Chen Yi describes the cheery interplay of HAPPY TUNE as one instrument playing a lively melody, while the other plays a vivid rhythmic pattern as accompaniment. The pair of instruments imitates primitive Chinese folk song singing, as well as the traditional wind instrument sheng, a mouth pipe organ. One of the composer’s favorite themes to develop for different textures, HAPPY TUNE is a variant from Chen Yi’s Three Bagatelles from China West, both versions appearing in several scorings.