Percussion class by Mr. Wang

Today we are joined by WANG Yinrui for a special video class. He is the chief of the percussion division of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra. Together with him, we approach the wonderful world of percussion and the charm of Chinese folk music.

The first video is an introduction of traditional Chinese musical instruments. Which is the oldest?

The second video focuses on a particular percussion instrument: bianzhong. Mr. Wang teaches you the basics of this ancient musical instrument consisting of a set of bronze bells.

Third, Mr. Wang tells the story of Chinese drums. They can be traced back to the time of the Yellow Emperor. People used drums to pray for rain, encourage soldiers and so on.

The fourth class is about percussion instruments from ethnic minorities, such as the Korean drum and the xiangjiaogu from the Dai people.

The fifth topic is percussion from outside of China, like the Western drums. What else does Mr. Wang have in store for us?

In the sixth class, Mr. Wang teaches us how to play along with him at home using the oldest music instruments: clapping your hands and stomping your feet. Try it during this demonstration!