Zhangu: China musical instrument

Zhangu is also known as a war drum. The zhangu is a Chinese musical instrument. The musical instrument is analogous to the ‘Tanggu’ in appearance, although it is lower in pitch. The musical instrument is also known as ‘Biangu’ by some people. It was a musical instrument used in the ritual music and also is well-known with traditional wedding bands.

source: eason.com.sg

The zhangu drum has many sizes according to their functions, commonly, the diameter of the drumhead are about 270 mm, 330 mm, 46 mm and 54 mm and the height of the drum are often 170 mm, 200 mm, 240 mm, 300 mm and 340 mm. the head of the drum is often produced of wood and leather; there are two to four metal rings at the waist of the musical instrument. The player of the drum uses one or two sticks to perform the musical drum. The zhangu drum need two men when performed in the army march, with one of the men carrying the drum on his back and the other man playing the drum behind the first man.

The Mongolian war drum was called Guangu in the olden days. The war drum was also known as the Dagu or the Jungu. In the modern days, the musical instrument is still very popular among the eastern regions of the Inner Mongolia. The Mongolian war instrument has a long history that has been traced back to the Genghis Khan. The musical instrument has been famously used for ritual ceremony and warfare. There were cylinder shape and cone shape of the musical instrument. The cylinder-shaped drum was placed on the war chariot while the cone-shaped version of the drum was performed by soldiers on the horses.