Akademik

Musical instrument

The di or dizi is the name used today to refer to the Chinese transverse bamboo flute. It has six finger holes and, near the blowhole, an additional hole covered by a thin membrane which vibrates when the instrument is blown, resulting in a buzzy timbre.

There are essentially two main types of di, each one a prominent instrument in the accompanying ensemble of two different opera traditions.

One is the kundi (also known as qudi), which leads the instrumental ensemble of the Kunqu opera native to the area around Shanghai. The other is the shorter and higher-pitched bangdi, which figures in the ensemble of the Bangzi opera in Henan. This northern version of the di is the one that is used today in the concert performances of ‘national music’ (guoyue)—music specifically composed for traditional Chinese instruments which arose after the 1940s and generally features a louder sound, tempered pitches and a virtuoso style of playing (see national style).