Name: Hulusi, bilingdao (in the Dai language), or hulu-xiao

Type: Gourd, aerophone, free-reed

Region: China, Far East Asia.

Source: Randy Raine Reush

Acquisition (Date): 4 years ago.

Description: The hulusi is free-reed instrument, found amongst the Dai or Dai-zu or (Thai) people, and Yi people minorities. The timbre of the hulusi is very soft, and tonal range is 9 to 10 intervals. The hulusi by construction has a total of 3 pipes, 2 tone pipes, and the center is the playing pipe. In the center-pipe there are a total of 7 playing holes. The sympathetic pipes, by stoping them can have plugs in one or eiher of the pipes to change or alter the sound of the tone. Some more sophisticated models of the hulusi even have slide-whistle like mechanisms (this is a modern inovation of the hulusi). There are also tenor, base, and alto versions now available. The Dai people call the instrument a "Bilingdao", which translates into [end blown pi' inside a gourd]. SIngle pipe

Traditionally the Dai men would play the instrumen to express a love toward a woman in particular; other minorities in the same area use the instrument to communicate when working in the fields.

In 1958, a fourteen-note version was invented, and in the 1970's a version with two melody pipes, tuned a fourth apart, was invented.

Materials: Wood, bone, paint (colours black, red ETC), leatherette (for case). Along with brass-hinges on the case and aluminum hasps also on case.

The name hulusi comes from the Han people; or in Mandarin; meaning, "hulu", "gourd",

citations: URL http://www.asza.com/

citations: URL http://www.chineseinstruments.org/

More is to come 2007-01-24 Wednesday.