東北揚琴是在東北皮影戲的音樂及其揚琴演奏技巧基礎上，經過發展與創新而形成獨具風格特色的，為揚琴四大流派之一。東北揚琴形成主要受到東北皮影戲、民歌、戲曲小調等相互影響。東北揚琴創始人為民間藝人趙殿學先生，後由趙殿學親傳弟子及眾多揚琴學者慢慢發展、創作及推廣演出而成。
東北揚琴演奏特色為「彈輪、上下滑竹和壓音」，主要受到東北的皮影戲以及受東北民歌的技巧影響，如花舌、滑腔及甩腔等，將這些特殊的風格特色，利用揚琴來展現出來。
本文將以東北揚琴的主要代表人物之代表性作品中，挑選出三首不同的樂曲風格、東北揚琴特殊技巧及近代借鑑西方的樂曲表現手法而探討；分別為宿英《秧歌》、王沂甫《春天》、劉寒力《金翎思．滿鄉隨想》，從這三首樂曲中了解當時的創作手法、技巧、音域、作曲家風格等有何不同，以提供日後揚琴的學習者能有進一步的參考。
Dongbei (north-east) yangqin is based on dongbei shadow play music and yangqin performance technique. As a result of continual innovation, it has developed into a unique style, and taken its place among the four schools of yangqin technique. Its main influences are dongbei shadow play, folk songs, and xi ju xiao diao (a kind of folk opera), all of which have also mutually influenced each other.
Dongbei yangqin style originates from the folk musician Zhao Dianxue. It was taken up by his students, and subsequently developed under many subsequent yangqin artists, by way of their creative output and demonstration performances. The style is distinguished by several unique performance techniques, namely "tan lun", "shang xia hua zhu," and "ya yin.” These are respectively derived from the vocal techniques "hua she" (rolled tongue), "hua qiang" (coloratura style singing) and "shuai qiang" (dropping pitch).
This paper analyzes the works of three main representative composers, each representing a different aspect of the style. Each composer uses dongbei yangqin techniques in modern Western-influenced compositional style.The composers and works analyzed are Su Ying's "Yangge" (a rural folk dance), Wang Yiwu's “Spring", and Liu Hanli's "Jin ling si ．Man xiang sui xiang".
From these three pieces we can recognize each composer's characteristic approach to performance technique and tessitura, and in this way enrich the understanding of future yangqin scholarship.
