Extending the sound of the guzheng

The guzheng is a representative Chinese traditional musical instrument with more than 2000 years of history. However, the acoustics of the instrument have not been investigated to the same extent as some other Chinese instruments. This work sets out to advance and develop the guzheng, by extending its sonic potential, via the application of the technology. In this dissertation, current transformation, modelling, recording and production techniques are discussed for extending the capacities of the instrument. Recordings of the guzheng including the impulse response measurement of the instrument that capture the acoustic characteristics of the guzheng are presented. An additive synthesis model and physical modelling synthesis model of the guzheng are presented to simulate guzheng tones in Max/MSP. Guzheng recordings and synthetic results have been applied to the production of a famous traditional guzheng piece ‘Yu Zhou Chang Wan’ and this work is described here. The research is intended to contribute to the inheritance and development of the guzheng. By extending its timbre and pitch range,guzheng compositions and performances can be more diversified.