Xiao cymbal (pinyin: Xiǎo chǎ) is a musical instrument of Tibetan, Monba, and Dong people who strike each other. It is called Ruozhi in Tibetan. Popular in Tibet, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan and other provinces.
Made of brass, bowl-shaped, the cymbal surface is flat and slightly thicker, the diameter of the surface is 9.8 cm to 12 cm, the diameter of the bowl is 4 cm to 5 cm, and the height of the bowl is 1.5 cm to 2 cm. The top of the bowl is tied with leather strips or ropes. a pair. The small cymbals of the Dong people are single-sided cymbals.
When playing, hold one side with both hands and strike each other to pronounce. In Tibetan areas, it is used for folk songs and dances, Tibetan opera accompaniment and in Tibetan Buddhist monastery bands; in Dong areas, one-sided cymbals are often lifted with the left hand and percussion with the right hand, used in instrumental ensembles such as folk festivals, weddings and funerals. .