Xinjiang suona has a slender shape, which consists of five parts: whistle, gas tag, invasion, pole and bowl. There are eight sound holes on the wooden pole, and a copper intruder is installed at the upper end of the pole. A whistle made of an air tag and a reed is sleeved on the intruder, and a "horn" is installed at the lower end of the pole. When playing, press the sound hole with your finger. If the sound hole is not pressed tightly, it will make pronunciation inaccurate or make noise easily. Suona looks simple, but it really takes some effort to play it well. Playing suona consumes more gas, and the higher the sound, the greater the gas consumption. Only well-trained performers and folk artists who can use the "circular ventilation method" can make the music continue uninterrupted for a long time, or even complete the whole song in one breath.
Suona in Xinjiang is most suitable for expressing warm and jubilant atmosphere and magnificent scenes, especially for playing bold and exciting tunes. Solo tracks are mostly from folk songs, local operas, folk tunes and opera tunes, which have a strong local flavor and folk flavor. The famous traditional song "A Hundred Birds at the Phoenix" won the silver prize in the 4th World Youth Student Festival in the early 1950s.
Xinjiang suona is divided into small suona, middle suona and big suona, and its performance style is divided into two groups: north and south. In southern China, suona cards (including most traditional Chinese opera accompaniment) are played, and a certain tone is played by circulating ventilation, and the melody is rarely modified by other playing techniques. Northern folk artists have created many difficult and complicated playing skills, such as sliding sound, spitting sound, air arch sound, air top green, three-string sound, flute sound and so on. , as well as imitating chicken crow, bird singing, vocal singing (commonly known as card cavity) and other special skills, thus greatly developing and improving the expressive force of suona.
Xinjiang suona is the main instrument in folk wedding and funeral ceremonies and percussion ensemble. Not only is it widely popular in the vast rural areas, but it is also an instrument inseparable from local music, such as Hebei Blowing Song, Shandong Blowing Music, Southern Liaoning Advocacy, Chaozhou Big Gong and Drum, and Shanxi Eight Sets.