Liuqin
The shape of the liuqin looks like
a "liu (willow) leaf", hence its name. It is also commonly called
"tu pipa" and "jingang tui" and is a popular instrument
in Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu. The liuqin is the principal accompanying instrument
for the Lked instrument with four strings and twenty-nine frets in the 1950's
as a need of the Chinese ensemble. Its range is as wide as four octaves, iuqin
Opera common in southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu, the Sizhou Opera of
Anhui, and Shaoxing luantan of Zhejiang. Originally the liuqin was an alto instrument
fitted with two strings and seven frets. It was reformed into a soprano pluccomparable
to that of a violin. Its tone quality is solid in the low register, tender in
the middle register and sonorous in the high register with strong penetrating
power. It is a plucked-string instrument for playing high-pitched melodies,
has exuberant expressions and is hailed as the "gem" of Chinese orchestras.
One of the representative pieces for solo is Spring Comes to River Yi.
Pipa 
Before the Sui (581-618) and the Tang Dynasties the pipa
was a general term referring to those plucked-string instruments ployed in hand-held
positions with the outward fingering technique called "pi" and the
inwardone called "pa". Instruments such as the pipa and the konghou
(lyre) were introduced into China from the western regions. The ancient model
of pipa wasequipped with four strings and four ledges. Nowadays the pipa is
equipped with six ledges and twenty-four frets. In the Tang Dynasty the plucking
on pipa was done with wooden plectrum; it is now with five fingers. The pipa
has rich expressiveness and is played with demanding techniques. Well-known
pipa melodies for solo include Moonlight over Spring River, Spring Snow and
Ambush from All Sides.
Yangqin
The yangqin is also called "hudie qin (butterfly lute)", "shanmian
qin (fan shaped lute)" and "daqin (dulcimer)". At first it was
found in Persia (now Iran) and Arabia, then made its inroads into China towards
the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It became popular around the Guangdong
region at first, and later spread all over China. In recent centuries it has
became an important accompanying instrument in folk narrative singing and operatic
music, particularly in such regional genres as Cantonese music, Chiuchow (Chaozhou)
xianshi, Jiangnan sizhu and Hakka Han music.
The yangqin is important in instrumental ensembles for its crisp tone quality,
wide tonal range as well as chord, quick arpeggio capability and timbre. It
is therefore popularly used for ensemble music playing as well as accompanying.
The well-known solo pieces are Song of the General – Sichuan version and
Yangge of Northeastern China.
Zheng
The zheng, a traditional instrument that existed already in the Warring States
Period (403-221 B.C.), was extremely popular inthe State of Qin (around the
Shaanxi region). Hence it was also referred to as Qin zheng. Traditionally,
it was used in ensembles and for accompanying folk narrative singing. The timbre
of zheng varies from the pristine and elegant to the crisp and sprightly according
to the different kind of strings (silk or metal) used. Before the Han (206 BC
- AD220) and the Jin (265 - 420) dynasties, it was fitted with 12 strings. After
the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, it evolved into a 13-string
version. The recently developed type is fitted with 21 strings. There is also
a 25-string version that has a mechanism to enable the instrument to re-tune
the strings instantly. The zheng has a unique and rich expressiveness, capable
of interpreting music of various moods, from the classically elegant to flying
passions. It is played with diverse finesse and outstanding character. The well-known
solo pieces are Song of the Homebound Fishermen, In Celebration of a Bumper
Harvest and Battle against Typhoon.
Ruan
The ruan, called Qin pipa or yueqin in ancient times, was a kind of pipa with
a long neck. It was modelled upon such instruments as the qin, zheng, zhu and
the konghou. Among the artifacts unearthed in the Six Dynasties (220-581) Tomb
at Xishan Bridge, Nanjing, there was an engraved picture showing Ruan Xian,
a member of the Seven Wise Men of the Bamboo Grove, playing a musical instrument.
It was said that he showed excellent skill in playing this kind of instrument.
Hence it was named after him. Today it has come to be known as ruan for short.
During the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), the ruan was generally used for
playing court music and folk dance music. In ancient times the ruan had 8 frets;
nowadays it is equipped with 4 strings and 24 frets. It is enlarged into small,
medium, large and bass versions called xiaoruan, zhongruan, daruan and diruan.
However, only the zhongruan (medium) and daruan (large) are used in Chinese
orchestras. With its rounded, rich tonal quality, the ruan is an essential alto
and tenor plucked-string instrument for ensemble playing as well as accompanying
instrument for various kind of music. The well-known solo pieces include In
Remembrance of Yunnan and Cherry Blossoms.
