The origins of music in Ancient China are lost to us now, but at least 3,000 years before the birth of Christ they already had a complex and fascinating philosophy of music. To the ancient Chinese, the notes of all music contained an essence of transcendent power. The particular mystical influences of a piece of music depended on factors such as rhythm, melodic patterns, and the combination of instruments used. They felt that music, like nature, could be either beneficial or destructive, and that its power went beyond merely influencing man’s emotions, to actually affecting the health of the physical body, and even the morality of society.
