Typical Chinese music impression comes from dizis, xiaos, erhus, pipas, guzhengs and other Chinese instruments. In contrary, ruans are less known, Read More
The ruan is a traditional Chinese plucked string instrument belonging to the lute family. Known for its mellow and rounded tone, it functions well both as an accompaniment instrument in ensembles and as a refined solo instrument.
There are five main types in the ruan family: gaoyinruan (soprano), xiaoruan (alto), zhongruan (tenor), daruan (bass), and diyinruan (contrabass). Among these, the zhongruan and daruan are most commonly used in modern Chinese orchestras. The other types are less frequently seen due to their limited usage in standard repertoire.
Most learners begin with the zhongruan before exploring other members of the ruan family. This site not only provides essential resources and techniques for learning the instrument, but also rethinks ruan performance through the lens of modern fretted instruments such as the guitar and ukulele.
We believe the ruan is not just a traditional instrument—it also has a place in the language of contemporary music.