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Protection and
Maintenance of Chinese
Music Instruments
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Types of Chinese Music Instruments
Four main types
Wind:
Dizi, Sheng, Suona,
Guan etc
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Types of Chinese Music Instruments
Four main types
String:
Erhu, Zhonghu,
Gaohu, Banhu, Jinghu
etc
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Types of Chinese Music Instruments
Four main types
Plucking:
Yangqin, Pipa,
Zhongruan, Guzheng,
Liuqin
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Types of Chinese Music Instruments
Four main types
Percussion:
Drum,
Cymbal, Gongs etc
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Types of Chinese Music Instruments
Main materials used in Chinese Music
Instruments
Wood,
Snakeskin, Cowhide, Bamboo, Bronze
etc
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Basics of Maintenance of
Instruments
“Place
them carefully, avoid
hot and humid areas”
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Maintenance and Prevention
For Orchestras
Have a designated storage area
Have cupboards and cabinets of different sizes for different kinds
of instruments in storage area
Place them neatly if there are no cupboards or cabinets
Avoid direct sunlight and rain
Place humidifier in the storage area
Make sure there is air circulation
In basement storage areas, place instruments on higher ground
to prevent damage in case of flooding. It is also less humid on
higher grounds.
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Maintenance and Prevention
For Individuals
Usage
After usage, wipe with a cloth, keep instrument in
the instrument case and do not leave them lying
around
Attitude
Treasure and take care of school instruments like
if its your own
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Maintenance of Wind Instruments
Dizi
Made of Bamboo, easy to dry up and crack
After using, wipe saliva with cloth and keep Dizi in the
bag or case to prevent dust from entering
Maintain cleanliness of Dizi
Wipe with damp cloth every 3 months
For personal hygiene, use individually
Use special glue (Er Jiao) to affix the Dizi membrane.
Do not use saliva
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Maintenance of Wind Instruments
Sheng - the instrument most prone to problems
Problems
Instrument out of tune
Sound comes out without covering fingerholes
Different pitch when exhaling and inhaling
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Maintenance of Wind Instruments
Sheng
Protection
Do not grab the reeds or flutes of the Sheng when taking out
of the case
Put back in the case after using
After using, wash and disinfect the mouth piece and Sheng
base. Dab a little sewing machine oil onto the screws on the
Sheng
A Sheng player should be equipped with the basic
knowledge of the mechanisms of Sheng
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Maintenance of String Instruments
After playing Erhu
Move the bridge to the top of the soundbox or support the strings
with a short pencil at the top of the soundbox. This can reduce
the pressure on the snakeskin and prevent the snakeskin from
collapsing
Place the instrument back in its case or bag after using to
prevent damage due to humidity
If you see signs of the snakeskin on the soundbox softening,
place the instrument in an area with good air circulation on a
good weather day to regain the tautness of the snakeskin. Do
not place in direct sunlight
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Maintenance of String Instruments
Slipping of Erhu Pegs
If you find that the pegs have a tendency to slip, rub a little rosin
power on the contact point between the peg and the neck. Else,
use violin peg compound.
Unwanted noise
Move the cloth dampener that is placed between the strings and
snakeskin towards or away from the bridge to reduce noise
Placement of Erhu
The head of Erhu is usually curved and made up of 2 parts glued
together. Place the Erhu carefully as the head breaks easily upon
impact
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Maintenance of String Instruments
Changing of Strings
Change one string at a time to prevent the nylon strings (Qianjin)
from messing up
Maintenance of Erhu
Maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the soundbox by wiping
away the rosin powder before it builds up
Do not use water or oil to clean the snakeskin. Do not use hard
objects to scrape the dirt off the snakeskin
Repair of Erhu
In case of broken heads, use white glue to attach the parts
together and stabilise with sticky tape. After the glue dries, use
sand paper to sand the connecting parts and apply a layer of
varnish.
Do not use superglue.
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Maintenance of String Instruments
Maintenance of Erhu Bow
Keep away from oil and sweat
Loosen
the bow after use
Clean
away the rosin on the bow if not using
for a long time
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Zhongruan, Pipa, Liuqin, Xiaoruan, Gaoruan
After using
Use a clean cloth to wipe the instrument
Store the instrument in its case or bag and place it
in a dry area
If you need to place the instrument on a table,
place it facing upwards. Do not place it standing
up against the wall or pillar or chair. If need to
place it standing up, place it against the corner of a
wall
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Zhongruan, Pipa, Liuqin, Xiaoruan, Gaoruan
Instrument Maintenace
The head and neck of plucking instruments usually are two
parts joined together which is easily prone to breaking.
Hence avoid dropping, impacting or stressing the instrument.
If it really breaks, keep the broken parts carefully so that it
can be attached back. The small accessories like the bridge
or frets can be quite easily replaced if lost or damaged
though.
Once the bridge of Liuqin, Zhongruan, Gaoruan is fixed, do
not move its position. Use a pencil to mark its position on the
instruments. The bridge is calibrated by the luthier so that the
interval between each fret is a semitone. Moving the bridge
may affect the pitching between frets.
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Cello and Double bass
Like other instruments, place it facing up when not in use
There is a wooden pole inside the instrument called the
soundpost lodged between the back plate and top plate of the
instrument. It can be fixed back if dislodged. Do not throw it away
The string on the tailpiece cannot be too long or it will stress the
bridge and cause it to bend. Pay special attention to the bridge
and prevent it from bending towards the fingerboard
The instrument can be repaired if cracked or broken
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Double bass rack
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Cello rack
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Guzheng
Place in cool dry place
Do not expose to direct sunlight or high
temperature to prevent cracking, seam
splits or warping
After using, use a dry cloth to wipe the
body, bridge and strings of the zheng
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Yangqin
Maintan the cleanliness of the top of Yangqin. Clean
regularly with a feather duster
After playing, cover with a soft cloth to keep dust
away
Do not place any objects on top of the instrument. It
may damage the bridges of the Yangqin or affect its
pitching
Place the instrument back into its case if not in use for
long periods.
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Maintenance of Plucking Instruments
Yangqin
Rust on strings can be removed using sandpaper followed by
applying a layer of Johnson Baby Oil/ WD40 on the strings
If the nylon wound strings turn black in color, it is time to change
the strings to maintain the clarity of the tone
When placing the Yangqin on the Yangqin stand, maintain a
slight incline. Do not place the instrument under direct sunlight or
humid areas
The bamboo beaters should be kept in a case when not in use to
avoid breaking it. The rubber on the bamboo beaters can be
replaced
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Maintenance of Percussive Instruments
Protection of the drum skin
Keep
it dry. Do not place anything on the drum
skin
Paigu and Stand
Move
them around carefully. Inspect Paigu
regularly for loose screws. Keep the screws
properly if it comes off.
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“Place them carefully, avoid
hot and humid areas”
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1 rochor road #02-612
(S)180001
6294 7522
6296 2707
[email protected]
Tan Chin Siong, Tan Sung Wah
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http://tansungwah.blogspot.com
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