21-reed Soprano Sheng (diatonic instrument) is one of the popular traditional Shengs used by many Sheng players. The common key of this Sheng is D, but the 21-reed Sheng is also available in other keys, such as C, E, F, G, A, etc. There is also the 21-reed Alto Sheng where is the fingering is the same as the Soprano version but the notes are an octave lower.
Due to the requirements of the new Sheng solo pieces, the 21-reed Sheng is gradually being replaced by other Shengs with more reeds (notes), such as the 24-reed Sheng, 26-reed Sheng, 28-reed Sheng, 37-reed Sheng, etc. However, the 21-reed Sheng is still a popular choice for beginners and for accompanying traditional Suona and Dizi solo pieces.
I own two 21-reed Shengs, but the fingering is slightly different. Fingering B is the fingering of my first 21-reed Sheng (Sheng maker’s fingering) and Fingering A is the fingering of my second 21-reed Sheng (my preferring fingering). The above two fingering charts are for your reference and the fingerings might slightly differ for different 21-reed Shengs made by different makers.
The Sheng Player 