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Theguan (Chinese:管;pinyin:guǎn;lit. 'pipe', 'tube') is a Chinesedouble reed wind instrument. Thenorthern Chinese version is calledguanzi管子 orbili (simplified Chinese:筚篥;traditional Chinese:篳篥) and the Cantonese version is calledhouguan喉管. It is classified as abamboo instrument in the Ba Yin (ancient Chinese instrument classification) system. Unlike other instruments in thedouble-reed family ofwoodwinds which mostly have conicalbores, such as the Chinesesuona or the Westernoboe, theguan has a cylindrical bore, giving its distinctive mellow, yet piercing buzz-liketimbre.[1][2]
The earliest use of the wordguan can be traced back toZhou dynasty records, where it refers to end-blown bamboo flutes such as thexiao orpaixiao. The earliest double-reed instrument appears in the late Zhou dynasty and is referred ashújiā (胡笳; 'reed pipe ofHu people') because it had been introduced from thenorthwestern region ofChina. During that time, thehujia was used as the primarily military instrument for signaling, and is depicted in early Chinesepoetry as raucous and barbaric.
Theguan was developed after thehujia in theTang dynasty due to the flourishing music and art culture that were influenced by theSilk Road trade. Like thehujia, it was likely adopted from whom the Chinese generally call the Hu (nomadic) people, and became an important leading instrument in thecourt andritual music. At the height of the Tang dynasty, theguan, alongside many other instruments was introduced to neighboring countries, where theguan's descendants (calledpiri inKorea andhichiriki inJapan) are still used today.
However, in subsequent dynasties, theguan fell out of use in courtmusic but became very popular infolk ensembles. It plays an important part in the wind-and-percussion (chuida orguchui) ensembles that play on traditional festivals and celebratory occasions and is still popular in the wind band music of northern China, as well as in some other Chinese regions. In theBeijing opera orchestra, theguan is used to depictmilitary scenes along with thesuona and otherpercussion instruments.[citation needed]
Theguan consist of a short cylindrical tube made of hardwood innorthern China, where the instrument is calledbili. In theGuangdong region of southern China, it is made from bamboo and is calledhouguan (literally "throat guan"). It was originally used by street vendors but became incorporated into theCantonese opera orchestra beginning in the 1920s. By the 1950s it had become popular throughoutGuangdong and larger sizes were developed. Hardwood guans use and require a hard reed, whereas bamboo guans normally use a soft reed (however, sometimes a different hardness is used to change the timbre.)
An instrument called theah-bó-ta̍t-á (鴨母噠仔),o͘-ta̍t-á (烏笛仔), orTáiwān guǎn (台湾管), which is similar to thehouguan, is also found inTaiwan.[3] This Taiwaneseguan is often used in theTaiwanese opera orchestra. Like the Cantonesehouguan, it comes in three sizes, each of which has a small brass bell to increase its volume,[4] and does not overblow, giving it a register of just over one octave.
Traditionally, theguan has seven finger holes on the top and one thumb hole on the back. The length of a traditionalguan varies from 7 inches (18 cm) to 13 inches (33 cm), or up to 50 cm for a large Cantonesehouguan.
The Cantonesehouguan is available in three sizes; the medium and large sizes have a smallbrass bell at the end.photo The northernguanzi comes in various keys. The two standard higher versions are in soprano and alto range, although there is also a notable piccolo version calledShuangguan that is small enough where it is commonly played side by side in harmony by one person taking advantage of "plumber's grip" with both reeds in the mouth simultaneously. Other than theHouguan, other common bambooguan include theYamudi of Taiwan, theLuguan of Hunan, theBili of northern China, theUyghurPipi, and theXibili of the Korean autonomous region. The only otherGuanzi hardwood versions also exist in northwest China that share a similarity to the ArmenianDuduk and TurkishMey.
In the 20th century, modern versions of theguan were developed in China. These modernizedguan, which may be as long as a Western clarinet, have more tone and key holes and are fitted with metal keys to provide a wider and fully chromatic range. Such instruments are used primarily in large Chinese orchestras. These modern keyedguanzi are typically used for tenor and baritone ranges respectively. Although thesejiajian (keyed) instruments are made of hardwood, their design originates from thehouguan and their key system is related to clarinet'sBoehm system with, typically with a short or no bell. While in theory these instruments can have a range as wide as the clarinet, they are generally considered to sound best in the lowest two octaves (due to the immense difficulty in controlling the Clarion register). In recent years, many models of traditional soprano Guanzi come fitted with one or more keys to improve the intonation of certain chromatic notes.
Allguan have a large, wide double reed made fromArundo cane, which is inserted into the top end of the tube.
Typical ranges of the orchestral Guan:
Note that the English names for these have yet to be fully standardized worldwide.
Due to its advanced overblowing technique the northernguanzi's range is about two and one-halfoctaves, while the Cantonesehouguan (like the bambooguan used in ancient China) does not overblow, giving it a range of just over one octave. The keyed "jiajian guan" with the addition of clarinet-like register and extension keys have nearly a 4 octave range, although the upper range is not commonly used. Theguan has been used in a variety of musical contexts over the centuries, often as a solo instrument used to evoke a mood of sadness. This is largely due to the instrument's playing technique, which involves the use of expressive vibratos and wide pitch bends.
Theguan is quite difficult to play, largely due to the difficulty of controlling theembouchure; a Chinese saying states that "thesheng (mouth organ) takes 100 days to learn, but theguan takes 1,000 days to learn."
