The structure of the gourd sheng is roughly the same as that of the sheng, consisting of a sheng bucket and a sheng tube. It is named after the Shengdou is made of empty gourd.

Traditional gourd sheng with different timbres. The high-pitched sheng is crisp and bright; the middle-pitched sheng is round and soft; the low-pitched sheng is thick and deep. The sound range is narrow, and the practical sound range is one octave. It is often used for solo, duet, or accompaniment to singing and dancing, often while dancing, and sometimes in conjunction with Yi nationality flute, big and small sanxian.

Most of the music played are dance music, and a few are used for festivals and celebrations, but they also have a dance music style, and they are generally lively and lively with a clear rhythm.

Among the Yi people, the calabash sheng is the main accompaniment instrument for "ta song", "da ge" and "calabash dance". "Treading songs" is a kind of mass entertainment. In the Qing Dynasty Gui Fu's "Continued Biography of Dianyou", it states: "When barbarian men and women meet, one person plays the flute, the other plays the gourd pipe, and dozens of people sing around the ground. It's called a song." Today, this kind of song and dance is still very popular in the Yi area. "Hulu Sheng Dance" is a mass folk dance with the playing of the gourd Sheng as the lead dance, and is popular among many ethnic minorities. The Yi people who live on the banks of the Jinsha River always play the gourd sheng on occasions such as New Year's greetings during the Spring Festival, welcoming guests, tasting new rice, holding seedling ceremonies, festive weddings or love between men and women, and the music played is also related to people's lives closely related.

Traditional tunes include "Welcome to the Pros", "Send the Pros", "Chun Girls", "Crossing the Mountains", "Lefting the Sheep", "Chasing the Street", "New Year's Tune", "Placing the Rice", "Dancing Songs" tune" and "Dance" etc.

Lahu gourd sheng has a crisp and melodious tone. It is one of the favorite musical instruments of Lahu youth. They carry it with them and play it wherever they go. They often accompany the "Hulu Sheng Dance". The circle, jumping from night to dawn.

The calabash sheng of the Wa nationality rarely uses the bass from the bottom of the tube in the music. The Lisu people who can sing and dance are not only the same as those of the Yi people, but also the music played and the dance accompanied by the calabash are basically the same as those of the Yi people.