Yuequin

The yueqin has her name meaning moon guitar in Chinese because of its moon-shaped soundbox. It was a music instrument for beggars playing in the street to beg food, so it also called “begging instrument”.

The kind of Yueqin for Taiwan opera has only two strings. It sounds lonesome and sorrowful , suitable for playing sad tunes. It is also an important accompaniment instrument for Hengchun folk songs.

Yuegin (moon guitar) has short and small body, suitable for carrying around. Its pitch is high, c lear, and vigorous, commonly used to accompany local operas and narrative singings. It is also seen in all kind traditional opera, ballad, and dancing performance. The native residents in the southwest China mainland have it as an import instrument in their music culture too.

Yuegin is played with a picker. Its alternating and striking playing skills are rich in rhythm. Though two strings only, it delivers quite a large volume. Two strings are often played together, take its lower eight or five sounds, and alternate from low to high sounds if necessary, very touching. Sometimes the player will use slide sound to give rhythm, this has an unique effect in an instrumental ensemble.