FAQs

Why the Xun?

I have always been proud of my ethnicity, and even though I grew up in Hong Kong, it was after all a British colony, so I did not get the chance to really learn much about the music in traditional Chinese culture. Being the oldest Chinese musical instrument known to exist, I think the Xun is a good way to gain insights into the world of traditional Chinese music. I am hoping through this project I can re-discovered my origins through the ancient Chinese instrument – the Xun.

What exactly are you doing?

I am going to learn how to read traditional Chinese music notation from the Book of Numbered Musical Notation (in Chinese); how the instrument was made by hopefully interviewing the Xun maker; and the cultural context of the instrument in the history of China. This blog is set up to be used as a journal of my journey on learning about my own cultural background.

What is this "Xun" thingy?

The Xun ("塤", pronounced as "shoon") is a type of Chinese ocarina that has existed since over 7,000 years ago. The word Xun (塤) means "mild wind" in Chinese. Unlike Western instrument, Chinese traditional instruments are classified by the major material that allows the creation of sound, for example, strings are classified in the "silk" (what it really mean here is very fine string of fabric); because the Xun is made out of clay, it is classified under the "clay/earth" family. The earliest Xun has only the one tone hole. Over the years, the Chinese figured out a way to control the pitch produced by the Xun by drilling different sized holes on the sides so that when the performer cover different holes, it changes the pitch. The tone of a Xun is very warm and soothing.