The Image of Music and Sound in Xunzi's 'On Music': A Study of Character, Cosmos, and the Cultivation of Rites and Music

Section 2: Why "Sound and Music" ($\text{Shēng Yuè}$) is Distinguished from "Sound" ($\text{Shēng}$) and "Music" ($\text{Yuè}$) Alone

In pre-Qin texts discussing music, the characters shēng ($\text{shēng}$, sound), yīn ($\text{yīn}$, tone/pitch), and yuè ($\text{yuè}$, music/harmony) are frequently used. Here, Master Xunzi links shēng and yuè together as "Sound and Music" ($\text{shēng yuè}$), rather than using the common compound yīnyuè ($\text{yīnyuè}$, music) or speaking of yuè alone. Is there a distinction here$6

The Book of Rites ($\text{Lǐ Jì}$), in the chapter "Record of Music" ($\text{Yuè Jì}$), offers a crucial distinction:

"The origin of all sound ($\text{shēng}$) comes from the human heart. The stirring of the human heart is caused by external things. Moved by external things, it manifests in sound ($\text{shēng}$). Sounds correspond, thus producing changes ($\text{biàn}$). When changes form a pattern ($\text{fāng}$), it is called tone ($\text{yīn}$). When tones are arranged together and enjoyed ($\text{lè}$), along with shields, feathers, and plumes, it is called music ($\text{yuè}$)."

This passage establishes a strict hierarchical distinction among shēng, yīn, and yuè:

• Sound ($\text{Shēng}$): The primal acoustic emission resulting from the heart being moved by external things. Unorganized, unsystematized. Any natural noise or human cry can be called shēng.
• Tone ($\text{Yīn}$): Sound that has undergone transformation and organization into a systematic structure; it "forms a pattern" ($\text{biàn chéng fāng}$) by adopting a certain format or mode. The system of the five notes (palace, horn, angle, beam, wing) and the twelve pitches falls into the category of yīn.
• Music ($\text{Yuè}$): Tones organized into a complete artistic presentation, accompanied by ritual instruments and dance (the gān qī yǔ máo), forming an integrated performance.

If this is the case, why does Master Xunzi connect shēng and yuè into "Sound and Music" ($\text{shēng yuè}$)$7

A careful examination of the original text shows that "The Imagery of Sound and Music" covers: drum, bell, chime stone, yú, shēng, xiāo, guǎn, yuè, xūn, chí, sè, qín—these are all instruments, belonging to the category of yīn or yuè. It also includes song ($\text{gē}$), which is human vocal music, situated between shēng and yīn; and dance ($\text{wǔ}$), which is the highest form of yuè, involving bodily action. By using the combined term "Sound and Music" ($\text{shēng yuè}$), Xunzi encompasses all content discussed: shēng emphasizes the acoustic aspect (including instrumental sound and song), while yuè emphasizes the comprehensive artistic form (including dance).

This is not an arbitrary collocation but a precise generalization. Xunzi’s discussion touches upon the qualitative characteristics of various instrumental sounds (the level of shēng), as well as the overall significance of musical performance and dance (the level of yuè); thus, the combined term $\text{shēng yuè}$ is the most suitable.

Why not use the character yīn ($\text{yīn}$)$8 In the pre-Qin context, yīn tended to focus on already organized, systematic acoustic structures—such as the five notes and twelve pitches—a relatively technical concept. Xunzi’s discussion here is not about the technicalities of pitch systems, but about the disposition and aura ($\text{qì xiàng}$) of sound and music. Therefore, using shēng instead of yīn aligns better with the meaning of xiàng.

Moreover, the entire purpose of Xunzi: On Music is to argue for the social function and educational value of music, not to discuss musical technology. Master Xunzi is not concerned with how the five notes interact or how the twelve pitches cycle through keys; he is concerned with how the overall character presented by sound and music corresponds to the Dao of Heaven and Earth and relates to human affairs. Titling the section "The Imagery of Sound and Music" perfectly serves this purpose.