The musical instruments used in traditional Chinese opera

Traditional Chinese opera commonly has a music band of string and percussion instruments.Some foreigners do not readily appreciate this art，for the opera tunes sometimes sound very shrill.The music is not intended to be melodic，as in the West.Rather，it is used to punctuate the performance with a strong rhythmical accompaniment.Each regional opera has its own typical band.The two main music instruments used in Beijing Opera are jinghu and erhu，two kinds of two-stringed bowed fiddles with a low register.Other instruments include yueqin（moon-shaped mandolin），pipa（the Chinese lute），drums，bells，gongs and other instruments.

The drumbeat sets the music tempo.The Kunshan Tune in Sichuan Opera is a melodic form，and a bamboo flute or vertical bamboo flute are the dominant melodic instruments.The clapper，consisting of wooden bars of unequal length，is used in Qinqiang Opera to produce a strong rhythm in harmony with clear loud voices of the actors.

In the older days，the band joined by some percussionists usually was in full view on stage.A drum-man conducted the band.Nowadays，the band has a fixed place on the stage，but out of sight of the audience.

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