Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu
The five degrees of the Chinese pentatonic scale — not five fixed pitches
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Gong, shang, jue, zhi and yu are the five degree names of the Chinese pentatonic scale. Like solfège (do re mi…), they mark relative positions, not five fixed pitches: gong can be set on C or on D and the whole set moves with it. Beyond the five come altered notes such as biangong and bianzhi, giving six- or seven-note scales.
The usual mistake is to equate "pentatonic" with "only five notes": the five are a frame, and real melodies use altered notes, modulate (xuangong), and place complex pitch inflections inside that frame. These five characters describe relations, not frequencies.
Read deeper → Chinese Pentatonic Modes
Sources
- 五声阶名的相对音高性质与旋宫转调，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "China" 与《中国音乐词典》相关条目；本文为原创表述
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