Paiziqu

Paiziqu strings qupai into one piece; single-string singing starts from chaqu with an octagonal drum

Time and place

Paiziqu is a family of storytelling built by linking qupai, and Beijing danxian is its fullest branch, flourishing by the mid-Qing. It was heard in amateur clubs, household gatherings and variety halls, with both amateur and professional performers. The same tunes also live in Jiangnan tanhuang, Yangzhou qingqu and local ditties.

What happened

Danxian's frame comes from chaqu, a short elegant item sung by banner people under Qianlong. Performers later split chaqu into a head and tail and slipped other qupai between them, making yaozhai; expanded further, it became paiziqu, a single piece changing a dozen tunes. Items include Storm and Returning Boat, Ode to Autumn, Beating the Reed Flowers, Du Shiniang and Jinshan Temple, one singer taking many roles in speech and song.

Musical features

The structure is linked qupai, not ban variation. Chaqu, yaozhai and paiziqu form three increasing scales, tunes joined by links and drum strokes. Common qupai include Yinniu si, Manjiang hong, Matou diao, Xianhua diao, Jian Dian Hua, Die Duan Qiao, Luo Jiang Yuan and Taiping nian. The singer strikes an octagonal drum, a sanxian accompanies, sometimes with sihu. Singing uses Beijing pronunciation, words clear and beat steady, and the drum has named strokes, shaken, flicked, struck and touched.

What to listen for

Begin with Shanghai Matou diao, a tune sung north and south, noting the drawn-out ending and how it closes. Then Yinniu si and Manjiang hong, one in neat four-line stanzas, one alternating long and short. Xianhua diao shows the same frame taking different words. All four are folk songs, not complete danxian items.

Common misunderstandings

Paiziqu is often taken for a single genre. It is a structure used by danxian, Henan da diao quzi and Lanzhou guzi; danxian is the Beijing genre, and paiziqu its main scale. The octagonal drum is an instrument, not eight drums.

Listen in the library

马头调C30:32上海《马头调》，同名俗曲曲牌，牌子曲常取用，听句尾的拖腔；C3 民歌，C1 无牌子曲录音Details银绞丝调（一）C30:28上海《银绞丝调（一）》，银纽丝曲牌，南北说唱共用，听四句结构；C3 民歌，C1 无牌子曲录音Details满江红调（一）C32:45上海《满江红调（一）》，满江红曲牌，听长句与短句的交替；C3 民歌，C1 无牌子曲录音Details鲜花调（一）C30:40江苏《鲜花调（一）》，鲜花调曲牌，可对照同一曲牌在各地的变体；C3 民歌，C1 无牌子曲录音Details

All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).

Sources

《中国音乐词典》编辑部编，中国音乐词典（人民音乐出版社）— 曲牌与单弦条目核对，未引用
《中国曲艺音乐集成》编辑委员会编，中国曲艺音乐集成（中国 ISBN 中心）— 联缀方式与伴奏核对，未引用

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.

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