Are you looking for ways to incorporate the Chinese New Year into your elementary music lessons? Although it’s often referred to as ‘Chinese’ New Year, the Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries, and it is a wonderful opportunity to expose students to music and instruments from around the world.
My Chinese New Year music lesson suggestions all center around the musical traditions of China. However, you could adapt the same ideas to other countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year too!
If you’d like a set of done for you elementary music resources on Chinese music (worksheets, listening glyphs, color-by-rhythm, posters on instruments and musical pieces, instrument matching, listening links, etc.) check them out in my shop here.
Explore Chinese Musical Instruments
Especially in elementary school, many kids don’t realize just how many musical instruments exist! Take the opportunity to explore some of the traditional Chinese musical instruments. A few instruments to start with could be:
Guzheng
The guzheng is a traditional Chinese string instrument played by plucking the strings. The number of strings varies, but the guzheng often has 21 strings. It originated over 2,000 years ago and is usually tuned to the pentatonic scale.
Erhu
The erhu is a string instrument that has two strings and is played with a bow similar to a violin. It’s sometimes referred to as a ‘Chinese violin’ or ‘Chinese fiddle’
Hulusi
The hulusi is a Chinese free reed wind instrument. Hulu means gourd. It is made of three bamboo pipes and a gourd chest.
Chinese Percussion Instruments
Some Chinese percussion instruments to introduce your students to include :
- Bianzhong (ancient Chinese bells)
- Chinese Cymbals (talk about how they are different from western cymbals)
- Gong
- Chinese Drums
Introduce students to the Lion Dance and its music to see some of these percussion instruments in action!
Explore Chinese Music
There’s obviously a huge range of music you could explore from folk songs to ancient melodies, to 20th-century pieces!
Have kids move to the music, do set actions, paint with scarves, draw, or respond to written prompts while listening
Some music to listen to with your students.
- Guangling Melody (ancient music)
- High Mountains and Flowing Water (ancient music)
- Jasmine Flower (Chinese folk song)
- Gong Xi Gong Xi by Chen Gexin (20th century song popular for Lunar New Year)
- Butterfly Lover’s Violin Concerto By He Zhanhao & Chen Gang (orchestral music)
- Anything by the Twelve Girls Band (a group performing both traditional Chinese and popular western music on traditional Chinese instruments).
Sing a Chinese New Year Song
A couple of songs you might sing in music class are Gong Xi, Gong Xi (Congratulations), or Xinnian Hao (Happy New Year).
Your class might find Xinnian Hao easier as it’s sung to the familiar melody of O My Darling Clementine. If you’d like to introduce your students to this song check out Mama Lisa’s website. She has lots more information and the actions to this song!
Explore what makes music sound different
When students are introduced to instruments or music from around the world they might feel surprised or say that it sounds ‘different’ than the music they are used to. You could take the chance to explore why that might be.
Perhaps explore the different types of scales and tuning methods used. For example, that traditional Chinese music often uses the pentatonic scale vs the diatonic scale often being used in western music. Or you could talk about the equal-tempered tuning used on western instruments.
What do you teach in your Lunar New Year / Chinese New Year music lessons? Please share below!
Chinese New Year Music Activities
Easy-to-use music printables for Chinese New Year music lessons! Use these printable activities during the Lunar New Year in your elementary music class or for homeschool music. Purchasing this set of resources gives you a discount.
