page_title: Yangqin
section_title: Hammers
hierarchical_section_title: Yangqin / Construction / Hammers
caption_attribution_description: English: The striking surfaces of a pair of double-headed yangqin hammers (shuangyinqinzhu).
context_page_description: The trapezoidal yangqin is a Chinese hammered dulcimer, likely derived from the Iranian santur or the European dulcimer. It used to be written with the characters 洋琴, but over time the first character changed to 揚, which means "acclaimed". It is also spelled yang quin or yang ch'in. Hammered dulcimers of various types are now very popular not only in China, but also Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, Iran, and Pakistan. The instruments are also sometimes known by the names "santoor" and "cymbalom". This instrument had an influence on the Thai classical instrument, known as Khim.
  The yangqin was traditionally fitted with bronze strings, which gave the instrument a soft timbre. This form of instrument is still occasionally heard today in the "hudie qin" played in the traditional silk and bamboo genre from the Shanghai region known as Jiangnan sizhu, as well as in some Cantonese music groups. The Thai and Cambodian khim are nearly identical in their construction, having been introduced to those nations by southern Chinese musicians. Since the 1950s, however, steel alloy strings have been used, in order to give the instrument a brighter, and louder tone.
context_section_description: The hammers are made of flexible bamboo, and one end is half covered by rubber.  Due to their unique construction, there are two ways to play: with the rubber side for a softer sound, and with the bamboo side for a crisper, more percussive sound. This technique, known as 反竹 (fǎnzhǔ), is best utilized in the higher ranges of the yangqin. Additionally, the ends of the sticks can be used to pluck the strings, producing a sharp, clear sound. Glissandos can also be achieved in this way by running the ends of the sticks up or down the strings.
  Furthermore, some songs require the use of "雙音琴竹" (shuāng yīn qín zhǔ), literally "double-note yangqin hammers". These specially-constructed hammers have 2 striking surfaces, allowing the player to play up to 4 notes simultaneously (or even 8 notes, if the strings of the "left bridge" and "tenor bridge" are struck at a point where they intersect each other), resulting in a rich, powerful tone, which is especially pronounced in the lower registers due to the strings' long echoes. 林沖夜奔 (Lin Chong Flees In The Night), composed by 項祖華 (Xiang Zu Hua), is a representative solo piece which utilizes 雙音琴竹.
  When using 雙音琴竹, the left hand holds a beater that plays intervals of a perfect fourth, while the right hand's beater plays thirds. These intervals are standard over most of the yangqin's range, due to the positioning of its strings.
caption: A pair of 雙音琴竹. The hammer on the left plays fourths, and the one on the right plays thirds.
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