Sheng (instrument)
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Sheng.london.arp.jpg
Sheng.london.arp.jpg
A Sheng player beside the River Thames, London, England.
The Chinese sheng (Chinese: 笙, Pinyin shēng) is a mouth-blown free reed instrument (the first) consisting essentially of vertical tubes, in the Chinese orchestra.
It is thought that Johann Wilde and Pere Amiot traveled to China and brought the first shengs back to Europe in 1740 and 1777 respectively, although some believe shengs were known in Europe centuries earlier. However, it was only in the early 1800s that Amiot's sheng inspired the invention of the harmonica, accordion, and reed organ.
Sheng generally serves as accompaniment for Chinese music pieces in an orchestra, while being given little or no melody.
Traditional sheng
The traditional sheng is an early type of sheng, which has seventeen, twenty-one, twenty-four or thirty holes (depending on development) attached near the bottom of the reeds of the respective pipes. A player would close up one or more holes to play a desired note.See also: Music of China