Song Dynasty Music Culture

The history of Chinese music before the Song Dynasty was almost the history of court music, but after the Song Dynasty it was in fact the history of music of the citizens (or commoners). From the Song Dynasty onwards, the folk music form became the mainstream form of social music life, that is, the third generation form in the history of Chinese traditional music. With the rise of Baile, the entertainment places were changed from the palace to "Washang" and "Goujian", and "the place for playing and making fun was all night long". The music life of the society was very rich, including folk music, song and dance music, rap music, opera music and national instrumental music, of which opera music was the highest representative form. The development of music mainly includes literati music, ritual music, rap music and opera music. Literati music is qin music and zheng music.

As the Song rulers emphasized the orthodox status of Han music and culture as a rallying influence to consolidate their dominance. Therefore, the Northern Song emperors from Song Taizong Zhao Kuangyi to Song Huizong Zhao Ji are the beginning of the month and advocate the guqin, which objectively promotes the development of Chinese folk music, "Shi all advocate the qin, heavy music to rule the people". The Song Dynasty was also a dynasty with the most serious tendency towards the restoration of elegant music. After Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, was honored by successive emperors, the music for Confucius (Yaluo) was fully retrofitted. The musical instruments include sixteen chimes, sixteen chimes, ten zithers from one to nine strings, as well as sheng and xiao.

The music of the Song Dynasty was at the turning point of the second and third phases, and the establishment of opera music and the maturity of rap music marked the third major historical phase of ancient Chinese music.

The Song dynasty music was at the turning point of the second and third stages.