The Sheng

I've started learning to play the chuantong sheng - the more traditional form of an instrument dating back thousands of years. A brilliantly-devised new version of the instrument also exists, organized with perfect logic and structure, but I chose to at least begin with the traditional instrument, as it will force me to learn more.

For the moment, all I have to contribute are a couple of maps of the notes of the instrument I bought. I hope to present a more dense and formal study of note layouts and their affordances in time.

A chart of the notes of the user's sheng, written in scientific pitch notation (SPN).

A chart of the notes of the user's sheng, written in 简谱 (jianpu), a traditional and popular Chinese music notation system.

A chart of the notes of the user's sheng, written using integer notation (integers for each note ascending in half steps, starting with the lowest note on the instrument, an A.

Some simple observations:

The instrument is fully chromatic through the range F♯4 to D6 - much better than I had initially hoped. This is due to the D♯5, G♯5, and A♯4 keys.
This is supposed to be a G major / D major instrument, so the lowest note being A3 strikes me as unusual.
I've spotted a few potentially significant clustering mechanisms:
- Same-pitch-class proximity (notable near the back of the instrument, where D5 and D6, B3 and B5, A3 A4 and A5, and tenuously C♯4 and C♯6 are laid out closely.
- Similarly, octave columns in the front, with E4 and E5, F♯4 and F♯5 (and even F♯6, further back), and G4 and G5.
- Scale runs on sequential keys or holes, specifically just A3 B3 C3 on the back keys and A5 B5 C♯6 on the nearby holes.
- Symmetrical whole steps, approximately or exactly reflected across the center of the instrument: E4 F♯4, B4 C♯5, F5 G5, and G♯5 A♯5.
- Keys close to but not overhanging chromatically sequential notes: A4 and A♯4, D4 and D♯4
It is valuable to note that both clustering and declustering are ideals here - specifically, moving from chord to chord should be ergonomic, and individual chords should also be ergonomic. This means dividing up the labor of the fingers, and excluding too many fifths or fourths from those areas of the instrument that cannot be practically reached by more than one finger. An honorable mention here is the interval of D4 to G4, which is a performable fourth due to the careful positioning of the apertures.

Editor

I've started work on a sheng diagram editor. It's still under construction, and if I keep up at this rate, probably won't be finished for another four or five days.