[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP] Two Chinese string instruments are featured. Instrument A has a pear-shaped body and four strings, pla...
Question 1 Report
[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP]
Two Chinese string instruments are featured. Instrument A has a pear-shaped body and four strings, played by plucking. Instrument B is a large horizontal zither with over twenty strings.
(a) Name Instrument A. [1]
(b) Name Instrument B. [1]
[Total: 2 marks]
Answer Details
(a) Instrument A is the pipa. [1]
The pipa is a Chinese plucked string instrument with a distinctive pear-shaped body and four strings. It is held upright and played by plucking with the fingernails (or historically, a plectrum). The pipa has a history of over two thousand years and is capable of a wide range of techniques, from rapid tremolo picking to dramatic strumming and percussive effects. It is used in both solo and ensemble contexts, including Chinese opera and the traditional silk-and-bamboo ensemble.
(b) Instrument B is the guzheng (also accepted as zheng). [1]
The guzheng is a large Chinese plucked zither, played horizontally on a stand or the player's lap. Modern instruments typically have 21 strings (though historical versions had fewer), each supported by a movable bridge that allows individual tuning. The right hand plucks the strings while the left hand presses and bends strings on the opposite side of the bridges to create vibrato, slides, and pitch bends. The guzheng has a bright, resonant tone and a wide pitch range. It is one of the oldest Chinese instruments, with origins dating back over 2,500 years.
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