source file: m1494.txt
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 15:20:58 -0400

Subject: Chinese banjo?

From: "Paul H. Erlich" <PErlich@Acadian-Asset.com>

I took part in a festival in Chinatown this weekend (I play with a
Chinese-American singer-songwriter). Before us was an ensemble that
played what sounded to me like traditional Chinese opera. The orchestra
played in a very rough kind of unison. They had one Western instrument,
a saxophone, and many traditional Chinese instruments. Finally they had
what appeared to be a ukelele and banjo, which were refretted to
something close to 7-tone equal temperament. I was very surprised by
this, as I thought Chinese music used Pythagorean scales at least for 5
of the notes, and I thought that 7-tET-like tunings were restricted to
Thailand and Cambodia. Anyone else heard of this kind of refretting?