Yu (percussion instrument)
Encyclopedia
The yu was a wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a tiger
with a serrated back comprising 27 "teeth," used since ancient times in China for Confucian
court ritual music. It was played by striking its head three times with a bamboo whisk
made from approximately 15 stalks of bamboo, and then scraping it across the serrated back once to mark the end of a piece of music.
The yu is mentioned, along with another percussion instrument called zhu
(柷|), in pre-Qin Dynasty
annals, and appears in the Classic of History
.
The yu was adopted by the Korean court in ancient times, where it was known as eo (hangul: 어; hanja: 敔), and is still used in Confucian ritual music.
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
with a serrated back comprising 27 "teeth," used since ancient times in China for Confucian
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
court ritual music. It was played by striking its head three times with a bamboo whisk
Whisk
A whisk is a cooking utensil used in food preparation to blend ingredients smooth, or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as whisking or whipping. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with a series of wire loops joined at the end. The wires are usually metal, but some are...
made from approximately 15 stalks of bamboo, and then scraping it across the serrated back once to mark the end of a piece of music.
The yu is mentioned, along with another percussion instrument called zhu
Zhu (percussion instrument)
The zhu was a percussion instrument used in the Confucian court ritual music of ancient China. It consisted of a wooden box that tapered from the top to the bottom, and was played by grasping a vertical wooden stick and striking it on the bottom face...
(柷|), in pre-Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
annals, and appears in the Classic of History
Classic of History
The Classic of History is a compilation of documentary records related to events in ancient history of China. It is also commonly known as the Shàngshū , or simply Shū...
.
The yu was adopted by the Korean court in ancient times, where it was known as eo (hangul: 어; hanja: 敔), and is still used in Confucian ritual music.