Sheng is a traditional Wind Instrument. Like a piano, it is capable of producing a chord of ten notes. Each note is produced by a bamboo tube and reed. Its structure is the most complicated in the Wind Section.
The original version of Sheng is made up of a group of bamboo tubes of different lengths that are tied together with a string. Later improvements added reeds to each tubes. The early Sheng had thirteen to seventeen bamboo tubes. In AD 1006, the Bei Song Dynasty, 19-tubes Sheng was used. In the Ming and Ching Dynasty, popular Sheng were 17-tubes, 14-tubes, 13 tubes and 10-tubes. In modern China, further improvements were made, and the 21-tubes, 24-tubes, 26-tubes, 27-tubes, 32-tubes, 36-tubes, and 51-tubes Sheng were produced. Such arrangements allow Sheng to play complicated chords and music.
Zhong Yin Sheng is medium pitch Sheng. It is played in Chinese Orchestra.
Unlike Gao Yin Sheng which is hand held, Zhong Yin Sheng is large and heavy,
and has to be placed on the lap or on the floor. Its sound is low and mellow
and can produced a great variety of chords. Steel tubes are used instead
of bamboo tubes for large bamboo tubes that produce low pitch notes are
difficult to find.