At the age of 17, she fought for the glory of her motherland!

Chapter 1286: I benefited greatly

Su Xing smiled and replied to Grandpa Tang, "I have been learning the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) recently, but I'm not very good at it yet. I still need more guidance from my teacher in terms of technique."

In fact, there are many types of xiao, such as qin xiao, nan xiao, dong xiao, etc. Although the playing methods of these xiao are basically the same, they are all played vertically, with sound produced from the edges, with the left hand on top and the right hand on the bottom, the fingertips pressing the holes, and the chest and abdomen breathing. The basic air vent and mouth force control logic are the same.

However, there are still obvious differences in the details, and the timbre is even more different.

Among those who learn the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), the most commonly learned is the dongxiao (vertical bamboo flute), which is considered the mainstream type of xiao.

During this period of time, Su Xing naturally learned to play the xiao (vertical bamboo flute).

Grandpa Tang smiled and said, "Choose a flute piece that you are good at and play it for us to hear."

Everyone else watched Su Xing expectantly.

Su Xing nodded and replied, "Okay."

She has learned the bamboo flute, so learning the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) will be much easier for her.

Both of these instruments belong to the category of traditional Chinese wind instruments and are made of bamboo. The core playing techniques are based on abdominal breathing and finger control through finger holes. The basic logic of breathing power and fingering is consistent. Their technical systems also overlap, with both commonly using techniques such as overlapping, striking, glissando, and vibrato. Their musical expression principles of rhythm control and phrasing are also similar.

Their modal systems are also very similar, both based on the pentatonic scale. Therefore, there are many classic and traditional pieces that can be played together.

For example, some pieces used in bamboo flute exams are actually also used in xiao (vertical bamboo flute) exams.

The piece she just played, "Partridge Flying," is also an exam piece for the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), but it's one of the pieces for the Level 5 xiao exam.

When Su Xing was learning the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), he also chose to learn pieces for grade examinations.

However, these two instruments also have very obvious differences.

Bamboo flute music is often bright and high-pitched, with a lively rhythm, emphasizing the leaps and explosive power of the melody, and often expressing joyful and excited emotions.

The music played on the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) tends to be low and soothing, with a long and drawn-out breath. It is mostly characterized by long melodic lines, making it more suitable for expressing a serene, distant, or tranquil mood.

In terms of technique, bamboo flute music emphasizes agile skills such as tonguing, flutter tonguing, and finger flying, resulting in a wider range and clear high notes.

The music of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) mainly uses vibrato, overlapping tones, and striking tones, emphasizing breath control and the use of pauses to create nuanced sounds, with a richer bass.

After a moment of preparation, Su Xing chose a piece of music and began to play.

She was playing "Looking at the Moon" on the erhu.

Grandpa Tang raised his eyebrows. This little girl started by playing a level seven xiao (vertical bamboo flute) exam piece.

Although Su Xing has only been learning the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) for a short time, her solid foundation in bamboo flute and her exceptional musical understanding allowed her to accurately grasp the essence of playing "Looking at the Moon." In terms of breath control, fingering techniques, tone shaping, and the integration of emotional expression, she demonstrated a level of skill far beyond that of a beginner.

When she played "Looking at the Moon", she not only made use of the bamboo flute to achieve flexible control of fingering and breath, but also accurately matched the characteristics of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), avoiding the strong inertia of playing the flute, so that every technique served the core artistic conception of "looking at the moon with longing and tranquility".

Breath control is the soul of xiao playing, and it is also the core support for slow, lyrical pieces like "Looking at the Moon". The piece contains a lot of long notes and slow blowing passages, which require a high degree of stability, length and strength control of the breath.

This is precisely the highlight of Su Xing's integration of bamboo flute skills.

The abdominal breathing foundation of bamboo flute playing gives her a breath reserve and breath control ability far exceeding that of beginners of xiao. When playing the opening low long note of "Looking at the Moon", she exerts her strength with a deep abdominal breathing, and the breath is sent out steadily from the dantian without any superficiality, making the low bass of the xiao mellow and full, and laying the foundation for the tranquil and far-reaching tone of the piece.

In the middle section of this piece, there are several instances of crescendo and diminuendo in the breath control. For example, there is a long note transition from low 5 to middle 3. Su Xing adjusts the breath flow by using subtle power in his waist and abdomen to make the pitch transition natural and seamless. The changes in volume are delicate and soft, which perfectly outlines the emotional layers.

In the gentle blowing phrase at the end of the piece, she skillfully controlled her breath, using a light yet powerful soft blowing technique to let the notes dissipate slowly like lingering echoes, matching the distant and lingering sense of longing at the end of "Looking at the Moon".

What is particularly remarkable is that, as a beginner in the xiao (vertical bamboo flute), she has already mastered the technique of vibrato. In the core long musical phrase of "Looking at the Moon," her vibrato frequency is soothing and the amplitude is moderate. It is not a deliberate, stiff vibration, but rather it is integrated with her breath, making the long tone more vibrant and making the artistic conception of "Looking at the Moon" more lively and without any stiffness.

Vibrato is a key technique in lyrical xiao (vertical bamboo flute) pieces; too frequent or too strong a vibrato will destroy the tranquility of the music, while too weak or too slow a vibrato will lose its rhythm.

Su Xing's control is precisely a profound understanding of the artistic conception of the piece.

In terms of fingering techniques, "Looking at the Moon" does not have overly complicated and difficult fingering techniques, but it requires precise use of overlapping notes, striking notes, and glissando, which must fit the artistic conception. It emphasizes lightness, skill, softness, and smoothness.

With his proficiency in bamboo flute fingering, Su Xing performed these basic skills naturally and smoothly, without any awkwardness of a beginner.

After she finished playing the piece, there was a moment of silence before applause and praise erupted.

"Clap clap-!"

"This doesn't seem like someone who's only recently started learning the xiao (vertical bamboo flute)."

"I knew it! Little Su was just being modest!"

Grandpa Tang nodded repeatedly, "Very good, very good."

Grandma Li smiled and said, "Little Su is such a bright child!"

She felt it was a pity that the girl didn't study folk music.

However, considering that Su Xing is now a student at Peking University, she only thought about it in her heart and didn't say it aloud.

Su Xing said modestly, "Actually, this is already the limit of my level. I still have many shortcomings and need to learn more from my teachers."

After thinking for a moment, Grandpa Tang also picked up his bamboo flute.

Everyone fell silent.

Grandpa Tang placed the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) to his lips and began to play.

The piece he played was also "Looking at the Moon".

Su Xing listened intently, his eyes fixed on Grandpa Tang's finger movements.

After Grandpa Tang finished playing "Looking at the Moon," everyone raised their hands and applauded again.

Su Xing was generous with his applause and compliments.

Once the noise subsided a bit, Mr. Tang smiled and chatted with Su Xing about his technical insights and emotional reflections.

Upon hearing this, Su Xing stood up and solemnly bowed to Grandpa Tang, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Professor Tang. I, Su Xing, have benefited greatly from it."

Grandpa Tang said, "Don't be so polite, we're just exchanging ideas."

The gazes cast upon Su Xing were filled with approval.

This little girl is quick to understand, humble, eager to learn, and polite, which makes them like her even more.

This is why everyone is willing to give her some pointers on various musical instruments.