Zhongruan
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| String instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification |
Plucked string instrument Ruan |
| Inventor(s) | Chinese musical instrument |
| Related instruments | |
| Pipa | |
The zhongruan (Chinese: 中阮; pinyin: zhōngruǎn; literally: "tenor ruan"), is a Chinese plucked string instrument. The zhongruan has a straight neck with 24 frets on the fingerboard and 4 strings. It is usually played with a plectrum (guitar pick). It can also be played with fingers (index finger and thumb with acrylic nails), which is similar to the way of playing the pipa (琵琶). The zhongruan is a tenor-ranged instrument in the family of ruan (阮). In ancient China, the ruan was called Qin pipa (Qin [Dynasty] pipa, 秦琵琶) or Ruan xian (阮咸). Now the ruan has expanded to different sizes and the zhongruan is the "medium" one.
The default tuning of zhongruan is G2-D3-G3-D4. It can also be tuned as G2-D3-A3-E4, A2-D3-D3-D4, and other variants, according to requirements in music scores. Since the zhongruan has a rounded， calm and rich tone, it is usually played as a lead instrument in small ensembles and used to accompany other instruments in Chinese orchestra. It can also be played solo.
A good quality zhongruan is usually made of rosewood (紅木). For the best sound quality and visual appearance, it is made of red sandalwood (紫檀木), because red sandalwood is best known for its beautiful wood grain, unique purplish color, hardness and rareness. Therefore, a red sandalwood made zhongruan is heavier and more expensive.
The lute head (琴頭) is for decoration. Three common decorative patterns are ruyi (如意, good fortune), peony and dragon. They are usually made of plastic or ivory.
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Wikipedia