Creating dulcet tones with skilled hands
has grown for a few hundred years.
When making for musicians who live in the north of the country, which is drier than the south, Cao has to ensure that the wood is absolutely dry before using it to make an instrument.
Experienced masters hold a piece of wood to the ear, knock it with the knuckle and immediately know if it’s ideal for making an
Cao said there are more than 100 steps in making an and it takes a craftsman years to develop the subtle techniques to make of different tones that may be indiscernible to the undiscriminating ear.
“Some prefer a softer sound, while others like it sharper,” said Cao. “There is no one standard for making an
While traditional music, such as “Er Quan Ying Yue” or “The Second Spring Reflecting the Moon,” are often slow and contemplative, contemporary professional musicians often prefer faster tunes with a wider range of notes. That challenges makers to craft instruments that are more versatile and precise, Cao said.
The maximum range of the is three-and-a-half octaves, from D4 up to A7.
Beginners and especially children are advised to learn on a “softer”
for professionals have strings that are harder to press and produce a harsher sound, which is not good for children,” Cao said.
Making the is a demanding job. Cao said his hand often shakes for a long time after using a saw on the neck. The hardest part, he said, is keeping to a high standard and never cutting corners.
“If one leaves the rough surface and glue stains inside the sound box untreated or fails to get the angles of the wood exactly right, the sound will be affected sooner or later,” he said.
Cao makes about 20 a month. The factory said over 80 percent of them are rated top quality.
for professionals sell for between 3,000 and 10,000 yuan (US$480 and US$1,600). Cao said there is a much greater demand for professional than there was 20 years ago.
Besides the Cao is also skilled at making about a dozen kinds of or bowed string instruments, but demand for some of them is almost nil anymore.
Cao, a Shanghai native who was born in a village of what is today’s Zhuanqiao Town in Minhang District, started to work as an apprentice at the factory when he was 19 years old.
Cao said he was always fond of working with his hands but didn’t have much knowledge about musical instruments until he started to learn to play the
“I was only looking for a job,” he said of his apprenticeship at the musical instruments factory. “To be honest, I’m not sure I would have chosen that if I were looking for a career today.”
There were about 30 apprentices when Cao started out, but most left in the end. Cao is now the youngest top master at the factory and has one apprentice.
Low pay, a dusty working environment and the dangerous tools of the trade tend to discourage workers from the industry.
But despite the changing times, the craft is still steeped in tradition.
“At the very beginning, apprentices are told to make their own set of tools by themselves,” Cao said. “This is both a ritual and an effective method for them to become devoted to the job.”