Shishou: The ‘Moving’ Qusheng

Falsetto is applied to produce the MC Yinping and Rusheng in Shishou, though it is weak and only appears in two varieties. The MC Qusheng is undergoing intense evolution: the MC Qingqu now merges into the present Yangqu, Yangping, or Rusheng or stands as an independent Yinqu in Shishou varieties. Shishou tone systems are uni- or di-registered, composed of five or six tones. Acoustic data reveal that the MC Qingqu conducts subtle adjustments in the cramped tonal space framed by the nearby tones. The nasalized rimes of Shishou are illustrated in spectrograms.