Teochew string music orChaozhou xianshi (simplified Chinese:潮州弦诗;traditional Chinese:潮州弦詩;lit. 'Chaozhou string-poem' also called "string-poem music") is classed as a type ofsizhu music (chamber music for strings and woodwind, literally 'silk/bamboo') although it typically uses stringed instruments only. It is found in northeasternGuangdong and parts ofFujian and also in regions with overseasTeochew populations, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. TheChaoshan region of Guangdong, bordering on Fujian and comprising the cities ofChaozhou,Shantou andJieyang, forms its own cultural sphere. Teahouses often accompany with Chaozhou music.
Developed from a fusion of elements, popular song, arias ofChinese opera, ancient melodies and pieces ofBuddhist music, string music falls into two styles:Rujia yue (儒家樂) is music of theConfucian school that can be performed as an independent instrumental music genre or at weddings and other ceremonies and that aims at elegance and nobility, whilePengding yue (棚頂樂) is principally the music of the theatre, though it may be played independently: it cultivates a sober, rustic style.
The instruments most commonly employed include several varieties of two-stringed bowed lutes; thezixian (字弦)erxian (二弦) ortouxian (頭弦) the lead instrument in theHakka style, shorter and higher-pitched than theerxian), thetihu (of lower pitch than thezixian, adapted from the Cantonesegaohu) and the big and smallyehu (coconut shell body), as well as several types of plucked lutes: thepipa, large and smallsanxian (a fretless bass instrument like theshamisen),qinqin (four-stringed with short, fretted neck and round body),ruan (four-stringed with long, fretted neck and round body) andmeihuaqin. Other than this, thezheng (zither - origin ofVietnameseđàn tranh) andyangqin (a hammered dulcimer thought to derive from the Iraniansantur) are played as well as percussion instruments: a hand-held wooden clapper (muban), a pair of "temple" blocks (daban andfuban) that mark the beat, and a small drum (zhegu).Cello is sometimes also used, particularly in the style performed in the area ofShantou.
The ten characteristic compositions ofxianshi yue are
The form of each of these pieces resembles asuite (taoqu) ofvariations upon a stock melody (qupai or 'noted tune'). These are calledban or 'beat' variations and follow an ordered sequence with changes of tempo and measure (most pieces have six or eight beat measures).Augmentation anddiminution of the melody is used, so that it may repeatedly double in speed through the variations. The technique ofcui introduces adivision-like filling in of the melody withfigures such as repeated notes and neighbouring orpassing notes. Perfect-fourth transposition of the melody (fan) also occurs, though the tonal centre remains constant.
Four or five mainmodes (diao) are traditionally identified. However, while elsewhere in China such modes are mainly defined by absolute pitch and by the degree of thepentatonic scale that is taken as thekey-note (thus setting theintervals of thescale), thexianshi conception of mode, rather like the Indianraga system, includesmotif,ornament and intonation. Pitch is not absolute but the scale is usually constructed on a key-note approximating to western concert F – F♯. Modes are pentatonic but all derive from a seven-note scale: no notice is taken of the starting and finishing tones of the melody in determining the mode and the key-note remains the same in every mode. Tunes may be adapted to a new mode, but the mode remains constant throughout any performance of the suite.
Apart from the major pentatonic scale two further tones, corresponding to a (sharp) perfect fourth and a (flat) major seventh, are employed. The "missing" steps of the scale in each mode may be used in ornament but are not part of main mode structure. The modeqingsan qingliu ("Light III Light VI") is the standard major pentatonic. Butqingsan zhongliu ("Light III Heavy VI") calls for a heavy string-pressure upon the sixth degree, raising it to the seventh.Zhongsan zhongliu ("Heavy III Heavy VI"), similarly, applies this upward string-bend to the third degree as well, raising it to the fourth. The fourth common scale, calledHuowu ("Live V"), resembles this last but avoids the plain third degree and instead uses a heavy vibrato on the second degree. This is said to be the most characteristic mode of the region.
Chaozhou drum music includes the big drum and gong, the small drum and gong, the dizi set drum and dong and su drum and gong ensembles. The current Chaozhou drum music is said to be similar to the form of the drum and wind music of the Han and Tang dynasties.
