the innovative binding bamboo flute. The practice proves the following advantages of performing with binding bamboo flutes.
1. Register can be extended to three or more than three octaves.
2. With the extension of register, the timbre also can be enriched. When performing the same song by using binding flute,
    it can make vigorous timbre like crooked bamboo flute on one hand, and makes sonorous timbre like clapper bamboo
    flute on the other hand.
3. Flexible and free, one can change bamboo flute according to the need of songs. It solves many problems that one
    single bamboo flute can never overcome.
4. Easy to learn, it is not neccessary to change the performing method. The binding bamboo flute is usually composed of
     two to three bamboo flutes.

Introduction of Huge Bamboo Flute ( judi )

    Huge bamboo flute is the largest bamboo flute in human history, and this point was confirmed by the headquarter of Guiness World in May 1997. You may wonder how long is it actually? The whole length is 3.2m. The outer diameter of this huge bamboo flute is 5.5cm, while the inner diameter is 3.9cm. Performing this huge bamboo flute takes three people: one masters the blowing and fingering in the uppest part of the bamboo flute, while two others handling the fingering in the middle and the lowest part of the bamboo flute. You can imagine how long and huge it is!

      The lowest tone of this bamboo flute is G and its frequency is 97.999. The structure of huge bamboo flute is unique. in its sound and length. The bass resonance is excellent. The huge bamboo flute has very profound meaning for the bass development of national music instruments in China.  

Introduction of Mini bamboo flute (weidi )

    Mini bamboo flute is the shortest bamboo flute in China, only 4 cm long with 3 holes. One hole is used for blowing, the remaining two big holes are used for controlling pitch by using two thumbs. It can perform songs and imitates bird's singing. Isn't it amazing?

Others: Bass bamboo flute, Clapper bamboo flute (bangdi), Double bamboo flute (Double Dizi)...

The master of Bamboo Flute - Jiang Guoji
Biography

    Jiang Guoji is a famous bamboo flute player. He grew up in Hangzhou and was the discipline of Zhao Song Ting, a famous bamboo flute master. Jiang Guoji made his debut "Boating Song of WaterVillage" in a national competition 1976. He received a great honour for his wonderful performance. From then on, he wins gold medal from time to time and his fame booms day by day. He is praised as a "rare superb flute" and a "charming bambooflute player" by press at home and abroad.

    Jiang's performance, based on Southern style, absorbing the advantage of northern style, inherits and develop the essence of southern style, envolves an artistic style of his own which is full of rhythm from southern village. He is multi-talented and besides bamboo flutes, he also masters Xiao, Bawu, oral flute, vertical bamboo flute as well.

    Being a performer, composer and teacher and flute maker, he has a busy life. Jiang has sucessfully created and adapted many bamboo flute songs, his representative works are "Boating Song of Water Village", "Song of Picking Mulberry" and "Summer of Turpan". His work "The Collection of Bamboo Flute Songs (personal edition)" and "Teaching material for first step of playing bamboo flute" have already been published by People's Music Hua Yue House. In 1993, he held his bamboo flute concert  in Hangzhou and made a furore.

    In recent ten years, Jiang has visited more than thirty countries like Japan, America, Germany, Finland, Egypt, Alegeria, Malaysia along with the art troupe of Zhejiang. His performnace is warmly welcomed and widely praised in foreign countries.

    Jiang is also a teacher. Jiang was invited to be a part-time professor and outer-campus inspector by Hon g Kong Art Academy in 1993.

    In 1996, with other people's cooperation, he sucessfully made a Huge Bamboo Flute ( judi ). This success fills the gap in the fields of bass of Chinese blowing insturment. In May of the same year, his invention was recognised by the headquarter of Guiness World. This huge bamboo flute requires three people to play.

    Jiang also writes many invaluable issues and theses such as "Appreciation of seven composition of Zhao Song Ting's(his teacher) bamboo flute" and "Performance of bamboo flute for five chapters" in some professional music newspaper and magazines both at home and abroad.

    Now Jiang is a member of China musician association of the China National Orchestral Association, Deputy Director of Zhejiang National Orchestra. Without doubt, he is China's first-rated muscian.

Jiang Guoji's Dizi (bamboo flute) Recital in Hong Kong

Date: 5th, June, 1999 (Saturday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: Cultural Activities Hall, Shatin Town Hall

Artists:Jiang Guoji  (dizi, bamboo flute)
             Liu Weijia   (sheng)

Programme:

My reviews:
   The whole recital was awesome! I just can't imagine how can bamboo flute show such a deep spectrum of happiness, lonliness, home-sichness and the sound of blowing wind and singing birds! So incredible!
    What impressed the audiences most was, Mr. Jiang played the largest flute in the world -- judi, or, huge bamboo flute. It required three people to play this "huge" bamboo flute. Mr. Jiang was mastering the blowing and fingering in the uppest part of the bamboo flute, while Mr. Liu and a man were handling the middle and the lowest part of the flute. You may ask, "how long is the huge bamboo flute?" Well, it is the largest flute in human history, and it was confirmed by the headquarter of Guiness world.
    Besides, the use of paidi, or, binding bamboo flutes, also impressed me a lot.. Mr. Jiang binded several bamboo flutes together and he played them all in one song! The binding bamboo flutes usually contain two to three bamboo flutes. It is because a binding bamboo flutes can create three or more than three octaves in one song. This method was invented by Mr. Jiang's teacher, Mr. Zhao Songting. 5 songs in the recital were played by paidi . Without doubt, it requires a very technique to play paidi because you have to change among bamboo flutes and fingering. It's really tough!
    Mr. Jiang is really a master of bamboo flute. Not only with talent in music, he's very nice and humble too. Before the recital, Mr. Jiang gave a talk to the audiences. He talked about his expereince to learn bamboo flutes, his expereince to deal with different artists and audiences, his views on "southern" and "northern" music, and let us to ask him questions. The atmosphere was very good. And not many first-rated artists are willing to give a talk personally to the audiences, but Mr. Jiang did.  After the recital, he autographed on the CDs.  I just hope Mr. Jiang will come again very soon. Listening to his CDs just make me feel like I'm in the forest, with natural beauty, sound of blowing wind and birds around. Bamboo flutes really can produce variety of voices.The sound of different bamboo flutes is softer than western flute. I like the western flutes also. However, the feelings are totally different. Probably because the former are made of natural texture, bamboo, while the latter are made of metal. If you never listen to the sound of bamboo flutes, you must try. You'll find the differences.

Discography

"Love of Boat Tracker"(ISRC CN-A14-98-0001-0/A.J6)
Date of release: 20-4-98
Label: Beijing Weixiang Audio & Video Publishing House,
Hangzhou Nature Audio & Video Product Publishing Company Limited
MIDI: Yao Jiejun, Liu Weijia

Tracklist for "Love of Boat Tracker"

Description:

1.    Big China
       This is a solo song adapted from the song of the same name. The song is vivid and fluent, brilliant and sonorous, full
       of indomitable atmosphere. It shows the stubborn, self-struggle and fearless spirits of  China nation.

2.    Song of guerrilla
       This song is adapted from the song of the same name, it describes the touching scene of Chinese people saving
       country and countering Japanese guerilla outflanking the enemy.

3.    Running water clappers of Beijing opera
       This song is adpated from Xipi Running water of Beijing opera. This song is vivid and live; melody is happy.

4.    Flower-drum of Fengyang
       This song is adpated from Anhui folk song, abundant beating music and melody of bamboo flute appears alternately.
       The changing tone of orchestra outlines the connotation of the song, and it embodies a very strong folk customs.

5.    I'm a soldier
       This famous military song is widely spread for many years and never goes to its end. it boosted the morale of soldier,
       encouraged the spirits of China, and when performed with bamboo flute it will surely let you feel so fresh and new.

6.    Dating at the Broken Bridge
       The legend of White Snake is well-known in China. This song uses tone from Yue Opera of southern area
       alternately performed with a big and a small bamboo flute, it vividly described the love story between Baisuzhen and
       Xuxian happened at their first meeting at Broken Bridge.

7.    Brandish whip to urge horse busy at carrying provisions
       This song uses popular music language, eulogizes the warm scene of harvesting peasants supporting the construction
       of their nation and turning over their grains to their country.

8.    Love of boat tracker
       This is a bamboo flute solo song adapted from our familiar pop song of the same name, performed with one big and
       small bamboo flute alternately. It vividly imitates the song of male and female master, expressing the true feelings of
       love.

9.    Huijinpanti Mount
       Bone flute, made of thighbone of big rooster is the oldest flute in the world. This song is performed with bone flute,
       full of Japanese style.

10.  Nanni Bay
       Performed with huge bamboo flute-- the largest bamboo flute in the world.

11.  Summer of Arab
       This song is adapted from Arab folk song. The melody is warm and happy. The sound of drum and bamboo flute
       mixed together.

12. Boating song of water village
      The song describes the beautiful scene of southern water village and the happy sight of the water village's people
      celebrating their harvest.

13. Lark
      Chinese bamboo flute is called "God's flute" or sometimes "Devil's flute" by foreigners. Lark is a Romanian folk song,
      performed with mini bamboo flute. It only has four centimeter long, and only has one blowing hole and two big holes.
      It is the smallest bamboo flute in the world.

14.Song of picking ling in south lake 
     This song derives from Zhejiang folk song, skill is simple, while full of interest. It vividly describes the charming autumn
     view of Jiaxing south lake. Meanwhile, also shows us a busy working scene of ling-picking girl.

The Autumn scene of Yandang Mount (ISRC CN-A14-98-0004-0/A.J6)
Date of release: 20-4-98
Label: Label: Beijing Weixiang Audio & Video Publishing House,
Hangzhou Nature Audio & Video Product Publishing Company Limited
Accompanied by National Orchestra of Zhejiang Song And Dance Troupe

Tracklist for "The Autumn scene of Yandang Mount"

Description:

This album contains both 7 Chinese traditional and 9 foreign songs.
1.     The Autumn scene of Yandang Mount
        The beautiful tone and simple style vividly describes the fascinating and wonderful autumn scene of Zhejiang   
        southern resort- Yandang Mount. The green forest surrounds mountain, the craggy cliff, the white cloud, the
        splashing sound of waterfall exhoes in the mountain... 

2.    Village of bamboo flute
       This is a solo song full of working atmosphere. The happy, hopping melody and working rhythm reflects the busy   
       working scene of village and the scene of happy villagers.

3.    Embroider pouch
       Another name for "Embroider pouch" is "embroidering a silk banner with words of gold". It develops and evolves
       its original tone after adapting the bamboo flute music.

4.    Rain strikes banana
       This is a household-known Canton song in China. Performed with low-tone bamboo flute, it develops a lot on the
       basis of original song after adpatation. It also changes the original timbre, vivdly shows us a scene of "Rain strikes
       banana."

5.   Red bayberry is red
       The performer uses a big bamboo flute and a small bamboo flute alternately.

6.   Old six clappers
       The rhythm is simple and vivd.

7.    Sword
        The composer, Cao Jianguo and Jianguoji used several skills and methods to enrich the artistic expressions of this
        song. Such as double tone, chopping tone, hitting tone, cycle breathing, finger-hole overtone, etc.

8.     Huijingpanti Mount
         Adapted from the Japanese song of the same name, performed with binding bamboo flute.

9.     Dancing song of Ancient Eghpt
         Performed with vertical bamboo flute, it shows us a happy singing and dancing scene of Egyptian people.

10.    La sha sha yang   
         This song is adpated from a Malaysian song. A vivid song.

11.    Sumemr of Arab
         This song describes the happy scene of Arab people.

12.    Monkey mountain
         Monkeys play and dally on Monkey mountain freely and happily.

13.    Lark
         This is a world-wide famous song. It is performed with oral bamboo flute, it shows a natural picture which depicts
         a flying and singing lark.

14.     Sea
          This music shows us a charming of a vast, ripping blue sea.

15.     Beside the spring
          The melody of this song is fruent while the rhythm is fresh. You will feel the lively and touching scene of Korean
          girls washing and singing at the spring side clearly displayed.

16.    How to sing for you in forest?
         This is a Finaland folk song, which shows us the secret spell of the mysterious forest. 　

Comments, corrections, information are welcome. Write to me! :-)

First upload: 10-12-1999