In recent years, among the cultural relics unearthed in Wuyang, Henan Province, a very rare Jia Hu bone flute was found, which has seven holes and can play scales, about 9000 years ago. This is the earliest musical instrument discovered by archaeologists in China.
According to Mr. Lin Keren's book China Xiao Di, well-preserved bone flutes were found in the Taixindian cultural site in Yongjing Peng Hua, Gansu Province and the Neolithic site in Meiyan, Wujiang, Jiangsu Province in the Yellow River valley, similar to the mouthpiece invented by the contemporary flute master Yu Xunfa. Among the cultural relics unearthed in Sui County, Hubei Province, two flutes were found in the early Warring States period (433 BC). Two flutes were found in Mawangdui No.3 Han Tomb in Changsha, Hunan Province (BC 168). A flute (early Han Dynasty) was found in the No.1 tomb of Luobowan, Gui County, Guangxi. Among the cultural relics unearthed in Kuzisa, Bachu, Xinjiang, another bone flute fragment from the Southern and Northern Dynasties was found.
In primitive times, bone flutes and whistle flutes used by ancestors were mainly made of animal bones; However, Historical Records records: "The Yellow Emperor made Ling Lun cut bamboo in Kunxi, which was as loud as Feng Ming." It is determined that the time of bamboo flute production is the Yin and Shang Dynasties in China society.
The cultural symbol and historical evolution of bamboo flute prove to the world that it is the oldest wind instrument in China, the oldest wind instrument in the history of world musical instruments and the originator of the world flute instrument. The generation and development of wind, frost, rain and snow on bamboo flute are related to natural phenomena, geographical phenomena, humanistic phenomena, social phenomena, physics, mathematics, design, aesthetics, acoustics, philosophy, history, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, etc. In the universe, art categories are organically perfunctory, promoted, linked, evolved and improved. Scholars of all ages wrote many beautiful poems for bamboo flute. For example, Li Bai, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote "Smelling the flute in Los Angeles on a Spring Night". "Who Yu Di flies in the dark and scatters the spring breeze in Los Angeles? Who can not miss his hometown? " Bamboo flutes are mostly made of high-quality bamboo such as bitter bamboo, purple bamboo, spotted bamboo, Eichhornia crassipes and Yuping bamboo, which are processed into flutes by flute makers. Bamboo flute is an open musical instrument. The difference with foreign flute instruments is "diaphragm vibration", that is, sticking a diaphragm on the diaphragm hole of bamboo flute. The flute is crisp, bright and sweet, full of Chinese folk music colors and strong hometown flavor, which is a feature that no orchestral instrument or modern electronic vocal music has.
According to the different thickness and performance of bamboo, flutes can be divided into two categories: stick flutes and Qu Di flutes. (Now bamboo flutes have developed bass flutes and so on. ) The pipe is short, the pipe diameter is thin, and the pronunciation is loud and bright, which is suitable for playing cheerful, clear and unrestrained tunes. In the past, it was named because it was an accompaniment instrument for operas such as Bangzi Opera. Qu Di, on the other hand, has a long pipe and a thick pipe diameter, which is rich and sweet, and is suitable for playing in the style of silk and bamboo in the south of the Yangtze River. In the past, it was mainly used to accompany Kunqu opera and other music, hence its name.
After liberation, the ancient bamboo flute, an ancient wind instrument, was accompanied by the heroic enthusiasm of the people of China to build a new China, and the ancient rhyme ensemble gave a new voice to the times. 1953, a folk artist nicknamed "Blowing Heaven" participated in the xx folk music and dance exhibition for the first time, successfully opened a flute solo with his bamboo flute and played the flute solo "Welcome". His superb acting skills caused a sensation in Beijing and spread all over the country. Since then, the bamboo flute has been presented on the stage in the form of solo, which not only inspired colleagues in the flute field, but also laid the foundation for the future development of bamboo flute. This "boaster" is China's late greatest flute player and northern master Mr. Feng Zicun (1904- 1987). China is a country with a vast territory and rich natural resources. Like other art categories, bamboo flute instruments draw various artistic nutrients from the vast soil and the broad masses of the people and constantly enrich their charm. Over the past 50 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the playing skills of the old, middle and young artists in the bamboo flute field have gradually matured, their techniques have been constantly innovated, and their styles and schools have emerged and gradually formed.
The schools of bamboo flute are mainly divided into North School and South School.
The flute style of the Northern School pays attention to rigidity and strength, and the breath emphasizes the explosive force of the abdomen. Commonly used techniques such as voicing (single voicing, Shuang Tu voicing, three voicing), flowered tongue, overlapping sound, calendar sound and erasing sound are used to enrich music, which represents the work Welcome.
The Nanpai flute is elegant and gorgeous in style. It often uses vibrato, folding, giving sound, beat and other fingering to polish the melody, which represents the work "Partridge Flying".
In addition to the South and North schools, the bamboo flute schools recognized in the world include the Liu Sen School founded by Mr. Liu, the Zhejiang School and the Yu School founded by Mr. Yu Xunfa.
Musical Instrument Research: In 1970s, China's national musical instrument manufacturing industry, manufacturing technology and manufacturing level made unprecedented achievements. Some experts and scholars who are committed to the improvement of bamboo flute have different opinions. They have made great efforts to improve bamboo flute by exerting their intelligence and brainstorming. Looking at the improvement measures of bamboo flute, there are three aspects: first, increase the sound hole and expand the range; The second is to add keys to solve the chromatic problem and achieve the twelve-average law, such as Cai Jingmin's improved new bamboo flute with keys; The third is to find new flute-making materials, such as bakelite, plastic, jade, glass fiber reinforced plastic, etc.