How to Read Chinese Jianpu (Simplified Musical Notation)143

IntroductionChinese Jianpu, also known as Jianpu, is a simplified musical notation system widely used in China. It is a phonetically-based system that represents musical pitches with the syllables "do," "re," "mi," "fa," "sol," "la," and "ti." Jianpu is easy to learn and can be used to notate a wide range of musical genres, from traditional Chinese folk songs to Western classical music.

The Jianpu SyllablesThe seven Jianpu syllables are assigned to the seven natural notes of the Western musical scale as follows:
do - C
re - D
mi - E
fa - F
sol - G
la - A
ti - B

The syllable "do" represents the tonic or keynote of the scale. The other syllables represent the ascending intervals from the tonic.

Jianpu NumbersIn addition to the syllables, Jianpu also uses numbers to indicate the octave of the note. The octave numbers are placed to the left of the syllables, as follows:
1 - middle C
2 - one octave above middle C
3 - two octaves above middle C
etc.

For octaves below middle C, the octave numbers are placed to the right of the syllables, as follows:
1' - one octave below middle C
2' - two octaves below middle C
etc.

Reading JianpuTo read Jianpu, simply say the syllables and octave numbers together. For example, "2 do" would be read as "middle C." "3 sol" would be read as "G one octave above middle C." "1' fa" would be read as "F one octave below middle C."

Musical IntervalsJianpu can also be used to represent musical intervals. The following table shows the Jianpu syllables for the most common intervals:

Interval
Jianpu Syllables


Unison
do - do


Minor Second
do - re


Major Second
do - mi


Minor Third
do - mi


Major Third
do - fa


Perfect Fourth
do - fa


Tritone
do - sol


Perfect Fifth
do - sol


Minor Sixth
do - la


Major Sixth
do - ti


Minor Seventh
do - ti


Major Seventh
do - do'

RhythmJianpu can also be used to represent rhythm. The following table shows the most common Jianpu symbols for rhythm:

Symbol
Duration


|
Whole note


-
Half note


    
Quarter note


`.`
Eighth note


`,`
Sixteenth note


        
Thirty-second note


( )
Tie


+
Dot

ConclusionJianpu is a versatile and easy-to-learn musical notation system that can be used to notate a wide range of musical genres. It is widely used in China and is an invaluable tool for anyone interested in learning to read and write Chinese music.

2025-02-01

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