gongche

musical notation

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June 30, 2026

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The term "gongche" refers to a system of musical notation used in China. This system utilizes Chinese characters to represent different pitches. While still in use, mainland China now generally favors a number-based system, which is derived from the 19th-century French chevé system. The gongche system, unlike some other Chinese notations, indicates rhythm through dots and beams, similar to Western notation for eighth and sixteenth notes.1

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Chinese music
Other vocal and instrumental genres
…of the last dynasties is gongche, which uses characters to indicate the various pitches. Although the gongche system is still widely used, mainland sources generally prefer the number system, which is based on the 19th-century French chevé system (which used numerals 1–7 for the notes of the scale). Unlike other…
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…of the last dynasties is gongche, which uses characters to indicate the various pitches. Although the gongche system is still widely used, mainland sources generally prefer the number system, which is based on the 19th-century French chevé system (which used numerals 1–7 for the notes of the scale). Unlike other…
Read More