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Which materials are included in the Chinese ba yin system of instrument classification?
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Chinese music
Twelve pitches of Chinese music as produced by overblowing the lü, bamboo tuning pipes (starting for ease of comparison from Western C).
The ba yin, or eight sounds, is an ancient system used to classify Chinese music instruments based on the materials used in their construction. The eight categories are:
- Stone: Includes instruments such as stone chimes.
- Earth (pottery): Includes instruments such as vessel flutes.
- Bamboo: Includes various tubular flutes.
- Metal: Includes instruments such as zhong bronze bells and bronze drums.
- Skin: Includes various types of drums.
- Silk: Includes stringed instruments, which traditionally used twisted silk strings.
- Wood: Includes percussive clappers and the yu, a tiger-shaped instrument.
- Gourd: Includes the sheng mouth organ, which historically utilized a gourd wind chest.1