Chinese music: Musical Notation

Several types of notation were used. Singers used the syllabic symbols for the five notes of the pentatonic scale, as did players of pipes. Players of the stone and bell chimes, which were tuned to the lüs, used symbols that represented the pitch names of the lüs. Players of flutes and zithers used a kind of tablature. None of this notation indicated rhythm.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Modern History
• Musical Notation
• Tone and the Instruments
• Origins and Characteristics
• Bibliography

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