Ancient Chinese BianZhong & BianQing

With its excavation in 1978 from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, Yi’s BianZhong (Chime Bells) astounded the world with its perfect condition and the extraordinary insight it shined upon ancient Chinese civilization. Based on the Bell set’s inscriptions, the date of the Chime Bell set was around 433 BC, during the Zhou dynasty’s Autumn And Spring/Warring States periods. BianZhong was prevalent in the feudal Zhou dynasty’s different levels of states’ courts. Music was connected with ritual and state power back then, and such a sophisticated instrument like BianZhong could only be accessible for the lords.

The Chinese music has always been thought to be Pentatonic-centered. Marquis Yi’s Chime Bells curiously offers a full 12-tone scale, even though it’s still Pentatonic-centered. With the 12-tone scale, modern music can easily be played with this Chime Bell.

The bronze Bian Zhong is constituted of a set of 65 bronze chime-bells (including the one given by the king of Chu) mounted at three levels on a wooden frame and divided into eight groups. Due to the bell’s conclave/roof tile-shape, each bell can generate two different pitches by striking the center or on the side. The interval between the two notes is either a major or minor third.