Chinese musical instruments are traditionally grouped into eight categories known as (). The eight categories are silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and skin; other instruments considered traditional exist that may not fit these groups. The grouping of instruments in material categories in China is one of the first musical groupings ever devised. Silk (絲) Silk () instruments are mostly stringed instruments (including those that are plucked, bowed, and struck). Since ancient times, the Chinese have used twisted silk for strings, though today metal or nylon are more frequently used. Instruments in the silk category include: Plucked Bowed Struck Combined () – a combination of the , , and with 50 or more steel strings. () - strucked and bowed zither from Shandong, China. Bamboo (竹) Bamboo () mainly refers to woodwind instruments, which includes; Flutes Free reed pipes Single reed pipes Double reed pipes Wood (木) Most wood () instruments are percussion instruments of the ancient variety: Percussion instruments Stone The stone () category comprises various forms of stone chimes. Metal (金) Clay (土) Gourd (匏) Hide-skin (革) Others Ethnic instruments Playing contexts Chinese instruments are either played solo, collectively in large orchestras (as in the former imperial court) or in smaller ensembles (in teahouses or public gatherings). Normally, there is no conductor in traditional Chinese music, nor any use of musical scores or tablature in performance. Music was generally learned aurally and memorized by the musician(s) beforehand, then played without aid. As of the 20th century, musical scores have become more common, as has the use of conductors in larger orchestral-type ensembles. Musical instruments in use in the 1800s These watercolour illustrations, made in China in the 1800s, show several types of musical instruments being played: See also Music of China Chinese culture Chinese art Chinese instrument classification List of ensemble formations in traditional Chinese music C-Rock References Notes Sources Lee, Yuan-Yuan and Shen, Sinyan. Chinese Musical Instruments (Chinese Music Monograph Series). 1999. Chinese Music Society of North America Press. Shen, Sinyan. Chinese Music in the 20th Century (Chinese Music Monograph Series). 2001. Chinese Music Society of North America Press. Yuan, Bingchang, and Jizeng Mao (1986). Zhongguo Shao Shu Min Zu Yue Qi Zhi. Beijing: Xin Shi Jie Chu Ban She/Xin Hua Shu Dian Beijing Fa Xing Suo Fa Xing. . External links Chinese musical instruments Chinese Musical Instruments Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Hong Kong Chime