Liushuiban (Flowing Metre)
A fast 1/4 metre with many words and little melisma, used for urgent narration
Related
Liushuiban is the fast metre with ban but no yan, often barred in 1/4: every beat is struck by the clapper, and phrase follows phrase at a pressing pace. Words dominate and melisma is spare, which suits narration, travel and argument — scenes that need speed.
"Ban but no yan" does not mean every beat is strong; the spacing of strokes and the weight of the words are heard separately. Faster is not automatically better: clear diction at speed is the skill. Xipi liushui is the common type; erliu is more relaxed.
Read deeper → xipi
Sources
- 流水板有板无眼、字多腔少的形态与西皮流水的用法，参《中国音乐词典》与 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "China" 相关条目；本文为原创表述
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