SIXTH INSTRUMENT TO BE INTRODUCED

Gudi

The Jiahu gudi (贾湖骨笛) is the oldest known musical instrument from China, dating back to around 6000 B.C.E. Gudi literally means "bone flute. They were excavated in 1986 from an early Neolithic tomb in Jiahu, Wuyan country, henan province, in central China.

These bone flutes have average dimensions of approximately 20 × 1.1 cm, and are made from the wings of the red-crowned crane. They are open-ended and vary in the number of their finger holes, from one to eight; the 8-holed version has seven holes in front and one thumb hole in back. Jiahu bone whistles are much shorter than the flutes, with lengths of 5.7 to 10.5 cm, and having only a couple of holes. The number of holes and the spacing between the holes determined the musical range and scale or mode in which the flute was intended to function. Blowing across the open end of an end-blown bone flute to produce a musical sound, is accomplished in the same way, and produces a similar effect, as blowing across the open top of a bottle. The eight-holed flute can play "all harmonic intervals and two registers.’ These harmonic intervals are said to be a "function of culture" and were of a larger set compared to that now familiar in the West. Bone flutes were apparently also played as part of sacrificial rites, and employed in bird hunting. Gudi are not very common now, but there are some musicians today who play them. There are many bone flutes on display in museums in china today.



Bone flute on display in a museum in china