Ping Tan performances usually mix speaking and singing, and are accompanied by percussion instruments and sometimes also plucked or bowed string instruments.

A new type of Chinese musical instrument—bowed instrument was born. Their main role was to accompany drama, rap, singing and dancing or to join in small-scale concert of traditional music band.

Xihe Dagu is performed in the following form: one person hits a copper plate and performs Shugu by singing alone while another person plays a three-stringed lute for accompaniment.