If you are interested in Chinese ancient music when you come to learn Chinese in China, you should know that the musical scale and measurement between the north and south songs are different. The differences of musical scale often used to distinguish the two songs.

If you have come to study Chinese in China for a long time, you may know if there are seven sounds like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, it should be north song. However, if there are no sounds 4 and 7, it must ne the south songs. That is to say, the former belongs to seven-tone scale while the latter five-tone scale. We know the differences lay in musical scale and measurement. The thing that the foreigners who learn Chinese in China should know is that the measurement is the meter of opera. The strongest beat is called Ban while the others named Yan.

Some learners who study Mandarin in China may be told that the measurement in south songs is fixed and can‘t be changed. However, that in north songs is flexible because the single song can express different emotions.