Shanghai Taoist music is a music that integrates various musical elements and has the unique Han music style of the Jiangnan region and rich Taoist colors. It accompanies the vast rituals of Shanghai Taoism and is flexibly and skillfully used in various occasions. Sometimes the drums are deafening and majestic, indicating the summoning of gods and generals, suppressing evil and exorcising demons; sometimes the elegant stringed instruments are played, and the lingering sound makes people feel peaceful and calm, as if they are in a misty realm. According to its regional distribution, Shanghai Taoist music can be divided into three major schools: Dongxiang, Xixiang and urban areas. Dongxiang Taoist music is typical of Pudong Chuansha and Nanhui. The musical feature is "lively". The performance focuses on the percussion of rough gongs and drums, fast beating and slow singing, and sometimes the Beijing fiddle is used as the main melody instrument. It has a fresh, lively, cheerful and bright rhythm and life atmosphere. Xixiang Daoist music is typical of Jiading and Baoshan, mainly rough music, with percussion routines similar to Shifan gongs and drums. Most of the music used in Qupai music is Kunqu opera and Peking opera. After the ceremony, opera and music are added to entertain the heart, which enriches the repertoire and form of Xixiang Daoist music. The urban Daoist music is mainly composed of local Daoists in the city, focusing on the quietness and delicacy of music, and the overall coordination of singing style, melody application, and instrument configuration. Music composition The composition of Shanghai Daoist music can be summarized as follows: 1. Pure Daoist music: such as "Buxu", "Zhuxiangzan", "Xiangzan", etc. 2. Originated from folk opera music: such as "Dakaimen", "Chaotianzi", "Xiaokaimen", etc. 3. Originated from court music: such as "Yingxianke", "Yaotanjie", etc. Music characteristics In the more than 800 years of history of Daoist music in Shanghai, it has been learned, created, improved and developed into music with Shanghai style characteristics by nearly 30 generations of Daoists since it was introduced from other places. It is mainly manifested in: 1. The melody is ups and downs and beautiful. 2. The melody-type accompaniment is used to connect the sentences in the singing, so that the singing is clearly layered and the singer has enough breathing. 3. The rhyme of the first sentence is often different from the melody used in the subsequent repeated chanting. Sometimes, it even starts with a sentence in the repetition and slowly turns to the main tune, causing changes in the melody and tonality. 4. More ornaments are added to the melody, also known as "flower words". The melody speed is generally slowed down, and the music is more solemn and gorgeous. 5. In addition to maintaining the advantages of qudi, bells and drums, the accompaniment instruments also focus on the use of stringed and plucked instruments, making the music more elegant and full.