According to one source, the Sheng dates back as far as 1200 BC. Many Westerners also call it a “Chinese mouth organ”.
An early Sheng was discovered in Hubei Province in a Zeng royal tomb dating back 2400 years to the Zhou Dynasty (1111-222 BC).
The Sheng has also been found in Han tombs in Hunan province.
The Sheng is a wind instrument with a bundle of between 17 and 37 pipes. Music is made by blowing and/or sucking the air through a tube connected to the base. The tubes are connected to shape like a gourd.
This instrument predates the organ, concertina, harmonica and accordion.
One source says that most modern shengs have 17 pipes that produce crisp, melodious tones using a chromatic scale. Source: Sheng (instrument) – Wiki
If you want to learn more about Chinese music, see the Jing-Hu
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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