Dizi (instrument)

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Dizi , Chinese  笛子 , pinyin dízi ; also 笛 di or 橫笛 hengdi , is a traditional Chinese music flute . It is used in many areas, in Chinese opera as well as in orchestras or folk music.

Dizi from the Qing Dynasty

origin

Dizi players at a funeral procession, depiction on wallpaper, around 1780

There are different theories about the origin of the dizi . While it is sometimes assumed that the dizi was created on the express commission of the Yellow Emperor , others assume that culture was imported during the Han dynasty .

More recently, archaeologists have found evidence that simple transverse flutes, i.e. those without the additional mokong hole, have been common in China for over 8,000 years. Bone flutes from this period are partly still usable today and are strikingly similar to their modern counterparts.

Design

Usually dizis are made of bamboo , which is why they are sometimes referred to as the "Chinese bamboo flute" in the West.

Unlike the simpler flutes, the Dizi has another hole, the mokong, in addition to the blowing hole and six finger holes . A wafer-thin, slightly wrinkled bamboo membrane ( dimo ; 笛膜) or rice paper as a Mirliton is attached over it with a special adhesive or some spit to moisten it , which generates a nasal humming noise when playing and thus gives the dizi a special timbre. Usually dizis have a pitch range of two and a quarter octaves .

Common variants of the dizi are the bright and lively bangdi (梆笛) , which is particularly common in northern China, and the more soulful and melancholy qudi (曲笛), which is more at home in the south . Both types come in different pitches (and sizes); professional flautists usually own seven of them. Extremely small or large dizis are used for certain special effects such as the imitation of bird calls.

In addition to the dizi, there are other bamboo flutes, such as the xiao and the koudi .

Style of play

Dizis are often played using various advanced techniques, such as circular breathing , overtones , "flying fingers" trills , polyphony , fluttering and double tongues .

The instrument is still very popular today, not least because of its relatively inexpensive manufacturing method, ease of transport and its wonderful sound.

The dizi is the attribute of the immortal Han Xiangzi ; occasionally Lan Caihe is represented with it instead of the more common flower basket.

literature

  • Chai Changning: The dizi (Chinese bamboo flute) its representative repertoires in the years from 1949 to 1985. (Dissertation) Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, 2013
  • Frederick Lau: Instruments: Dizi and Xiao. In: Robert Provine (Ed.): Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Volume 7: East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea Europe . Routledge, New York / London 2000, pp. 183-186
  • Frederick Lau: Forever Red: The Invention of Solo dizi Music in Post-1949 China. In: British Journal of Ethnomusicology , Vol. 5, 1996, pp. 113-131

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