How the sanxian makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the sanxian belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The sanxian (Chinese: 三弦, literally "three strings") is a three-stringed traditional Chinese lute. It has a long fretless fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snake skin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator. It is made in several sizes for different purposes and in the early 20th century a four-stringed version, the jiaxian sanxian (加弦三弦), was developed. The northern sanxian is generally larger, at about 122 cm (48 in) in length, while southern versions of the instrument are usually about 95 cm (37 in) in length.
Other lutes
More instruments from People's Republic of China
Frequently asked questions
What does a sanxian sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the sanxian?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-5).
Where does the sanxian come from?
The sanxian originates from People's Republic of China.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q1860805 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Sanxian – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Original uploader was Drummerdaemon at en.wikipedia – CC BY-SA 2.5