The chime is a percussion instrument made of ancient stone. In the ancient Chinese text, the left half of the chime character is like a hanging stone, and the right half is like a hammer in hand. The chime originated from a certain kind of flaky stone labor tool, and its shape changed in many ways later, and the texture also changed from the original stone to jade and copper chime. Percussion body sonata instruments. Ancient Chinese stone percussion instruments are the "stone" sound in the "eight tones". Chime was first used for the music and dance activities of the ancestors, and later used for the palace banquets of the emperors and upper-class rulers of the past dynasties, the sacrifice of the ancestors, and the band performance in the ceremonial activities of the court, and became a "ritual instrument" that symbolized their status. After the Tang and Song dynasties, new music arose, and the chime was only used for sacrificial ceremonies.

Chime is the oldest stone percussion instrument and ritual instrument in Chinese history. Since "the Yellow Emperor made Linglun to make a chime", take the flake stone, make a curved ruler shape, drill and grind a hole on it, hang and percussion, (its shape is similar to the pious bow ceremony of the ancients in the temple and the clan ceremony, so there is the saying of "chime folding".) There is a distinction between a single special chime and a "detached chime" (i.e., a chime) arranged in sequence according to the rhythm. A single special chime, as a clan "to gather the crowd" signal instrument, the chime is in the temple sacrifice, clan feast and other ceremonies together with the chime, "both harmonious and peaceful, according to my chime" the sound of the golden stone, brilliant and brilliant in the temple, brilliant history in the "Shangshu".

What kind of stone is such a sacred and miraculous "chime" taken from?

This is the "Shangshu Shundian" contains "hitting the stone and throwing the stone, the beast dances", so that "the eight tones are harmonious, there is no match, and the gods and men are harmonious" of the "Sibin Floating Chime" (Yugong language) - Lingbi Chime Stone!

Since Yu laid the soil, Kyushu is stable, Lingbi belongs to Xuzhou, in Huaisi, Qishi Mountain (also known as Qiyun Mountain, 35 kilometers north of Lingbi County, 2 kilometers east of Yugou Town. The north is adjacent to Surabaya, so it is called Sibin, there are many swamps around the ancient mountain, surrounded by floods, and the chime stone mountain is like floating water, so it is called "Sibin floating chime". "Sibin Floating Chime" is the current "Lingbi Chime Stone", and the current "Chime Stone Mountain" is the best proof!

Before the Song Dynasty, there was no place name of "Lingbi" in the place of Chishi Mountain, so there was only a record of "Sibin Floating Chime" in "Shangshu Yugong". "Yu Gong" on the ancient Xuzhou products in the description: Meng, Yu, Daye, Dongyuan, Yiyang, Sibin, Huaiyi and many other place names, from the perspective of regional division, "Yu Gong" is also recorded in the geographical direction of Xuzhou. “...... Sibin floating chime, Huaiyi (pin) bead ...... "Sibin is now the Lingbi area, Huaiyi is now the Bengbu area. The "floating chime" is the only one in the breadth of "Sibin"! How can there be a "floating chime" without a mountain? The "chime and stone mountain" is the only one in the breadth of "Sibin"! Rivers can be diverted, but it is difficult for mountains to be moved! Therefore, "Sibin chime" is the current "Lingbi chime"! Since then, there have been more detailed records in the "Etymology," "Notes on the Jade Sea," "General Examination of Literature," and "Dictionary of Famous Objects."

The Chinese nation is known as a country of etiquette. In ancient times, when the etiquette system was strict, musical instruments made of Lingbi chime stone have become a symbol of imperial power and etiquette. Whether it is in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties of "music and wings", or in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and even the Han, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing and other dynasties, Lingbi Chime Stone has her prominent position. For example: the tiger chime of the Yinxu Tomb in Anyang, the chime of the Spring and Autumn Ancient Tomb of Shuangdun No. 1 in Bengbu, and the chime of the tomb of Zeng Marquis B of the Warring States Period in Suizhou...... and so on, all of which have the sacred phantom of the Lingbi Chime Stone. The ancients, who advocated the ritual system, believed that death and life were only the reincarnation of life, and that the things used before death should also be the same after death, which also reflected the social situation at that time. And gradually, the court music and sacrificial vessels of the past have entered people's lives with her mysterious color. Therefore, the Lingbi stone chime was not only regarded as a treasure by the emperors of the past dynasties, but also praised by the literati of the past dynasties. There are chapters in the Book of Jin, poems in the Tang Dynasty, records in the History of the Song Dynasty, and chapters in the History of the Yuan......

In particular, Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen, Li Xun and other literati in the Tang Dynasty not only praised the upright and elegant sound of "Sibin Chime", but also praised the Lingbi stone chime of "Jin Shengyu Zhen" is not a substitute for other textures of stone! Micro and chant "Sibin pumice stone is carried as a chime, and few people listen to the ancient music." "Borrow poetry to express your nostalgia and hear it right. Li Xun's "Sibin Deshi Chime"...... Out of the water to see the chastity, in the hanging jade sound...... The ancient Qi is good, the rhyme is harmonious and the heart is ......", which makes the Lingbi chime stone more poetic and picturesque.

According to the "History of the Song Dynasty", in the third year of Emperor You's reign of Song Dynasty (1051 AD), Emperor Renzong had issued an edict to Xu, Su, Si, Jiang, Zheng, Huai, and Yang troops to Lingbi to quarry stones and make chimes. Such a grand quarrying has always been rare. Upward and downward effects, here about the Lingbi chime stone, Lingbi stone (that is, ornamental stone) of the treatise on the succession, from the cultural point of view of the Lingbi chime stone culture to another height. The great writer Su Dongpo visited Lingbi several times, because his poems, essays and paintings made the Lingbi chime stone more shining, and it was because of his suggestion that Lingbi was officially established as a county, and in the seventh year of Song Zhenghe (1117 AD), it was renamed "Lingbi" as "Lingbi", "with the county produced chime stone, the treasure is like a bi, hence the name". ("Ming Dynasty Unification Famous Places" Nanzhili Fengyang Mansion Zhisheng Volume 14 years.) ）

Dai Gugu, a famous poet of the Jianghu School in the Southern Song Dynasty, not only sang "Lingbi is a peak in the world,...... The sound is like bronze jasper,...... "is more love stone" "like seeing the ancient gentleman", with Shi Bide, "can sharpen the thief's sword, can rely on the treacherous wat, can wish not to be old, can be compared to Gangde." "Impassioned and prosperous for a thousand years.

Yuan to the twenty-sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1289 AD), Emperor Shizu ordered Dale Zheng Zhao Zurong to pass on the ancient Sibin quarrying chime 200 single eight hanging, Dale is judging the slander of the rhythm, "Ode to the Chime" inscription, singing the praises of virtue.

Following the Song and Yuan dynasties, for the court etiquette of the Ming Dynasty, the construction of the capital, another large-scale development of the Lingbi chime stone began, and Emperor Taizu did not forget the suffering of his people when he was enjoying himself, for the safety of the community, "cherish the material and care for the craftsman" and "ring the stone" Fuxian Yongdao. The "Hongwu Relic Stone" under the Lingbi Chime Stone Mountain seems to be silently telling the glory of being paid to the imperial court in the past.

"Ten perfect old man" Qianlong Emperor six times to the south of the Yangtze River, "Sibin floating chime" reputation, so that "to Mu Fengya" he passed by Lingbi made it possible, the imperial title "Jade Chime Nunnery" in the local become a good story to circulate, and "the world's first stone" of the inscription, is also passed down from generation to generation, anecdotes and good stories are frequent, the origin of the legend is the inheritance of Lingbi chime stone culture witness.

With her long and glorious history, with her delicate texture, stone toughness, color and ink posture, and stone characteristics of Jin Shengyu Zhen, Lingbi Chime Stone has demonstrated her noble status in the past dynasties. And her production is also subject to strict regulations.

According to the Beijing Museum's "Confucian Temple Ding Sacrifice Spectrum" (Zun Jing Pavilion Collection Plate, Volume 3, 3, pages 25 and 26):

Compile the chime and divide the law, the Lingbi stone is for it, the two sides are painted with gold cloud dragons, the stock repair is seven inches and two minutes and nine centimeters, and the Bo is five inches and four minutes and six centimeters and seven millimeters; the drum is repaired one foot and nine minutes and three centimeters and five millimeters, and the Bo is three inches and six minutes and four centimeters and five millimeters; the sixteen pieces are the same, according to the law Lu is not thick. The side of the thigh is engraved with a certain year, and the side of the drum is engraved with a certain name.

The chime is the oldest national musical instrument in China, and it has a simple shape and exquisite production. Chime has a very long history, and in ancient matriarchal clan societies, chime was once called "stone" and "naruto". At that time, people made a living by fishing and hunting, and after labor, they knocked stones and danced in the image of various wild beasts. This striking stone gradually evolved into a percussion instrument.

5 A Brief History of DevelopmentEditing

Chime has a long history, according to the pre-Qin document "Shangshu Yiji" records: "Hit the ball", "hit the stone and throw the stone". The "Ming Ball" and "Stone" are the names of chimes in ancient times. The name of the chime is found in the "Shiben Composition", which is said to have been written by Yao and Shun Shiren without a sentence. Or pass on: "Chime, made by uncle." It can be seen that by the late Neolithic period, when Yao or Shun were the chiefs of the tribal alliance, the chime was already in use. "Lü's Spring and Autumn Ancient Music" contains: Yao Ming Kui hits the chime "like God" and "so that the beasts dance", depicting a scene of music and dance life in the ancient primitive society. In the 70s of the 20th century, a large stone chime was unearthed at the Dongxiafeng site in Xia County, Shanxi, which was 60 centimeters long, and there was a perforation in the upper part, and the sound of hitting was pleasant. It has been determined that this chime is about 4,000 years old and belongs to the remains of the Xia Dynasty, which is the earliest real chime found so far.

During the Shang Dynasty, the chime was widely circulated and beautifully crafted, and was used by the royal court band. The oracle bone text unearthed in Yinxu, the chime is in the shape of "□", the left half is like a rope hanging stone, and the right half is like a person holding a mallet in his hand to strike. In the spring of 1950, a tiger-striped stone chime was unearthed in the tomb of the military attache village in Anyang City, Henan Province, which was made of a large white and blue stone, with a length of 84 cm, a height of 42 cm, and a thickness of 2.5 cm. On the front, with strong and soft masculine lines, a tiger-shaped ornament is carved, and the image is fierce and magnificent. Its timbre is melodious and clear, close to the copper sound, and the sound is slightly higher than the C1 tone. A single large stone chime is called a special chime, and a plurality of chimes with different pitches are called braided chimes. In 1935, three stone chimes engraved with inscriptions were unearthed from the tomb of the Shang Dynasty in the northwest of Houjiazhuang, Anyang City, and their pronunciations were: Yongqi ↑ B2, Yongyu C3, and Yu Yu ↑ E3, which can play simple tunes. In the Book of Songs, Shang Song, there is a record of "□ drum abyss, □□ pipe; both harmonious and flat, according to the sound of my chime", most of the Shang stone chimes are unequal triangles with straight arcs at the top and straight at the bottom.

From the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Warring States Period, the shape of the chime was in the shape of a sentence in the upper part and a slight arc in the lower shape, and after the Han Dynasty, it was in the shape of a sentence in the upper and lower shapes. In 1978, the tomb of Zeng Marquis B in Suizhou, Hubei Province unearthed a set of stone chimes in the early years of the Warring States Period, a total of 32 pieces (most of them have been crushed, pulverized, a total of 9 pieces intact), originally divided into two layers, hanging in turn on the exquisite beast seat dragon head copper frame. These 4 groups of 32 stone chimes are engraved with inscriptions about the rhythm and the names of the chimes, which are valuable materials for the study of ancient Chinese music and chimes.

6 Playing method editing

In August 1978, Chinese archaeologists excavated an ancient tomb more than 2,400 years ago - the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Suixian County, Hubei Province. More than 120 pieces of ancient musical instruments and a large number of cultural relics were unearthed in the tomb, such as bells, chimes, qins, seers, flutes, and drums with the characteristics of ancient Chu culture. At the same time, a total of 32 pieces of Zeng Hou Yi braided chime were unearthed, which were hung on the bronze chime frame in turn in two layers. The full set of chimes is made of limestone, bluestone and jade, and the sound is crisp and bright. Unfortunately, most of them were broken and broken when they were unearthed, and it was no longer possible to tap the pronunciation. In 1980, the Hubei Provincial Museum and the Wuhan Institute of Physics cooperated to make a replica of Zeng Hou Yi's chime. Its pronunciation is basically consistent with the pronunciation of the original chime, and the timbre is beautiful and beautiful.

In 1983, the Hubei Provincial Song and Dance Troupe made a set of 32 stone chimes according to the twelve equal laws. In September 1984, the National Musical Instrument Factory and Jade Carving Factory in Suzhou refined a set of 18 braided chimes out of jasper. In 2009, the "Sixty Jiazi Chinese Chime" was built by Master Ren Tao, a stone god, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the motherland.

7 Production MethodEdit

The production method of "braided chime": it is composed of 16 stone chips (stone chimes), arranged horizontally in two rows according to the order of 12 rhythms. There is also a musical instrument called "Fang Xiang", which is a substitute for "chime", which is made of sixteen rectangular iron plates.

8 Classification editing

There are many types of "chimes", including "jade chimes, iron chimes, copper chimes, braided chimes, sheng chimes, song chimes, song chimes, and special chimes". Each type of chime is roughly made of a combination of stone or iron pieces from one to sixteen pieces. It is due to the use of the difference in the length and thickness of the stone or iron pieces to produce different rhythms.

The ancient chime is divided into: braided chime, cloud chime, and special chime

Knitting chimes

The chime is a percussion instrument that can play melodies, and is often used for court music or grand festivals.

Orchestrating chimes is to arrange several chimes in a group, and each chime emits a different timbre, which can play the melody.

Since the 70s of the 20th century, China has unearthed large-scale chimes in Jiangling and Suixian counties in Hubei. The ancient city of Jiangling in Hubei Province, the capital of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, unearthed a set of 25 braided chimes here in 1970. The chime body is made of cyan limestone, the upper part is made of 倨 (gōu) sentence, the lower part is slightly arc, and the surface has relatively clear painted patterns and slightly concave and convex patterns. Four of them are depicted with phoenix birds, with elegant colors and smooth lines.

A full set of braided chimes unearthed from the tomb of Zeng Hou B in Suixian County, Hubei Province, a total of 41 pieces, stone, hung in two layers, 16 pieces on the upper layer, 16 pieces on the lower layer, another nine pieces can be called at any time, this set of chimes and chimes are closely coordinated, can be played in an ensemble or at the same time on the same pitch. Its acoustic effect is "the bell is bright when it is near, and the chime is loud when it is far away".

In the second half of 1980, the Hubei Provincial Museum and the Wuhan Institute of Physics cooperated to copy this set of large-scale chimes in the early Warring States period more than 2,400 years ago, and its pronunciation is consistent with the phonetic inscriptions of the original chimes.

In the Qing Dynasty, the chime was mainly used for the "Dan Majesty Da Le" for the celebration of the emperor and the princes and ministers, and for the "Zhonghe Qingle" and "Dan Ma Qingle" for the large-scale banquets in the palace. The chime made during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, 16 pieces are a set, the size is the same, the thickness is different, the Xinjiang Hetian jasper is used, its shape is the same as the special chime, but the volume is smaller, the full set must be used every time it is played, and it is played with the melody of the music. In the 55th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1790), Emperor Qianlong also made a set of gold braided chimes out of gold, and a set of gold bells was used with it. The cloud chime is often used in religious music and is a ritual instrument used in monasteries.

Cloud chime

Cloud chime: also known as "chime". Percussion instrument. The shape is the same as that of the bowl-shaped chime. The shape is very small, the chime body is made of copper, the shape is like a wine cup, the diameter of the chime mouth is only 7 cm, and it is placed at the upper end of a long wooden handle, with a total length of about 35 cm. The wooden handle is decorated with stripes.

The cloud chime is a ritual instrument used in monasteries and is also used in religious music. When playing, hold the lower end of the wooden handle in your left hand. The right hand holds a slender copper rod to strike, the pronunciation is crisp, and it is often used to beat the rhythm in Sanskrit music. The special chime is mostly used for palace music or grand festivals.

Special chime

In the Qing Dynasty, special chimes and braided chimes were widely used in court music. The special chime is a musical instrument played by the emperor when he worships heaven and earth, ancestors and holes.

There are 12 pieces of different pitches, all of which are hung separately on wooden chime frames, they are of different sizes, the largest is the "Yellow Bell", the smallest is the "Ying Bell", in the 12 months of the year, each month plays a tune of music, such as the New Year's Month with Taituan,...... When playing, you only need to change to the special chime of the corresponding key, and when playing in an ensemble, you can hit the special chime at the end of each phrase to strengthen the rhythm.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1736~1795), the special chime (now in the collection of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing) was made of Xinjiang Hetian jasper, with a tortuous shape.

9 UsesEdit

In the first days, it was mainly used in the music and dance activities of the ancestors, and later, like the chime, it was used in the elegant music of the upper rulers of the past dynasties to cooperate with various activities such as conquest and sacrifice.

According to the place of use and the way of playing, it can be divided into two kinds: the special chime is a musical instrument played by the emperor when he worships heaven and earth and his ancestors, and the chime is a group of several chimes and hangs them on a wooden frame to play, which is mainly used for court music. More than 2,000 years ago, during the Warring States Period, the editing and manufacturing process of Chudi reached a high level.

The tools used in Buddhism to make the person who enters the meditation out of the time to call him.

10 Buddhist Ritual Instruments Edit

The Buddhist "monk chime" is very different from the "musical instrument chime" introduced above. The "chime" in Buddhism is in the shape of a "bowl". According to the Zen forest elephant instrument note "Beiqi Gate" (edited by the Japanese monk Wushu Daozhong), "the monk chime and the musical instrument chime are completely different. Musical instrument chime: the plate pattern is tortuous; Monk chime: such as a bowl-shaped; only garden diagram through the clouds: can receive five liters. It can be known that the Tianzhu chime is also like a bowl. Shihu plum spectrum again, with plum blossom half containing than monk chime, the system of the monk chime of China (China) can be known. ”

There are three kinds of "chimes" in Buddhism, such as "round chime" (i.e., "big chime"), "plaque chime", and "small hand chime" (i.e., "leading chime"). The "round chime" is like a bowl, and it is mostly made of metals such as copper and iron. The largest one is about two or three feet in diameter, and less than two or three feet high. The small one is about half a foot in diameter and less than half a foot high. "Plaque chime" is made of stone, and the elephant note says: "The small chime is as big as a peach, the bottom has a trick, runs through the thread, and the small bamboo branch is tied to the handle, and the small iron pole (mallet) hits it, and it is called the chime." Guy is named because he leads the crowd. "Today's chime has been changed to a wooden handle, through copper wire.

"Chime" is the main brain of the "Gandham", and when the monks act collectively, the "Vena" or "Yuezhong" uses it to direct the masses to advance and retreat, and to command and chant.

In the big monasteries and jungles, the "Vena" works with the "big chime", and the "pleasing people" holds the "leading chime". When going to the temple, one or more people stand behind the "Vena" (one person), and the "Yuezhong" is equivalent to the subordinate of the "Vena". "Vena" starts to cavity, "Yuezhong" takes the cavity, "Vena" turns to cavity, and "Yuezhong" follows the cavity. They must speak loudly and speak in a correct manner, so as to prevent the public from being inaccurate and uneven.

Most of the knocking of the "big chime" is in the places of "starting the cavity, closing the cavity, closing the palm, putting the palm", and the "Buddha number".

Most of the "chimes" are used on occasions of "inquiry, turning, prostration" and other "actions" -- such as the actions of "walkers" during the evening class "Mengshan almsgiving".

The "big chime" is probably used to command the "tone", the "leading chime" is used to command the "action", and the "big chime" has the effect of cheering up the mind. When the chime is not struck with the "bell, hafnium, and tambourine", it is used to beat the "banyan" with the wooden fish when necessary.

The number of people in the small monasteries is small, and the "Vena" and "Yuezhong" are often both held by one person. Therefore, "big chime" and "lead chime" have to be used by one person at the same time.

In addition to the "daily recitation" or various occasions such as "puja, celebration, disaster removal, and ...... death", there are also many rituals that need to be struck on them. --According to the Buddhist Ritual Instructions (compiled by Shanghai World Buddhist Layman Lin), it says: "The chanting of the 'round chime' is the Lord of Vena." All abbots or honorable abbots, officials, and Shi (donors) and protectors (protectors) of the Buddha will sing three times. The stone of the 'flat chime' is for it, the shape is like the 'cloud board', and the 'abbot' is hung outside the corridor; And the 'small hand chime', the Buddha chanting all the chanting, for the beginning and end of the festival. ”

According to the Dharma Instrument Chapter: "Chime: The main hall is in the early twilight, the abbot governor, when the incense is made, and when the public reads the mantra, the person who is in the hall sings it." When singing, Vena Mingzhi. When the walker is draped, he makes a Brahmanja pear to sing. ”

"Chime" is a kind of sacred utensils, only the garden picture sutra says: "Buddha clothes courtyard, Ananda stops, often protect Buddha clothes." There is a copper chime, which can receive five liters. On all four sides of the chime, all the golden threads are used as past Buddha disciples. On the nose, the nine dragons are made of purple and gold, and on the back is a statue of a celestial man. Holding the jade mallet, using the chime, the sound of the three thousand worlds. The sound also says that the Buddhist admonitions to the disciples. The chime was created by the Brahma King, and the Buddha reduced the degree, and the Dragon King of Luo was included in the sea palace. ”