page_title: List of Chinese musical instruments
section_title: Wood (木)
hierarchical_section_title: List of Chinese musical instruments / Wood (木)
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a set of muyus or Chinese wooden slit drums. The sound produced is affected by the instrument’s size, type of wood, and how hollow it is. Today muyus are often used in sets of five. In a Chinese Orchestra they are used to convey a solemn and religious feel to the music. They are also used in battle scenes and played in fast and lively pieces. Object description: This is a set of four wooden slit drums or idiophones. Sound is produced without the use of strings or membranes. A wooden stick with a tear-shaped knob is used to beat against the drum to produce sound. Each drum is shaped like a triangular prism with a slit along the bottom. Heart shapes are carved into both faces with a hole at the point. Four grooves are carved across the top. They are painted red with two gold fish on each side. History: The muyu is also called a ‘wooden fish’ and was first used by Buddhist monks. The fish was a symbol of wakefulness as fish were not thought to sleep. The symbol reminded Buddhist followers to remain awake and concentrate on their prayers. The striking of the muyu provided the rhythm as they chanted their scriptures. Mention of muyus has been found in writings from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD).
context_page_description: Chinese musical instruments were traditionally grouped into eight categories known as bayin. The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin. There are other instruments which may not fit these groups. This is one of the first musical groupings ever devised.
context_section_description: Most wood instruments are of the ancient variety:
  Zhu (Chinese: 柷; pinyin: zhù) – a wooden box that tapers from the top to the bottom, played by hitting a stick on the inside, used to mark the beginning of music in ancient ritual music
  Yu (Chinese: 敔; pinyin: yǔ) – a wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a tiger with a serrated back, played by hitting a stick with an end made of approximately 15 stalks of bamboo on its head three times and across the serrated back once to mark the end of the music
  Muyu (simplified Chinese: 木鱼; traditional Chinese: 木魚; pinyin: mùyú) – a rounded woodblock carved in the shape of a fish, struck with a wooden stick; often used in Buddhist chanting
  Paiban (拍板) – a clapper made from several flat pieces of wood; also called bǎn (板), tánbǎn (檀板), mùbǎn (木板), or shūbǎn (书板); when used together with a drum the two instruments are referred to collectively as guban (鼓板)
  Ban (Chinese Language)
  Zhuban (竹板, a clapper made from two pieces of bamboo)
  Chiban (尺板)
  Bangzi (梆子) – small, high-pitched woodblock; called qiaozi (敲子) or qiaoziban (敲子板) in Taiwan
  Nan bangzi (南梆子)
  Hebei bangzi (河北梆子)
  Zhui bangzi (墜梆子)
  Qin bangzi (秦梆子)
caption: This is a set of muyus or Chinese wooden slit drums. The sound produced is affected by the instrument's size, type of wood, and how hollow it is.
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