The "Sol Phenomenon" Of Datong's Accompanyment In Changsha Huagu Drama

Changsha Huagu Drama contains two quarter tones (having a variation inthe pitch of only half that between semitones), also called neutral tones,they are↑sol,↑re. How do they come from? In the mainland, someexperts have researched on this phenomenon, their opinions is that: Thetwo quarter tones in Changsha Opera phenomenon is caused by it'smainly accompaniment instrument Datong. All↑sol,↑re inChangsha Drama are produced by the force coming from the middlefinger of the left hand.Datong is a string instrument which has only two strings, the bow isplaced between the twostrings, it can be played by drawing a bow acrossthe two strings, like erhu.↑sol,↑re are produced by pressing andvibrating the two strings with the middle finger of the left hand. Becausethey are produced by the middle finger, the experts called the specialpressing place "The Chinese middle finger". The experts who supportedthis opinion are Miu Tianrui., Liu Zhengyu, Luo Fuchang.During the past 2years, I have studied on this phenomenon and found that"The Chinese middle finger" can not be explained to the quarter notesphenomenon in the Changsha Drama very well. This opinion have thebiggest mistake, that is not all↑sol,↑re are produced by the middlefinger's special force, some are produced by the third finger or the first finger. (I have found the transcription to support my idea). And I also findthat besides↑sol,↑re, there are other quarter notes exist in theChangsha Huagu Drama, for example:↑do. Most of the quarter tonesthat played by the folk artists are unstable, sliding tones. I also find thatthis phenomenon only exists in specially place, and it has been graduallydisappeared in the modern times.I will use ethnomusicological methodology to study this phenomenon.Studying it in the relationship with the singers, performers, musicconceptions, music behavior, dialects, social culture and so on, not justresearch it from the music itself. That's the most different from the formerexperts.In this paper, I've got my opinion, that is : The Chinese middle fingercan not give a good explanation to↑sol,↑re's formation. The "solphenomenon" only exists in some tunes in Changsha Huagu Drama andthese three quarter notes are often unstable. The "sol phenomenon" isgradually disappear in the modern time.