Wuning drum song, also known as "Chushan drum" and "Cuigong drum", is a kind of farmland song with drum accompaniment that is popular in Wuning County, Jiangxi Province. It is widely spread in Wuning countryside. Its name first appeared in the "Preface to Shanpeng Drum Song" by Sheng Le, a Wuning scholar in the Qing Dynasty. His brother Sheng Mo also recorded it in "Bi Cong": "Farmers plant rice, and neighbors form groups to beat drums and sing songs, and sing in harmony. The sound spreads all over the fields and is pleasant to listen to." According to the Sheng brothers, Wuning drum song flourished during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Wuning drum song is performed during collective labor such as digging the ground, hoeing tea and weeding rice. During the performance, one person beats the drum to lead the singing, and the others swing their hoes and help sing. The singing time is very long, from the morning to the evening. The leader is also called a drummer or drum master, and the number varies. A drummer starts the performance by beating the drum in front of the crowd, which is called "beating a single drum". If two drummers lead the performance, it is called "beating a load drum". If hundreds of hoes are used at the same time, three or four drummers beat the drum and lead the singing, which is called "beating a drum song". At the beginning, a drum is beaten and an opening speech is read, which is called "starting the call", also called "calling the head". The lyrics of "starting the call" are mostly words of praise. After reading the starting call, the drummer beats the drum and starts the song. Each drum song lasts about two hours, with a break in the middle, and then the second drum song is played. About four to five drum songs are sung in a day. Each drum song consists of four drum songs. The way the drums are played, the rhythm of the melody, the speed, and the content of the lyrics in each drum song vary. According to the singing rhythm and performance characteristics, the singers summarize them into 12 words: "starting the call", "falling the second call", "tightening the third call", and "killing the fourth call". When singing the Sifan drum, the singer will generally change the lyrics in time according to the passage of time. Singing for people and using metaphors for things is a feature of drum songs. After the work is over, the drummer will recite a "Xie Cai" to express gratitude and blessings. In addition, the drummer is also the commander of the labor team. If he finds someone lagging behind, he will beat the drum to urge him to catch up, so it is also called "urging work drum". Wuning drum songs are qupai music. During the performance, the drums are accompanied by songs and the drums are used to sing. The sound is sonorous and powerful, and the sound is heard everywhere. It is accompanied by passionate and unrestrained singing. The melody rises and falls according to the words. The tone is high and rough, and it is smooth and beautiful. It is a combination of rigidity and softness, and has an attractive artistic charm. When singing, the local dialect is used, which is divided into "false voice singing" and "real voice singing". The singing method is different from other folk songs. The drums should start from the second sentence of the lyrics, and then return to the first sentence, which is called "song head". The songs sung are divided into long songs and short songs. Long songs are also called Paizi songs, which combine intermittent lyrics into a complete story. Short songs are also called Sange, which are divided into "political songs", "love songs", "customs songs", etc. The lyrics are in the structure of upper and lower sentences, mainly seven words and five sentences, but also seven words and four sentences, and even four and a half sentences and five and a half sentences that are rare in other folk songs. When singing, they often carry supporting words, mostly whole sentences, and are cleverly combined with dialects. The themes and contents of drum songs are relatively wide, whether astronomy, geography, or historical legends, they can all be cut into lyrics. Its repertoire can be roughly divided into love songs, allegorical songs, and labor ballads that popularize production and life knowledge. Love songs account for a large proportion of Wuning drum songs, and the repertoire includes "Three Hundred and Six Plum Blossoms", "Sister Loves Brother, Brother Loves Sister", "Come to the Mountain", "Song to Recruit Aunts", "Liu Sanjie Eloped", "Sister Lu Ying", "Flower Selling Record", "Shuanghelian", "Shuangtuo", "Shili Pavilion", "One Shoe Upper Four Corners", "Advising Brother", etc. They are known for their lyrical style, and they often use parallelism in sentence structure, starting with "four seasons" and "five watches". The long song "Sister Loves Brother, Brother Loves Sister" has a total of 36 sections, which are love songs when separated, and a tear-jerking love story when put together. Allegorical songs mainly tell historical stories, and are mostly long, using the past to satirize the present and criticize current politics. The repertoire includes "Song of Assassinating the World", "Three Kingdoms", "Xi Shi", "Tang Biography", "Eight Immortals", "Yue Family Generals", "Xue Family Generals", "Yang Family Generals", "Liu Family Generals", "Lü Mengzheng Hates Winter", etc. The songs that reflect the strong local flavor and popularize production and life knowledge are mostly scattered songs and short songs, including "The Sunbird Calls and Spreads Its Tail", "Playing Riddles", "Counting Crabs", "Counting Sparrows", "The Sunbird Calls and Spreads Its Tail", "Picking Tea", "Where Can I Have My Sister's Tea", etc. The props for the drum song are only a small drum and a drum key on the drummer's body. The small drum is larger than the general waist drum, covered with yellow cowhide on the upper and lower sides, fixed with bamboo nails, and the drumstick is made of nan bamboo and baked and bent. The drum key is similar to the yangqin key, with bamboo joints at both ends, slightly smaller and elastic in the middle. When playing, the drummer uses a ribbon to tie the two metal rings of the drum tube, hangs it on the right shoulder, holds the drumstick in the left hand, and hits the drum key with the right hand, repeatedly hitting and playing. Wuning drum songs were still popular in 14 towns in Wuning in the 1970s and 1980s. There are more than 40 drummers, and famous artists include Meng Fanlin and Fang Yougen. In recent years, this ancient folk song has been gradually excavated and included in the "Chinese Music Dictionary". Some songs have been selected as teaching materials by music colleges in Shanghai, Wuhan and other places. Six folk songs have been selected by UNESCO into the "Chinese Folk Song Collection".