The guzheng has been used by the Chinese performer Wang Yong (王勇) in the rock band of Cui Jian, as well as in free improvised music. Contemporary experimental atonal pieces have been composed since the 1980s. Pieces in this new style include Qing feng nian (Celebrating the Harvest, Zhao Yuzhai, 1955), Zhan tai feng (Fighting the Typhoon, Wang Changyuan, 1965) and the guzheng concerto “Miluo River Fantasia” (Li Huanzhi, 1984). Many new pieces have been composed since the 1950s which used new playing techniques such as the playing of harmony and counterpoint by the left hand. Important players and teachers in the 20th century include Wang Xunzhi (1899–1972) who popularized the Wulin zheng school centered in Hangzhou in Zhejiang, Lou Shuhua rearranged a traditional guzheng piece and named it Yu zhou chang wan, Liang Tsai-Ping (1911-2000) edited the first guzheng teaching manual Nizheng pu in 1938, Cao Dongfu (1898–1970) from Henan, Gao Zicheng (1918- ) and Zhao Yuzhai (1924- ) from Shandong Su Wenxian (1907–71), Guo Ying (1914- ) and Lin Maogen (1929- ) from Chaozhou, the Hakka Luo Jiuxiang (1902–78), and Cao Zheng (1920-1998) who trained in the Henan school. Both Gao Shan Liu Shui (High mountains flowing water) and Han Gong Qiu Yue (Han palace autumn moon) are from the Shandong school, while Han ya xi shui (Winter Crows Playing in the Water) and Chu shui lian (Lotus Blossoms Emerging from the Water) are major pieces of the Chaozhou and Hakka repertories respectively. The Northern style is associated with Henan and Shandong while the Southern style is with the Chaozhou and Hakka regions of eastern Guangdong. Two broad playing styles (schools) can be identified as Northern and Southern, although many traditional regional styles still exist. Well known pieces for the instrument include Yu Zhou Chang Wan (Singing at night on fishing boat), Gao Shan Liu Shui (High mountains flowing water) and Han Gong Qiu Yue (Han palace autumn moon). The guzheng’s pentatonic scale is tuned to Do, Re, Mi, So and La, but Fa and Ti can also be produced by pressing the strings to the left of the bridges. Ancient picks were made of ivory and later also from tortoise shell. Advanced players may use picks attached to the fingers of both hands. Plucking is done mainly by the right hand with four plectra (picks) attached to the fingers. These techniques of playing the guzheng can create sounds that can evoke the sense of a cascading waterfall, thunder and even the scenic countryside. The modern guzheng, Japanese koto, Korean gayageum and Mongolian yatga are developed from the traditional Chinese guzheng, making the instrument an extremely important piece of Asian musical culture.There are many techniques used in the playing of the guzheng, including basic plucking actions (right or both hands) at the right portion and pressing actions at the left portion (by the left hand to produce pitch ornamentations and vibrato) as well as tremolo (right hand). It is also the parent instrument of the Asian long zither family. The guzheng has played an important role in Chinese history and folk music. The guzheng is traditionally tuned to a pentatonic scale, but many modern scales range from combinations of different pentatonic scales, to diatonic and semi-chromatic scales. There have been many attempts to modernize the guzheng by adding more strings, tuning devices, and pedals like those on the concert harp, but few of these “improvements” have taken hold. The modern guzheng usually has 21 to 25 strings made of metal wound with nylon. These techniques of playing the guzheng can create sounds that can evoke the sense of a cascading waterfall, thunder, horses' hooves, and even the scenic countryside. ![]() Experimental techniques can include bowed, hammering and plucking the strings. In modern playing technique, the left hand often joins the right hand to play a counter-melody. The performer uses the right hand to pluck the strings, with the left hand pressing the string on the left side of the bridge to produce vibrato, pitch alterations or slides. There are many techniques used in the playing of the guzheng. In the first century AD, the guzheng is described as a plucked half-tube wood zither with movable bridges, over which a number of strings are stretched, and in the 2nd century BC the guzheng was described as having twelve silken strings and high narrow jade bridges. The guzheng has a long and proud history, which is believed to have been invented during the Qin Dynasty (897-221 BC). As the traditional Chinese musical instruments, guzheng has beautiful sounds and retains great popularity worldwide. Guzheng, or zheng, is a plucked-string musical instrument with over 2500 years of history.
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