Bo (instrument)

The bo (simplified Chinese: 钹; traditional Chinese: 鈸; pinyin: bó; Wade–Giles: po) is a percussion instrument originating in China, a type of cymbal. It consists of two plates that are clashed together. It is a concussion idiophone.

Bo

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one from nineteenth century China. Both parts have a diameter of 56.5 centimeters.^[1]

China cymbals used by rock and jazz drummers are similar to the bo, but are mounted on stands and played with drumsticks. Bo are usually realized in bronze.^[2] In the Sichuan opera they are used to emphasize the movements of actors.^[2]

Xiaobo is a variant of cymbals whose diameter ranges from 12 cm to 14 cm.^[3] Other variants are zhongbo (medium cymbals), shuibo (water cymbals) and dabo (large cymbals).^[4]