Name: Hulusi > Bilingdao or Hulu-xiao.

Type: Free-reed > Aerophone.

Region: China > Far East Asia.

Source: Randy Raine Reush

Acquisition (Date): 4 years ago.

Description: The hulusi is free-reed aerophone who is played amongst the Dai (Thai) and the Yi minorities in Yunnan China. Other minorities in the same area on the Chinese side of the Golden Triangle area. Traditionally the Dai men would play the hulusi to express a love and courtship songs toward a woman in particular. The Dai people play the hulusi to communicate with each other when working in the fields. The Dai or Dai-zu people call the hulusi under their own name “bilingdao”. The Hulusi is a solo instrument and its widely appreciated for its haunting timbre. The hulisi is also rarely played in ensembles.

The current scale of the Hulusi from low to high pitch. The hulusi is capable of playing 9 to 10 intervals.

(at least my specimen) is G-A-F#-C-D-e'-g"-a"

Some more sophisticated hulusi even have slide-whistle like mechanisms that can tune the hulusi to a desired pitch. This is a recent innovation being incorporated into the design alto, tenor and bass version are now available. There are single pipe hulusi although these are quite rare. In 1958 a fourteen-note hulusi was invented. In the 1970s a version of the hulusi was invented with two pipes tuned fourths apart.

Anatomy of the Hulusi: The hulusi is constructed with a total of 3 pipes, 2 tone pipes and 7-finger holes. The main playing pipe is located in the centre of the hulusi Bamboo is selected for the pipes and gourds are selected for the construction of the hulusi. Many materials maybe used are wide ranging from bone, wood, lacquer for the instrument. The reeds on the hulusi pipes are made of brass and a hole is cut in where the reed is inserted. A plastic “sheath” is inserted in which protects the two pipes and keeps them sturdy. The case for the hulusi is constructed from wood, leatherette, brass-cabinet hinges and aluminum hasps keep the case closed during transport.