When playing, the large group of fish-shaped wooden fish needs to be placed on the ground, the small round fish-shaped wooden fish is supported with the left hand, and the right hand is percussion with the olive-shaped wooden hammer. musical instrument. It is often used in drama, folk accompaniment, instrumental ensemble, ethnic band and religious music.
Muyu is used as the accompaniment of Kunqu Opera, Peking Opera, Jin Opera (Shanxi Zhonglu Bangzi) and Tibetan Opera. Cantonese music uses a long fish-shaped wooden fish. Sometimes two wooden fishes, big and small, are used in the ensemble.
In the folk instrumental ensembles such as Jiangnan Sizhu, Sunan Chuuting, Zhedong Chuida, Hebei Chugging, etc., small groups of fish-shaped wooden fish are often used. It is often used in conjunction with the drum board. pat. In instrumental ensembles such as Shifan gongs and drums, Fuzhou Shifan, Minnan Shiyin, and Fujian Nanyin, the small wooden fish is an indispensable instrument. In addition to tapping and tapping, the sound it produces is regarded as one of the main timbres. one.
In the folk bands, there are always a whole set of fish-shaped wooden fish with different pitches and numbers. They are arranged in sets according to the pentatonic scale, the seven-tone scale or the twelve equal temperament. They are mostly used to match the lively and lively tunes. It can also be used to imitate the sound effect of the galloping horse. In Buddhist and Taoist music, the wooden fish is both a magical instrument and an inseparable rhythm instrument.
Tuanyu-shaped wooden fish is also used in Quyi wooden fish songs. Muyu Song, also known as Sing Muyu or Muyu Book, is a free-rhythm recitation style of rap. In the past, it was mostly performed by housewives in Guangzhou dialect. When singing, there was no accompaniment of musical instruments such as blowing, pulling, and playing. This form of folk rap started in the Ming Dynasty and was widely spread in Guangzhou, Nanhai, Panyu, Shunde and other places in Guangdong Province. The singing of Muyu Song was later absorbed into Cantonese Opera as a kind of singing. The long pieces include "Hua Jian Ji", "History of Lotus Flowers", etc., and the short pieces include "Pipa on the Road", "Rooftop Meeting" and so on.