How the yazheng makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the yazheng belongs to the tube zithers: strings run along the surface of a tube, such as a length of bamboo.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
The yazheng (simplified Chinese: 轧筝; traditional Chinese: 軋箏; pinyin: yàzhēng; also spelled zha zheng or zha cheng) is a Chinese string instrument. It is a traditional zither similar to the guzheng but bowed by scraping with a rosined stick or a horsehair bow, (or plucked sometimes). The musical instrument was popular in the Tang dynasty, but is today little used except in the folk music of some parts of northern China, where it is called yaqin (simplified Chinese: 轧琴; traditional Chinese: 軋琴).
Other tube zithers
Frequently asked questions
What does a yazheng sound like?
As one of the tube zithers, its sound comes from the way strings run along the surface of a tube, such as a length of bamboo.
What type of instrument is the yazheng?
It is classified as tube zithers (Hornbostel–Sachs 312.22).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q8050609 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Yazheng – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by bobistraveling – CC BY 2.0