One of the 3 basic variants recognised by some Chinese scholars (➺ Fāng shēng, Xiǎoshēng); Term to distinguish the "classical" instrument from the traditional types used by several minorities, and from the instruments provided with keys; According to Wong it is popular in provinces Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning as well as Shandong; Traditionally it has 17 pipes, but instruments with 21 and 24 pipes do exist, as well; Commonly played solo, it is also used in ensembles (According to Thrasher "in the louder gǔchuī [鼓吹 (drum and wind); ws*] ensembles of Shandong province"), but seldom in orchestras, because they cannot play all semitones; They allow, however, finger techniques such as 滑音 (huáyīn [portamento]) that are impossible to execute on the "reformed" instruments with keys (Jiàn shēng) that have been developed after the 1950s; ➺ Bào, Chuántǒng (➺ synonyms), Jiàn and Pái shēng, and the traditional types with "rectangular" wind chests (Liù shēng, &c.) played by various ethnic groups; NB: ➺ Pèihé.

Ranges: instrument in C (17 pipes): c¹-g², d¹-f³, in D (21 pipes): d¹-f³, and in D (24 pipes): a-f² .
NB: Example(s) to be replaced with staff-notation.

Bào shēng / Bàoshēng, Chuántǒng shēng / Chuántǒngshēng, Guóyuè shēng / Guóyuèshēng

Dǒu (Shēng dǒu / Shēngdǒu)