Xiao  

 

 

“The xiao 簫 is also called the dongxiao 洞簫. One major difference between the xiao and the di is that the xiao is held vertically. As mentioned before, these two instruments were both called di 篴 before the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 25 AD). During that time the term "xiao" referred to the paixiao 排簫, or the panpipe. Later in the Song Dynasty (960-1276), the vertical di 豎篴  was given the name "xiao" so that it could be distinguished from the horizontal di 橫篴. Today, the xiao is made of bamboo, with one hole for blowing, one on the back for the thumb, and five to eight on the front for the other fingers. When compared to the di, the xiao has a mellow and soft sound due to the lack of a "membrane".

There are no standard sizes for the xiao. There was, however, a related instrument called the chiba 尺八 in China, which had the length of one foot (尺 chi) and eight (八 ba) inches according to the Chinese measurement system. The chiba was exported to Japan in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and became today's shakuhachi 尺八. In China, the xiao is used in many different traditional genres, especially in Fujian nanguan 福建南管 , or Fujian Ensemble.” (So Hon To)