A Musicological Interpretation of the Twelve Lus in China's Traditional Tone System

Abstract

ery early in their recorded history the Chinese developed a tone system which divides the interval of the octave into twelve semitones by twelve consecutive steps of perfect fifths. The same system, with minor deviations, is known in Western music theory where it is called Pythagorean because tradition ascribes its mathematical construction to the Greek philosopher. In one of his studies the author was able to prove by physical evidence that this achievement was known in China several centuries before Pythagoras, probably in the ninth century B.C. or even earlier.3 The twelve semitones (Lus) received pitch names which are mentioned for the first time in the Kuo YUI, a work usually dated towards the end of the Chou Dynasty (3rd century B.C.). However, the Kuo Yi is believed to contain a good deal of much earlier material from ancient written sources4 and, as we shall see presently, the origin of the pitch names must be assigned to about 900 B.C. or earlier.