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 Liuqin

The liuqin is a plucked musical instrument, which also belongs to thepipa(four-stringed lute, a traditional Chinese instrument) category. It is named liuqin or liu ye qin because it is made from the wood of the willow tree and also its appearance is similar to the willow leaf.

The look and structure of a liuqin resemble that of a pipa very much. The structure of the earliest liuqin is very simple. Its appearance is so rustic and localized that the Chinese people gave it the very affectionate name of tu pipa, in which the Chinese character tu means rustic and simple.

The tu pipa has been very popular in the folk region of Shandong, Anhui, andJiangsu provinces in East China. It is played in the accompaniment of local operas.

Not only does the liuqin have a similar appearance and structure to the pipa, but also is played in the same way. While playing the instrument, the musician should sit straight, hold the organ in the left hand, and press the strings. The plectrum (the plucking tool) is put between the thumb and the index finger of the right hand. The posture looks very graceful.

At the end 1958, a group of workers from the Wan Huiran Musical Instrument factory invented a new type of liuqin - the thee-stringed liuqin. There were 24 music poles. Compared with the pipa, the new instrument had an enlarged range and could conveniently switch its tone. Also, the timber went from noisy to bright.

In the 1970s, the same factory created another new type of liuqin. The strings and music poles were increased again. Most importantly, the shaft of the Chinese sorghum (a kind of plant) replaced bamboo, and the strings were made of steel instead of silk. These changes greatly improved the qualities of the liuqin. From then on, it began to be played in solo instead of accompaniment (as was the case in the preceding 200 years).

Today, the liuqin has been played in all kinds of music performances in China. In folk bands, due to a unique sound effect, it is often used to play the high pitch region of the main rhythm. Because the tone is not easily covered and mixed by the sound of othermusical instruments, it sometimes plays a very important role in highlight performances. In addition, the liuqin has the sound effect of the stringed mandolin instrument, so it can generate a special flavor when played together with Western bands.