Mangtong
Encyclopedia
The mangtong is a Chinese
end-blown free reed wind instrument
. It is used primarily by the Miao
and Dong
ethnic groups of the southern Chinese provinces of Guizhou
and Guangxi
, although it is sometimes used in contemporary Chinese compositions for the traditional instrument orchestra.
The instrument consists of a bamboo
-free reed pipe without finger holes, which is fitted with a metal free reed; the instrument's playing pipe is placed inside a bamboo resonator of larger diameter. The mangtong is made in several different sizes, with the largest up to two meters in length. As the mangtong produces only a single pitch, several mangtong are normally played together in hocket
. Mangtong are often played together with an ensemble of free reed mouth organs called lusheng
, serving as the bass
instruments of that ensemble.
A modernized version of the mangtong, called gǎigé mángtǒng (改革芒筒, literally "reformed mangtong"), was developed in the 20th century.http://www.e56.com.cn/minzu/Musical/Musical_Content.asp?Musical_Content_ID=268&Musical_Class_Content_ID=13
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
end-blown free reed wind instrument
Free reed aerophone
A free reed aerophone is a musical instrument where sound is produced as air flows past a vibrating reed in a frame. Air pressure is typically generated by breath or with a bellows.- Operation :...
. It is used primarily by the Miao
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
and Dong
Dong people
The Dong , a Kam–Sui people of southern China, are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They are famed for their native-bred Kam Sweet Rice , carpentry skills, and unique architecture, in particular a form of covered bridge known as the "wind and rain...
ethnic groups of the southern Chinese provinces of Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
and Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, although it is sometimes used in contemporary Chinese compositions for the traditional instrument orchestra.
The instrument consists of a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
-free reed pipe without finger holes, which is fitted with a metal free reed; the instrument's playing pipe is placed inside a bamboo resonator of larger diameter. The mangtong is made in several different sizes, with the largest up to two meters in length. As the mangtong produces only a single pitch, several mangtong are normally played together in hocket
Hocket
In music, hocket is the rhythmic linear technique using the alternation of notes, pitches, or chords. In medieval practice of hocket, a single melody is shared between two voices such that alternately one voice sounds while the other rests.In European music, hocket was used primarily in vocal...
. Mangtong are often played together with an ensemble of free reed mouth organs called lusheng
Lusheng
The lusheng is a Chinese musical instrument with multiple bamboo pipes, each fitted with a free reed, which are fitted into a long blowing tube made of hardwood. It most often has five or six pipes of different pitches, and is thus a polyphonic instrument...
, serving as the bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
instruments of that ensemble.
A modernized version of the mangtong, called gǎigé mángtǒng (改革芒筒, literally "reformed mangtong"), was developed in the 20th century.http://www.e56.com.cn/minzu/Musical/Musical_Content.asp?Musical_Content_ID=268&Musical_Class_Content_ID=13
See also
- LushengLushengThe lusheng is a Chinese musical instrument with multiple bamboo pipes, each fitted with a free reed, which are fitted into a long blowing tube made of hardwood. It most often has five or six pipes of different pitches, and is thus a polyphonic instrument...
- Yu (wind instrument)Yu (wind instrument)The yu was a free reed wind instrument used in ancient China. It was similar to the sheng, with multiple bamboo pipes fixed in a wind chest which may have been made of bamboo, wood, or gourd. Each pipe contained a free reed, which was also made of bamboo. Whereas the sheng was used to provide...
- Sheng (instrument)Sheng (instrument)The Chinese sheng is a mouth-blown free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes.Traditionally, the sheng has been used as an accompaniment instrument for solo suona or dizi performances. It is one of the main instruments in kunqu and some other forms of Chinese opera...
- Traditional Chinese musical instrumentsTraditional Chinese musical instruments-The Eight Sounds or Eight Tones :The eight categories are: silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and hide. There are other instruments which may not fit these classifications. This is one of the first musical classifications ever.-Silk :...
- Music of ChinaMusic of ChinaChinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty...
External links
- Mangtong photo
- Mangtong article (Chinese)
- Mangtong article (Chinese)
- Photo of mangtong ensemble
