Li Mingfeng at 03:27, 19 June 2025

2025-06-19T03:27:57Z

Li Mingfeng at 11:25, 3 June 2025

2025-06-03T11:25:07Z

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 References
 [1]黄大同.先秦六律能否转调?——曾侯乙编钟的变声与“显六+隐六”十二均五声建构及旋宫[J].中央音乐学院学报,2025,(01):77-96.DOI:10.16504/j.cnki.cn11-1183/j.2025.01.004.
 [2]艾海滨,郑波.《随州曾侯乙编钟》：中华瑰宝的世界回响[J].中国档案,2025,(04):10-11.
 Questions
 .	What is the basic identification of Bianzhong?
 .	How many tones could Bianzhong sing even compared with modern music?
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 minor third	小三度	major third	大三度
 diatonic scale	七声音阶	musical notaton	乐谱
 编钟：古中国乐器
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 minor third	小三度	major third	大三度
 diatonic scale	七声音阶	musical notaton	乐谱

← Older revision	Revision as of 11:25, 3 June 2025
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	+	Bianzhong: A Chinese Ancient Instrument

	+	Introduction
	+	Bianzhong is the most representative percussion instrument of ancient China. It emerged during the Western Zhou Dynasty and flourished from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods through the Qin Dynasty and Han Dynasty. It consists of multiple brone bells of varying sizes and shapes suspended in order on a frame according to their pitch within the scale, producing an exceptionally wide range. Bianzhong was not merely a musical instrument. In ancient China, it was also the epitome of the upper class and a symbol of hierarchy and power.
	+
	+	Cultural Background
	+	Within the Zhou Dynasty’s system of “governing the state through rites and music”, Bianzhong possessed a dual nature: it served both as a symbol of power and as a tool for moral cultivation. According to the study Zenghouyi Bianzhong and the Zhou Dynasty Rites and Music Civilization (Reserch on Chinese History, Issue2, 2020), the arrangement of the bells(such as the “Xuanxuan” layout for feudal lords and the “Gongxuan” layout for the emperor) strictly adhere to the hierarchical system. Furthermore, ites performance contexts (such as sacrificial ceremonies and court audiences) and repertoire (e.g., the Jiu Shao) were all constrained by ritual norms. The three-tiered, eight-group layout of the Zenghouyi Bianzhong precisely materialized the Zhou concept of “rites distinguishing differences, musici harmonizing the common”. Inscriptions like “Revere Heaven and Protect the People” and “Harmonize All States” further tightly integrated musical practice with political ethics, embodying the philosophical tenet that “Music is the harmony of Heaven and Earth”.
	+	The decorative patterns on the Bianzhong bell bodies integrate techniques such as round-sculpture, relief carving, and gilded inlay. Examples include the coiled dragon design and cloud patterns seen on the Zenghouyi Bianzhong. These elements possess significant aesthetic value while also subtly embodying the cosmological concept of “harmony between heaven and humanity”.
	+	The academic value and culture influence of Bianzhong continue to resonate today. In 2025, Zenghouyi Bianzhong from Suizhou was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Its inscriptions and muscial sounds, forming a “living archive”, were acclaimed by UNESCO as “a miracle in the history of human music”. Modern research, utillizing 3D scanning and sound wave analysis, has reconstructed the performance techniques of Bianzhong and developed virtual performance systems. Composer Tan Dun, in works such as Symphony 1997: Heaven Earth Mankind, incorporated the timbre of the Bianzhong, merging the ancient tuning system (natural temperament) with modern harmony, thereby realizing a dialogue between tradition and modernity.
	+
	+	Pitch
	+	The pitch system of the Bianzhong is highly developed, earning it the designation as the ancient equivalent of the piano.
	+	An ancient Chinese percussion instrument utilizing bronze bells whose pitch was controlled by their size, thickness, and shape, the Bianzhong's pitch system exhibits the following characteristics:
	+	(1) Two Tones per Bell: Each bell can produce two distinct pitches (known as the "zheng-gu tone" [struck at the center of the lower rim] and the "ce-gu tone" [struck at the side]). These tones typically form a third interval (e.g., C and E), achieved by striking different locations on the bell body. Taking the intervallic relationships within the middle-tier yong bells of the Zenghouyi Bianzhong as an example: the zheng-gu tones are predominantly minor thirds apart, while the ce-gu tones form major thirds.
	+	(2) Diatonic Scale and Twelve-Tone System: By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Bianzhong sets possessed the diatonic scale (corresponding to the notes Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu, Bian Gong, and Bian Zhi), encompassing all degrees of the modern C natural major scale. Some sets, such as the Zenghouyi Bianzhong, even incorporated the twelve-tone system (chromatic scale), enabling transposition and boasting a wide range spanning five octaves[1].
	+	(3) Tuning (Pitch Calibration): Ancient Chinese craftsmen precisely tuned the bells by adjusting the thickness of the bell body and the mouth flare (the protruding sections on either side of the bell rim). The tuning error was typically less than 5 cents (the modern tuning tolerance standard is within 10 cents).
	+
	+	In addition, the Bianzhong also has its own "musical notation", essentially preserved in the form of inscriptions on the bell bodies. The inscriptions on the Zenghouyi Bianzhong constitute the only known surviving bronze inscription documenting official music theory from its era anywhere in the world. Together with the musical sounds of the Zenghouyi Bianzhong, they form the world's sole preserved audiovisual heritage dating back to the 5th century BCE. Furthermore, they represent the earliest excavated textual evidence currently known to embody the mathematical principles of music. Its successful inscription on the Memory of the World International Register further underscores its significance as an implementation of President Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and gift from Chinese civilization to the world. This heritage deserves to be honored and transmitted globlally[2].
	+
	+	References
	+	[1]黄大同.先秦六律能否转调?——曾侯乙编钟的变声与“显六+隐六”十二均五声建构及旋宫[J].中央音乐学院学报,2025,(01):77-96.DOI:10.16504/j.cnki.cn11-1183/j.2025.01.004.
	+	[2]艾海滨,郑波.《随州曾侯乙编钟》：中华瑰宝的世界回响[J].中国档案,2025,(04):10-11.
	+
	+	Questions
	+	1. What is the basic identification of Bianzhong?
	+	2. How many tones could Bianzhong sing even compared with modern music?
	+
	+	Terms
	+	Bianzhong 编钟 inscription 铭文
	+	rites and music 礼乐 round-sculpture 圆雕
	+	relief carving 浮雕 gilded inlay technique 错金
	+	coiled dragon design 蟠螭纹 intercal relationship 音程关系
	+	minor third 小三度 major third 大三度
	+	diatonic scale 七声音阶 musical notaton 乐谱
	+
	+	编钟：古中国乐器
	+
	+	简要介绍
	+	编钟是中国古代最具代表性的打击乐器，兴起于西周，盛于春秋战国至秦汉。它由多枚大小、形状不同的青铜钟按音阶有序悬挂于钟架上，音域极广。编钟不仅是乐器，在中国古代，它还是上流社会的代名词，是等级和权力的象征。
	+
	+	文化背景
	+	编钟在周代 “礼乐治国” 体系中具有双重属性：既是权力象征，也是教化工具。根据《曾侯乙编钟与周代礼乐文明》（《中国史研究》2020 年第 2 期），编钟的悬挂方式（如诸侯 “轩悬”、天子 “宫悬”）严格遵循等级制度，其演奏场合（祭祀、朝聘）与曲目（如《九韶》）均受礼制约束。曾侯乙编钟的三层八组布局，正是周代 “礼别异，乐和同” 理念的物质化呈现。铭文 “敬天保民”“协和万邦” 等内容，更将音乐实践与政治伦理紧密结合，体现了 “乐者，天地之和也” 的哲学思想。
	+	编钟的钟体纹饰融合圆雕、浮雕、错金等技法，如曾侯乙编钟的蟠螭纹、云纹装饰，既具美学价值，也暗含 “天人合一” 的宇宙观。
	+	编钟的学术价值与文化影响力延续至今。2025 年，《随州曾侯乙编钟》入选《世界记忆名录》，其铭文与乐音构成的 “活态档案” 被联合国教科文组织誉为 “人类音乐史的奇迹”。现代研究通过 3D 扫描与声波分析，复原了编钟的演奏方式，并开发出虚拟演奏系统。作曲家谭盾在《1997：天・地・人》等作品中融入编钟音色，将自然律与现代和声结合，实现了传统与现代的对话。
	+
	+	音调
	+	编钟的音调体系完备，被誉为古代的“钢琴”。
	+	中国古代通过青铜钟的大小、厚度和形状来控制音高的打击乐器，其音调体系具有以下特点：（1）一钟双音：每个编钟可发出两个不同音高的音（称为 “正鼓音” 和 “侧鼓音”），两音频率相差三度（如 C 和 E），通过敲击钟体不同位置实现。以曾侯乙编钟的中层甬钟的音程关系为例：正鼓音多为小三度，侧鼓音则构成大三度。（2）七声音阶和十二平均律：春秋战国时期的编钟已具备七声音阶（宫、商、角、徵、羽及变宫、变徵），覆盖现代音乐中的C自然大调全音级。部分编钟（例如曾侯乙编钟），甚至包含十二律（半音体系）,可转调演奏，音域广达5个八度[1]。（3）调音（音高校准）：中国古代通过调整钟体的厚度、铣距（钟体两侧突出部分）来精确调音，误差通常小于5音分（现代调音标准为10音分以内）。
	+	值得一提的是，编钟也有“乐谱”，通常以钟身铭文的形式保存。随州曾侯乙编钟铭文是目前所见世界范围内同时代唯一留存的金文官方乐律文献，与曾侯乙编钟的乐音一起，构成目前所见世界上唯一保存的公元前5世纪的有声文献，是目前所见最早体现音乐数理关系的出土文献。该铭文成功入选《世界记忆国际名录》，是习近平文化思想的生动实践，更是中华文明对世界的重要献礼，值得被全世界所铭记和传承[2]。
	+
	+	问题
	+	1. 编钟最基本的定义是什么？
	+	2. 与现代音乐相比，编钟已经能发出哪些音？
	+
	+	术语
	+	Bianzhong 编钟 inscription 铭文
	+	rites and music 礼乐 round-sculpture 圆雕
	+	relief carving 浮雕 gilded inlay technique 错金
	+	coiled dragon design 蟠螭纹 intercal relationship 音程关系
	+	minor third 小三度 major third 大三度
	+	diatonic scale 七声音阶 musical notaton 乐谱

User:Li Mingfeng - Revision history

Li Mingfeng at 03:27, 19 June 2025

Li Mingfeng at 11:25, 3 June 2025

Root: Creating user page for new user.