Moon harp - Gekkin

A plucked string instrument of the lute family in East Asia. It developed from the Ruanxian during the Song dynasty in China, and became the short-necked instrument we know today during the Ming dynasty. Its body is perfectly circular like the full moon, and its sound is reminiscent of a zither, hence the name gueqin. Modern Chinese gueqin are often circular in body, about 60 cm long, about 35 cm in diameter, and have four strings and 13 to 14 poles. Each pair of strings is tuned to the same tone, and it is played on a yijiao. In recent years, 3 to 4 stringed instruments with 17 or 24 poles have been made, and they have been used to accompany plays since the Ming dynasty and Peking opera since the Qing dynasty. Depending on the era, the Ruanxian with its octagonal body and long pole was also called gueqin.

It was introduced to Japan during the Edo period and was used in the so-called Ming and Qing music, but in the Ming music, the octagonal body, long neck type (4 strings, 15 pillars) was called the tsukikin, while in the Qing music, the circular body, short neck type (4 strings, 8 pillars) was called the tsukikin. During the Taisho period, it became popular in ordinary households for ensemble and solo performances, but it is not heard much after that.

[Sylvain Guignard]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東アジアのリュート属の撥弦(はつげん)楽器。中国、宋(そう)代に阮咸(げんかん)から発達し、明(みん)代に現在のような短棹(たんざお)になった。胴は満月のように真円形をし、音は琴を連想させるため、月琴といわれる。現在の中国の月琴は円形胴、全長約60センチメートル、直径約35センチメートルで、4弦13～14柱のものが多い。各弦を2本ずつ同音に調弦し、義甲で弾奏する。近年、3～4弦で17柱または24柱のものもつくられており、明代以来の戯劇や清(しん)朝以来の京劇などの伴奏に用いられる。なお、時代によっては八角胴長棹の阮咸を月琴とよぶこともあった。

　日本には江戸時代に伝来し、いわゆる明清楽(みんしんがく)に用いられたが、明楽では八角胴長棹型（4弦15柱）を、清楽では円形胴短棹型（4弦8柱）を月琴と称した。大正期、合奏用、独奏用として一般家庭にまで流行したが、以後はあまり聞かれない。

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