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Yueqin

The yueqin (Chinese: 月琴, pinyin: yuèqín; also spelled yue qin, or yueh-ch’in; and also called moon guitar, moon-zither, gekkin, la ch’in, or laqin) is a traditional Chinese string instrument. It is a lute with a round, hollow wooden body which gives it the nickname moon guitar. It has a short fretted neck and four strings tuned in courses of two (each pair of strings is tuned to a single pitch), generally tuned to the interval of a perfect fifth. Occasionally, the body of the yueqin may be octagonal in shape.photo

 

According to legend, the instrument was invented in China during the Qin Dynasty.[citation needed] It is an important instrument in the Beijing opera orchestra, often taking the role of main melodic instrument in lieu of the bowed string section.

 

A similar Japanese instrument, called the gekkin, was formerly used in Japan, particularly around the turn of the 20th century. Another very similar instrument, called đàn đoản or đàn tứ, is occasionally used in Vietnam.

 

Traditional yueqin

The yueqin in China has four strings, tuned in two “courses,” D and A (low to high). Yueqin used for Beijing opera, however, have only two single strings.[citation needed]

 

The frets were formerly arranged rather like those on a mountain dulcimer, so that the instrument is diatonic (i.e., it cannot play every semitone), although modern yueqin have frets tuned in semitones.

 

The strings on the traditional form of the instrument were made of silk (although nylon is generally used today) and plucked with a rather long, sharp plectrum, which is sometimes attached to the instrument with a piece of cord.

 

There is no sound-hole, but inside the sound box are one or more strands of wire attached only at one end, so that they vibrate, giving the instrument a particular timbre and resonance.

 

There is no bridge or saddle; the strings are simply attached to the anchor at the base of the instrument.

 

Modern yueqin

Modern forms of the instrument have three or four strings made of steel[citation needed] (or steel-wrapped nylon), each tuned to a different pitch. The strings are attached to the anchor by looping them through their own end-loops.

 

3-string instruments are often tuned A D a,

4-string instruments are often tuned to A D a d.

The anchor on modern instrument may have up to 5 holes, so it can be strung and tuned as a 3- or 4-string instrument. The nut, at the peghead end of the instrument, is filed with notches appropriate to the number and position of the strings.

 

Modern yueqin are often played with a guitar pick.

 

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