A Study of the development of “Yangqin” in Chinese Music Culture

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to 1) to describe the origins of the Chinese yangqin, 2) to analyze the evolution of the yangqin in China, and 3) to describe the innovation and development of the contemporary Chinese yangqin. The researcher will explore the way the yangqin exists in Chinese music culture from three aspects: the origin, evolution and development of innovation of the yangqin. The theories of the origin of the yangqin are organized and supplemented using historical analysis and interviews, and the possibility of a land route is discussed, based on the analysis of the sea route of the introduction of the yangqin to China. Through field research and comparative study of the changes in the medium-sized system of Chinese yangqin development, and by analyzing the influence of China's geographical, humanistic, and social environments, the inevitability of the gradual integration of the yangqin into Chinese music culture is explained from the perspective of local music development. He also analyzes the development of the yangqin from the perspective of local music and the reasons for the innovation of the music.

Through the theoretical research and the combination of my own performance experience, this thesis draws the following conclusions. First, the Chinese yangqin is an exotic instrument that came to China for some reason and was combined with Chinese music culture to produce a national instrument. Secondly, after the introduction of the yangqin into China, the instrument has been exchanged with folk art and has been perfectly integrated into Chinese music culture due to its unique musical characteristics, resulting in traditional yangqin music. Third, modern Chinese yangqin music has not only absorbed the essence of traditional Chinese music culture, but also borrowed Western composing techniques and playing techniques of other instruments, providing new ideas for the development of Chinese folk works and facilitating the exchange between Chinese and Western cultures.

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