Musicology Annotation << Back Ba yin: the Eight Categories of Sound in Chinese Musical Culture Anastasia Novoselova In article is given the original ancient Chinese classification of musical instruments ba yin in the base of which distribution of the Chinese musical instruments according to eight natural materials. The resounding part of the instruments is made of eight natural materials. In a context of philosophy, an esthetics and musical culture each of eight categories (metal, stone, silk, bamboo, pumpkin, clay, leather, wood) and some instruments representing it is briefly considered. The ba yin system is not only distribution of the instruments, but also the system of traditional idea of combination sounds of instruments of different categories of ba yin. For Zhou dynasty, for example, it was important the combination of zhong and qìng made from metal and stone. In spite of the fact that the majority of instruments of ba yin are nowadays lost, is among them still living in the Chinese musical culture, bearing in the sound spirit of great music of an antiquity. Key words: ba yin, gongting yinyuye, ya yue, guqin, Chinese music, Chinese musical culture. Contacts: E-mail: anastanova@gmail.com Pp. 42-48.