source file: m1495.txt Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 17:05:53 -0400 Subject: TUNING digest 1494: Chinese Banjo From: Daniel Wolf On closer inspection, you would probably find that the high frets on the instrument were each used to produce a variable number of tones by applyi= ng more or less pressure. There are several traditional ways of fretting suc= h instruments (there are many different instruments in this 'family' and considerable regional variation in names; identifying the one Paul Erlich= heard would require a more detailed description), one popular way being a= series of frets at 8/7 intervals. = The ensemble Mr. Erlich described is curious - was there a So-na (double reed instrument) in the group as well? If not, perhaps the saxophonist wa= s playing in its stead. (This would be similar to Sihanouk's replacement of= traditional reed instruments with the saxophone in Cambodian Court Music)= =2E