pentatonic scale; five articulation places
Meanings
2 senses · 8 examplesnoun
the five notes of the Chinese pentatonic scale (equivalent to 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 in numbered musical notation)
Fundamental to traditional Chinese music theory. The five notes are 宫 (gōng, do), 商 (shāng, re), 角 (jué, mi), 徵 (zhǐ, sol), and 羽 (yǔ, la). Often contrasted with the seven-note heptatonic scale.
Chinese traditional music is based on the pentatonic scale.
The five notes gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu constitute the basic scale of ancient Chinese music.
Show 2 more examplesShow fewer examples
This piece uses only three of the five notes: gong, shang, and yu.
He is tone-deaf and always sings off-key.
noun
the five places of articulation for initials in traditional Chinese phonology
technicalA classification system in traditional Chinese phonology (等韵学). The five categories are: 喉音 (laryngeal/throat), 牙音 (velar/molar), 舌音 (tongue/dental and retroflex), 齿音 (dental/sibilant), and 唇音 (labial). This system was used in rhyme tables and traditional phonological analysis.
Traditional phonology classifies initials into five places of articulation.
Labial and tongue sounds are the two most distinct categories among the five places of articulation.
Show 2 more examplesShow fewer examples
Studying the Guangyun requires first understanding the classification of the five articulation places.
Modern phonetic classifications of places of articulation differ somewhat from the ancient five categories.