The five ancient tones - Gong, Shang, Horn, Zheng and Feather - are equivalent to what notes and tunes on the current stave?

1. Gong

Often the equivalent of the do in the first key. The "Gong" sound is the lord of the five tones, the king of the five tones, commanding all the tones.

"State language - Zhou language" said: "the palace, the sound of the Lord also, the first as well as the feather." The book of rites - music" said: "the palace for the king, the business for the subject, the corner for the people ......" Song Zhang Yan "source of words - the five sounds of the phases of life" also said: "the palace belongs to the earth, the king of the elephant ... ... Gong, also in the center, in the center, smooth the four directions, singing Shi Bei Sheng, for the outline of the four sounds "." Gong tone (style) and for all the tone (style) of the "main", the "king", that is, on its so-called "tone high".

"Sui book - music" cloud: "each palace should set up five tones" "Niu Hong so Zheng translation of the old, and please according to the ancient 'five sounds and five rhythms' for the Palace of the spinning phase: 'elegant music! 'each palace but a tune, but 'welcome gas' play five tones, called 'five tones'; 'Aman music' with seven tones ... ..." This so-called "Gong", and "even" common. There is the name of the key (style) which is composed of the Gong sound as the main sound and the ending sound.

Tang Duan Anjie, "Miscellaneous Records of the House of Music - Other Music Knowledge of the five tones of the wheel twenty-eight tone chart," said: "Palace seven tones of the first transport is the Palace tone, ...... the sixth transport Xianlv Palace, the seventh transport Huang Zhong Palace."

Zhang Yan "source of words" also said: "twelve ryuji have five tones, evolved for the Palace for the tune ...... Huang Zhong Gong (all): Huang Zhong Gong (tonal), Huang Zhong Shang (tonal), Huang Zhong Angle (tonal), Huang Zhong change (change of levy tuning), Huang Zhong Chuang (tonal), Huang Zhong Fei (tonal), Huang Zhong intercalary (intercalary palace tuning). (intercalary palace tuning)."

2. Shang

Often the equivalent of the re tone in the present-day initial key signature. "Shang" sound for the second level of the five tones, in the "Palace" of the second. The ancients believed that "Shang, belonging to the gold, the image of the minister", "and the minister and the". There is the name of the key (style) which is composed of the main tone and the ending tone of the Shang sound. For example, Duan Anjie's "Miscellaneous Records of the House of Music-Beyond the Music Knowledge of the Five Tones and Twenty-eight Tones of the Wheel" in the Tang Dynasty, "the seven tones of the Shang in the sound of the Shang".

3, corner

Often equivalent to the first key in the name of the mi tone. "Horn" is the third level of the five tones, in the "business" of the second. The ancients thought, "Horn belongs to the wood, the image of the people". There is a key (style) name composed of the main sound of the horn and the sound of the knot. Such as the Tang Duan Anjie's "Miscellaneous Records of the House of Music - don't music know the five tones of the wheel twenty-eight tone charts" in the "on the sound of the horn of the seven tones". In the ancient tunes (styles), there is a horn tune with a corner tone, or a corner tune with an intercalary palace.

4, levy

Often corresponds to the sol tone in the name of the first tune. The "徵" is the fourth level of the five tones, after the "horn". The ancients thought that "the levy belongs to the fire, the elephant of the matter". There is a tone (style) name composed of the main tone of the levitation and the ending tone.

5, feather

Often corresponds to the la sound in the name of the first tune. "Feather" for the fifth level of the five tones, in the "徵 "subsequent. The ancients thought that "the feather belongs to the water, the image of things". There is a tone (style) name which is composed of the main tone and the ending tone of the feather. For example, the Tang Duan Anjie's "Miscellaneous Records of the Music Office - Other Music Knowledge of the five tones of the wheel twenty-eight tone chart" in the "flat tone feather seven tone".

Expanded Information

The earliest name of "Gongshang, Jiaozheng and Yu" was found in the Spring and Autumn Period, more than 2,600 years ago, and in "Guanzi - The Book of the Earth's Members", there is a scientific way to obtain the five tones of "Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, Yu" by using mathematical calculation methods, which is famous in the history of Chinese music. This is the famous "three-part loss and gain method" in Chinese music history. The five tones are the basic scales of Chinese ancient music, which are different from those of the West.

If we compare the seven tones of western music, the "five tones" of ancient Chinese music are equivalent to do, re, mi, sol, la, minus the semitone rising "fa" and "ti". The "five notes" of ancient Chinese music are equivalent to do, re, mi, sol, and la, minus the chromatically ascending fa and ti. Of course, it is impossible for the five notes of ancient Chinese music to be the same as those of western music, which are called "do, re, mi, sol, la", but in the Tang Dynasty, they were used as "he, si, b, shaku, gong"; and in the more ancient times, they were used as "guang, shang, jiao, zheng, zhǐ". （

So, in the Tang Dynasty, it was "Gong, Shang, Jiao (pronounced jué), Zheng (pronounced zhǐ), Fei".

So, if we pay a little attention to the authentic Chinese ancient music, there is no "fa" and "ti" scales. For example, now also sometimes hear the Jiangnan ditty "Jasmine Flower" that is one of the ancient songs, it is the whole song if you use the name of the humming, only "do, to, mimi, so, pull", there is no "hair, thin" two tone.

Baidu Encyclopedia - The Five Ancient Tones