Hulusi originated in Lianghe County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, and is mainly popular in Dehong and Lincang areas of Yunnan where Dai, Achang, Wa, De'ang, and Brown ethnic groups live, with rich local colors.
The shape and structure of the gourd silk is unique, it is made of a complete natural gourd, three bamboo tubes and three metal reeds, the whole gourd as an air box, the gourd is inserted into the lower part of the three bamboo tubes of different thickness.
Each inserted into the gourd part of the bamboo tube, set with a copper or silver reeds, the middle of the bamboo tube is the thickest, above the opening of the seven tone holes, it is called the main pipe, on both sides of the tube, above the reed, not open tone holes (refers to the traditional gourd silk), can only be issued with the main **** Ming and the harmony of the tone. Usually, the left side of the pipe sends a "3" tone, and the right side of the pipe does not pronounce (or sends a bass 6 tone).
This instrument to the gourd as a speaker, gourd mouthpiece as a mouthpiece, common to each equipped with a piece of tongue reed of three different lengths of bamboo tubes, inserted side by side into the bottom of the gourd. The length of the body is about 30 centimeters. There is also a single tube, double tube or four tube. Regardless of the number of bamboo tubes, more than one in the center for the main tube, the rest for the secondary tube.
The main tube is open seven tone holes, six before and one after the traditional gourd silk sub-tube above the hole, only in the bottom of the tube body open, plugged with a plug, plugs and the body of the line between the connection, the need for the pinky finger to open it. Instead of using the traditional plug, a modified gourd silk has a tone hole above the body of the tube, just like the main tube.
This facilitates the repeated use of the secondary tone in playing, and provides greater control and flexibility. When playing, the fingers control the tone hole of the main pipe to play different pitches, if the main pipe is opened at the same time, when blowing several pipes, the melody only comes from the main pipe, the sub-pipe is only harmonized and sustained single tone set off, usually one pipe sends out the a tone, one pipe sends out the e tone, resulting in a harmonic effect, which gives a person a subtle, misty aesthetics.
Expanded:
Hulusi is one of the favorite traditional musical instruments played by the Dai people in Dehong. Hulusi, in Dai language, is called "Wicker Langdao", meaning "a wind instrument made of gourd". Folk play hulusi,
One is the old man to amuse themselves, to amuse the loneliness, the content of the narrative of the ancient tune, the note long, cool, bleak, is the old man nostalgia, one of the ways to escape loneliness;
Two is the young people talk about love, play hulusi to pass the emotion, the tune of the beautiful, lyrical, romantic.
Hulusi has a long history, and its origins can be traced back to the pre-Qin era, which was transformed from the evolution of the gourd sheng. In the structure still maintains the remains of the ancient musical instruments, the number of pipes is the same as the three pipes of the flute, the two sub-pipes do not open the sound hole is also exactly the same as the ancient xiao.
The sustained interval of five degrees is the same as that of the ancient bellows. However, its main tube has seven tone holes, which is very similar to the later xiao flute, and shows its leap in history.
After the founding of New China, Chinese folk musicians reformed the gourd xiao. 1958, the Yunnan Provincial Song and Dance Troupe was the first to expand its range to 14 tones. Some literary groups in Beijing also made two new gourd xiao.
The six-barrel gourd xiao can be played in monotone, diatonic, single melody plus sustained tone and two harmonic melody plus sustained tone. Both maintain the original instrument's unique tone and style, but also increase the volume, expand the range, rich sound color and expressive power.
In the garden of Chinese national musical instruments, it has become a striking oddball. in the early 1980s, the Central National Orchestra's group visiting Japan used this new gourd xiao to play for the Japanese people, and it was welcomed and praised.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Hulusi
Baidu Encyclopedia - Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture