Jiangnan sizhu

Jessica Liu MUSI 2361 Paper One: Jiangnan sizhu The term sizhu is a musical term that has been used all throughout history in East Asian countries especially Taiwan and China, which describes what the instruments in the genre are made of. Si meaning silk, which is what the strings are made up of in string instruments, and zhu meaning bamboo, which is what the wind instruments in Jiangnan sizhu, are made of. Despite the fact that sizhu is used in different countries, Jiangnan is a “geographical term, literally meaning “south of the river.” The region commonly referred to as Jiangnan is the area along the south bank of the lower Yangtze valley, encompassing parts of the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui and including the cities of Shanghai,…

The Silk Road played a major role in the spread of music and religions. Religion has been one of the most important cultural forces to promote the distribution of music along the Silk Road (Music of the Silk Roads). Like religion, music spreads beyond its land of origin because just like when people bring their own faith and rituals with music they bring their own style (Music of the Silk Roads). Religions via the Silk Road include: Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manicheism, and Nestorianism.…

the sanxian, a Chinese instrument that was introduced to Japan through the Ryukyu Kingdom during the 16th century. It turned into the sanshin that is the transitional relationship between the sanxian and the shamisen. When the shamisen is played with singing, it is called a nagauta. The shamisen is not restricted to being played by one gender and is open to men and women. The sanxian is also a three-stringed fretless plucked musical instrument. It has a long fingerboard as well, and it is…