Se (instrument)

Se (instrument)

The "se" (zh-cp|c=|p=sè) is an ancient Chinese plucked zither (string instrument). It is probably the ancestor of many Asian zithers, including the Chinese guzheng and the Japanese koto. It has 25 strings with moveable bridges and has a range of up to five octaves.

History

The history of the "se" extends back to early Chinese history. It is one of the most important stringed instruments to be created in China, other than guqin and guzheng. Surviving specimens have been excavated from places such as the Hubei and Hunan provinces, and the Jiangnan region of China. Other places include Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, and Liaoning. In Hubei, the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng (in the late 400's BCE) was a treasure trove of ancient Chinese instruments, including a complete set of "bianzhong" (bronze bells), "se", "guqin" (plucked zither), stone chimes, and a drum. His musical entourage of 21 girls and women were also buried with him. The state of Zeng was a client state to the state of Chu.

According to legend, Fuxi created the "se". It is also believed that by the Xia dynasty the se already came into being. It is said that the word for music, "yue", is composed of the characters "si" for silk and "mu" for wood, and that it is a representation of the instrument.

There are also many mentions in Chinese literature, such as "Shijing" and "Lunyu". The "se" could have been used to entertain guests, as well as for ritual performance and hunting rituals.

A similar instrument called "seul", derived from the "se", is still used in the Confucian ritual music of South Korea, which is performed twice per year at the Munmyo Shrine in Seoul. In Vietnam, the instrument was called "sắt" and used in a limited context along with the "cầm" (equivalent to the Chinese "guqin").

Construction

The "se"'s strings were made of twisted silk, in varying thicknesses. According to "Lüshi Chunqiu" on the number of strings that the "se" has: "A five stringed se, then became a fifteen stringed se. When Shun came to power, he added eight strings, so it became twenty-three." Another view suggests that the "se" started out with 50 strings. The "Shiban" later changes it to 25. "A big se has 50 strings, a middle se has 25." It also says that Fuxi created the 50 stringed "se", called "Sha" whilst the Yellow Emperor reduced it to 25. There also is a "small se" that has half of the strings, 13 strings (like the Japanese koto). But archeological evidence has also unearthed "se" with 25, 24, 23, or 19 strings. The string number differs from place to place. The length is also different.

Unearthed "se" have similar construction, namely a flat long sound-board made of wood. The surface board of the "se" is slightly curved, and has three end bridges and one bridge at the head, plus four wooden posts for the strings to wrap around (some have two or three only). The posts also have patternation or decoration. The tail-end of the instrument has a long " " shaped opening for the strings to pass through. To string the instrument, one needs to tie a butterfly knot at the head of the string, strung through a bamboo rod, over the bridge at the head and over the main body of the instrument and over into the tail-end bridge into the instrument, out of the sound hole at the bottom of the instrument, over the tail-end and wrapped around the posts in four or three groups.

Although both are ancient zithers, one should note that the "guqin" and the "se" are different instruments in their own right.

Playing context

There are very few players of the "se", which is considered an extinct instrument. The only notable "se" player in the 20th century was Wu Jinglüe, who was primarily a "guqin" player. There are also very few surviving examples of musical tablature for the instrument, a majority existing in "qinpu" (tablature for the "guqin") in which the "se" was used to provide accompaniment for the "qin".

Recently, there has been a revived interest in the "se", with some musicians studying it. There are also a few factories that make a modern "se" using nylon-wrapped metal strings, though the instrument needs to be properly researched using modern mediums for it to be fully acceptable as a playable instrument for general musical purposes.

ee also

*Traditional Chinese musical instruments
*Guqin
*Gayageum
*Koto (musical instrument)
*Đàn tranh

External links

* [http://www.chime.com.cn/A-3-1.htm Chime: Se] Chinese site with pictures of "se" (and qins)
* [http://cmi.huain.com/prod_detail.php?id=184 A modern se] Unstrung with bridges
* [http://www.yuemi.net/images3/MZ_boxian/Se.jpgPhoto of "se"]
* [http://www.kgdb.or.kr/modeling/model_detail.asp?fee=all&bottomid=230702&seqno=1011626 Image of a Korean "seul"]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • instrument — [ ɛ̃strymɑ̃ ] n. m. • 1365; estrument v. 1119; lat. instrumentum « ce qui sert à équiper », de instruere → instruire I ♦ 1 ♦ Objet fabriqué servant à exécuter qqch., à faire une opération. REM. Instrument est plus général et moins concret que… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • instrument — in·stru·ment n 1: a means or implement by which something is achieved, performed, or furthered an instrument of crime 2: a document (as a deed, will, bond, note, certificate of deposit, insurance policy, warrant, or writ) evidencing rights or… …   Law dictionary

  • Instrument flight rules — (IFR) are a set of regulations and procedures for flying aircraft whereby navigation and obstacle clearance is maintained with reference to aircraft instruments only , while separation from other aircraft is provided by Air Traffic Control. In… …   Wikipedia

  • instrument — INSTRUMÉNT, instrumente, s.n. 1. Unealtă, aparat cu ajutorul căruia se efectuează o anumită operaţie. ♦ Aparat construit pentru a produce sunete muzicale. 2. fig. Persoană, forţă, lucru, fapt de care se serveşte cineva pentru atingerea unui scop …   Dicționar Român

  • Instrument De Musique Électronique — Un instrument de musique électronique est un instrument de musique qui utilise un ou plusieurs circuits électroniques pour produire des sons. L’histoire des instruments de musique a suivi l histoire de l évolution des technologies : Il y a d …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Instrument a vent — Instrument à vent Un instrument à vent (ou aérophone) est un instrument de musique dont le son est produit grâce aux vibrations créées par une colonne d air provenant du souffle d un instrumentiste, (flûte, trompette… ), d une soufflerie… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Instrument de musique electronique — Instrument de musique électronique Un instrument de musique électronique est un instrument de musique qui utilise un ou plusieurs circuits électroniques pour produire des sons. L’histoire des instruments de musique a suivi l histoire de l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Instrument À Vent — Un instrument à vent (ou aérophone) est un instrument de musique dont le son est produit grâce aux vibrations créées par une colonne d air provenant du souffle d un instrumentiste, (flûte, trompette… ), d une soufflerie mécanique (orgue,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Instrument électroanalogique — Instrument de musique électronique Un instrument de musique électronique est un instrument de musique qui utilise un ou plusieurs circuits électroniques pour produire des sons. L’histoire des instruments de musique a suivi l histoire de l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Instrument rating — refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under IFR (Instrument Flight Rules). It requires additional training and instruction beyond what is required for a Private Pilot certificate or Commercial Pilot certificate,… …   Wikipedia

  • instrument — INSTRUMENT. s. m. Outil, ce qui sert à l ouvrier, à l artisan pour faire manuellement quelque chose. Bon instrument. instrument necessaire. instrument de Chirurgie. instruments de Charpentier, de Maçon &c. un ouvrier fourni de tous ses… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”