What is a drum, it is a Chinese tradition
percussion instrument
In "Shimei Shi Musical Instrument": "Drum, Koya." Peel to risk it, and it is hollow. "It can be seen that its shape is basic
It is empty in the middle, and the two ends are tight
The shape of the leather surface; at the same time, it can be struck with one or a pair of wooden mallets to make a deafening sound. Drums are not something that arose on a whim in China's five-thousand-year-long history,
drum
It's almost there
Four thousand years
The course of history. It can be said that the evolution of the drum is an important symbol of the continuous progress of China's civilization for thousands of years.
So how did the drum survive and evolve over thousands of years of civilization? Today, let's take a look at the historical evolution of the drum.
First, the origin of the drum
According to historical records, drums came into being in China more than 4,000 years ago. In 1978, the cultural relics excavated from the site of The Tao Temple in Xiangfen, Shanxi Province, were among them
Late Neolithic
When we entered the pottery age from the Stone Age, we made a kind of "earth drum" with clay. In the Li Ji Ming Tang Zhi records: "The earth drum is reeded grass, and the Iki clan is also happy." "You can see that there was already there
Earth drums
and drumsticks made from herb for drumming. At that time, the appearance of drums was mainly as a function
Sacrifice to heaven
, celebrating the role of dancing and enlivening the atmosphere. Judging from the excavated cultural relics and historical records, the origin of The Chinese percussion instrument - drum can be said to be very early. And its origin was not made by one person, but by people at that time
The crystallization of wisdom, the needs of life
, is the result of the development of civilization at that time.
Second, the historical evolution of drums
Drums
Form, material and function
It is not static in the long course of history. As civilization after civilization changed and arose, these aspects of the drum followed suit
variation
。
1. Ancient times
Legend has it that drums were mainly used in ancient times
Military aspects
It is not widely used in people's daily lives. In the Taiping Imperial Records, the Imperial Century volume has been recorded in
Battle of Zhuolu
Medium: "The Yellow Emperor killed the hammer, and used his skin as a drum, and the sound was heard for five hundred." "It can be seen that the drum at that time should have been made of the skin of the hammer. What is "夔" is what we now call it
alligator
The reason why the drum skin chooses this animal skin is not only because the crocodile skin is hard and the drum surface made is resistant to beating, but also because the crocodile habit is fierce to symbolize the strength of the drum when it is made.
at
We can also see that the role of the drum is mainly on the battlefield; while drumming is
Deter the enemy soldiers and publicize the momentum of our army
Mainly. And with the change of lifestyle of the original inhabitants, the drum of the true origin of our drum began, the "earth drum", of course, at that time the drum was also used in wartime to cheer for the army.
Shrew drums
2. Shang Zhou period
According to historical records, drums were not commonly used by people before. The period when it was really widely used should be during the Shang Dynasty. But at that time, the drum was mainly used as an artifact of the heavens, that is
Sacrificial utensils
。 People often express their connection to Heaven through drums. The drums of the Shang Dynasty also have their own characteristics in terms of making materials, and they are mainly made of bronze. It was excavated in Chongyang, Hubei Province in 1977
Shang Dynasty Drums
, is made of bronze, its drum surface is smooth and grainless, and the oracle bone script is carved on it, with its own unique civilization characteristics. In the Yin Shang period, the scope of application of the drum also changed from sacrifice to gradually used in the military and court, and at that time the drum also appeared for various purposes, which could be used as a sacrifice to the heavens, to help the battlefield, or as a kind
musical instrument
use. As a result, drum types for different purposes have also emerged.
During the Zhou Dynasty, when agricultural civilization was highly developed, Zhou Tianzi ordered someone to formulate a set
Drumming system
。 A department was specially established to manage drum music, and an official position was set up for the department
"Drum Man"
。 In the "Zhou Li Di Guan", it is recorded: "Drum people, in charge of teaching the sound of six drums and four gold." With the festival vocal music, to the peace brigade, to the Shoda campaign. It can be seen that the use of drums in the Zhou Dynasty is also various. Of course, drums for different uses also have different names.
Such as the name used during the sacrifice
Thunder drums
The drums when the band is playing are called
Jin Drum
, the drumming used in wartime
Split (tone) drums
The drums in the military journey are called
Street drums
wait. According to historical records, the drum used in the military during the Zhou Dynasty was a drum with a body length of eight feet, a drum face of four feet wide, and two sides of the leather. In the eight-tone classification method of the Zhou Dynasty, the leather class is based on drums as the main classification, mainly based on hanging drums and construction drums. And at that time, the production of drums was exquisite, the drum unearthed in the early years was that the drum frame was wooden, the entire drum body was about 100 cm long, the two sides were covered with animal skins, the drum face was 80 cm long, and the whole drum was made of a seven cm wooden pillar and a
Bronze disc dragon base
Connect.
3. Han Dynasty period
During the Han Dynasty, drums were mainly used as a kind
Apply to every place. Therefore, the musical instrument - the drum - has a pivotal position in the music of the Han Dynasty. At the same time, he played an indispensable role in the song and dance performances of the Han Dynasty. For example, the earliest trumpet music in the mainland was born during this period. The most representative drums in the Han Dynasty period are mainly
Three drum shapes
。 One is
Build drums
, also known as the Jin drum, the drum is larger; the sound is loud and the transmission distance is long when struck. During the Han Dynasty, some important occasions did not beat the drum alone, but melted into the dance; thus making the whole music become ups and downs.
Two is
Drums
His drum cavity is often equipped with rice bran, and the percussion often produces a rustling sound, which has the effect of adjusting the rhythm and increasing the color of the music. The drums are often sung and sung
Cooperate with the performance
And because the sound of the drum facing the ground on one side is more dull and more shocking when playing. Three is
Drums
It was small and flexible in operation, similar to today's
"Cargo Drum"
。 It has the function of continuously tapping the drum surface when shaking. The drum has a strong atmosphere setting function, and is often used as a guide in the performance of instruments in the Han Dynasty. From this we can see that in the music of the Han Dynasty, the drums were the main lineup. At that time, drums were often used in folk festivals and festive periods, mainly to create a lively and festive atmosphere. Of course, it is also used in the military to boost the morale of the army and deter the enemy. For example
"A drumbeat"
It's about the role of the drum.
4. Sui and Tang Dynasties
Sui and Tang Dynasties
Period, the development of drums can be said to be one
When it's booming
time limit. The most important reason why drums developed rapidly in the Sui and Tang dynasties was because the rulers attached importance to drum music and recognized the appearance of drum instruments in court ceremonial music. This can also be applied from drums
Sui Jiubu Music and Tang Ten Music
as seen in. It probably appeared during the Sui and Tang dynasties
More than 10 kinds of drums
: For example, karma drums, eaves drums, Du tan drums, Mao yuan drums, Tara drums, chicken lou drums, lian drums and scepter drums.
But
Karma drums
It can be said to be the most important drum instrument in the Sui and Tang dynasties. According to the Old Book of Tang, it is a two-headed drum with a thin middle and shaped like a bee waist, which can be hit on both sides. The sound of the drum beating is rapid and intense, making it suitable for playing faster repertoire. at
Tang Xuanzong
During his reign, karma drums were once known as "the leader of the eight tones, and the music departments can also be fang". It can be seen that the status of drum instruments at that time was one of the few among many instruments.
Of course, in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the role of the drum was not limited to playing. As in the early days of drum development, he also used it
。 According to the "New Book of Tang," "Blowing the big horn and three links, the Chinese generals will each order the drumming, the two armies will beat the drum, the three drums, there are Si Yan drums, and the masses will kneel." This shows the importance of the drum in military development. During the Tang Dynasty, drums were also used in other ways, according to the New Book of Tang: "Driving to tiansuo, the emperor drum line was shortlisted."
Advocate order
With the drum sixty Chen in the emperor's southeast, to the west, sixty Chen in the southwest, to the east, all by horse, each with Xiao Jiao. ”
It can be seen that when hunting, dozens of drums can be beaten together
Self-exclamation can also intimidate the beast
。 According to the Book of Music, "Before you start dripping, hit the leaky drum." It can be seen that during the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was built in the center of each urban area and the four corners of the city wall
Drum Tower
to beat the drum in the drum tower to report the time. Drums flourished not only from its variety of types during the Sui and Tang dynasties, but also from its wide range of roles.
5. Ming and Qing dynasties
Song dynasty
At that time, drum instruments became the most popular and prosperous music of the time. It is widely used in folk instrumental ensembles and of the ruling class
Church Club
middle. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the prosperity of opera music also contributed to the development of drum instruments to a large extent. Drum instruments were often used during the Ming and Qing dynasties
concert
The form appears.
For example, the Qing Gong and Drum in the Juban Gong and Drum is the main representative form of it.
"Qing Gong and Drum"
There are many kinds of percussion instruments used in it, such as the same drum, the plate drum, the big gong, the horse gong, the qi cymbal, the big cymbal, the small cymbal, the inner gong, the spring gong, the soup gong, the wooden fish, the zizi and so on. It can be seen that there are many types of drum instruments in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the way drum instruments are played gradually. Moreover, at that time, some of the more famous songs were "Rowing the Dragon Boat", "Wanjia Huan", "Happy Encounter lantern" and so on. In ancient times, the gradual evolution of drum instruments into ensemble forms also laid the foundation for the formation of modern percussion ensembles.
6. Modern drums
In modern times, the role of drums is not as extensive as in ancient times, and is currently mainly used for celebrating festive festivals, opening celebrations and other festive days, and more
program
The form of the presentation.
The forms of modern drums are also diverse, for example evolving from the karma drum
Waist drum
The whole shape is similar to the cylinder, but the ends are slightly thinner than the middle, the two ends of the drum are skinned, and the drum body is equipped with a ring buckle, which is convenient for tying it with a belt around the waist. The sound of the drum beating is clear and clear, but the waist drum does not have a fixed treble. There are also new varieties of continental drum instruments
Drum kits
It is the product of Chinese and Western culture after liberation, and his shape is beautiful, the timbre is rich and varied, and it has a strong one
Ethnic style
It is also widely accepted by most people now. And because of the different pitches, timbres and weight changes, we often see it in some large national bands, of course, it is also suitable
Drum solo
of, is a kind
color
Sexual instruments. In addition, the modern drum also has: a fishing drum that can play melodies -
Drums
Popular in the Fujian region
Wolf Drum
wait. These are some of the modern drum forms, each of which has its own unique characteristics.
3. Summary
The historical evolution of Chinese percussion-drums can be said to have been experienced
Long period
。 Its form is constantly changing in order to adapt to different uses, and its use is also increasing and decreasing according to the requirements of the times. From being used for sacrifices, standing in the military, to hunting alarms, daily chimes, and finally
For playing only
。 Civilization promotes its evolution, it symbolizes the step-by-step progress of civilization, and promotes the development of civilization.
bibliography:
1. New Book of Tang
2. A Brief History of Chinese Music
3. The Imperial Records of the Taiping Dynasty
4. General History of China