Guqin

Theguqin([kùtɕʰǐn];Chinese:Đàn cổ) is a plucked seven-stringChinese musical instrument.It has been played since ancient times, and has traditionally been favoured byscholarsandliteratias an instrument of great subtlety and refinement, as highlighted by the quote "a gentleman does not part with hisqinorsewithout good reason, "as well as being associated with the ancient Chinese philosopherConfucius.It is sometimes referred to by the Chinese as "the father of Chinese music" or "the instrument of the sages". Theguqinis not to be confused with theguzheng,another Chinese long stringed instrument also withoutfrets,but with moveablebridgesunder each string.

Guqin

String instrument
Other names	qin, ku-ch'in, qixian-qin
Classification	String
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	312.22 (heterochord half-tubezither)
Developed	1st millennium BC or earlier
Volume	quiet
Related instruments
Ichigenkin,geomungo
Musicians
Seebelow

Guqin
Chinese	Đàn cổ
Literal meaning	ancientqin (a type of musical instrument)
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin gǔqín Wade–Giles ku3-ch'in2 IPA [kùtɕʰǐn] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization gú-kàhm Southern Min Tâi-lô kóo-khîm Middle Chinese Middle Chinese gim Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *[C.ɢ](r)[ə]m

Traditionally, the instrument was simply referred to as the "qin"( cầm )but by the twentieth century the term had come to be applied to many other musical instruments as well: theyangqinhammered dulcimer, thehuqinfamily of bowed string instruments, and the Westernpiano(gangqin( dương cầm )) andviolin(xiaotiqin( đàn violon )) are examples of this usage. The prefix "gu-"( cổ; meaning" ancient ") was later added for clarification. Thus, the instrument is called"guqin"today. It can also be calledqixian-qin( thất huyền cầm; lit. "seven-stringed qin" ). BecauseRobert Hans van Gulik's book about the qin is calledThe Lore of the Chinese Lute,the guqin is sometimes inaccurately called alute.Other incorrect classifications, mainly from music compact discs, include "harp"or" table-harp ".

The guqin is a very quiet instrument, with a range of about fouroctaves,and its open strings are tuned in the bass register. Its lowest pitch is about two octaves belowmiddle C,or the lowest note on thecello.Sounds are produced bypluckingopen strings, stopped strings, andharmonics.The use ofglissando—sliding tones—gives it a sound reminiscent of apizzicatocello, fretlessdouble bassor aslide guitar.The qin has 13 "hui", which represent the different position in one string. Pressing different "hui" produces different sound keys. The qin is also capable of many harmonics, of which 91 are most commonly used and indicated by the dotted positions. By tradition, the qin originally had five strings, which represent gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu in the ancient Chinese music system, but ancient qin-like instruments with only one string or more strings have been found. The modern form has been stabilized to seven strings.

There are more than 3,360 known surviving pieces of guqin music from ancient and imperial periods. On 7 November 2003, UNESCO announced that the Chinese guqin was selected as an Intangible World Cultural Heritage. In 2006, guqin was listed in the List of National Non-material Cultural Heritage in China. In 2010, aSong periodguqin was sold for $22 million, making it the most expensive musical instrument ever sold.

History

Main article:Guqin history

A girl playing a guqin, EasternHan dynasty,collection of the Musée des Arts Asiatiques de Toulon, France

Legend has it that the qin, the most revered of all Chinese musical instruments, has a history of about 5,000 years, and that the legendary figures of China'spre-history–Fuxi,Shennongand Huang Di, the "Yellow Emperor"– were involved in its creation. Nearly all qin books and tablature collections published prior to the twentieth century state this as the actual origins of the qin,although this is now viewed as mythology. It is mentioned in Chinese writings dating back nearly 3,000 years, and examples have been found in tombs from about 2,500 years ago. The exact origins of the qin is still a very much continuing subject of debate over the past few decades.

In 1977, a recording of "Flowing Water" (Liu Shui,as performed byGuan Pinghu,one of the best qin players of the 20th century) was chosen to be included in theVoyager Golden Record,a gold-plated LP recording containing music from around the world, which was sent into outer space byNASAon theVoyager 1andVoyager 2spacecraft. It is the second-longest excerpt included on the disc. The reason to select a work played on this specific instrument is because the tonal structure of the instrument, its musical scale, is derived from fundamentalphysical lawsrelated tovibrationandovertones,representing the intellectual capacity of human beings on this subject. In 2003, guqin music was proclaimed as one of theMasterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of HumanitybyUNESCO.

Schools, societies and players

TheTang dynasty(618–907) qin, the "Jiu Xiao Huan Pei"

The painting "Ting Qin Tu" (Listening to the Qin), by theSong emperor Huizong(1082–1135)

As with any other musical tradition, there are differences in ideals and interaction between different people. Therefore, there exist different schools and societies which transmit these different ideas and artistic traditions.

Historical schools

Main article:Qin schools

Many qin schools known asqin paideveloped over the centuries. Such schools generally formed around areas where qin activity was greatest.

Some schools have come and gone, and some have offshoots (such as the Mei'an school, a Zhucheng school offshoot). Often, the school is originated from a single person, such as the Wu school which is named after the lateWu Zhaoji.The style can vary considerably between schools; some are very similar, yet others are very distinct. The differences are often in the interpretation of the music. Northern schools tend to be more vigorous in technique than Southern schools. But in modern terms, the distinction between schools and styles is often blurred because a single player may learn from many different players from different schools and absorb each of their styles. This is especially so for conservatory trained players. People from the same school trained under the same master may have different individual styles (such asZhang Ziqianand Liu Shaochun of the Guangling school).

Guqin societies

Main article:List of guqin societies

There is a difference between qin schools and qin societies. The former concerns itself with transmission of a style, the latter concerns itself with performance. The qin society will encourage meetings with fellow qin players in order to play music and maybe discuss the nature of the qin. A gathering like this is called ayaji(Nhã tập,literally "elegant gathering" ), and takes place once every month or two. Sometimes, societies may go on excursions to places of natural beauty to play qin, or attend conferences. They may also participate in competitions or research. Societies do not need strict structure to adhere to; they can operate on a leisurely basis. The main purpose of qin societies is to promote and play qin music. They create opportunities to network and learn to play the instrument, to ask questions and to receive answers.

Players

Many artists down through the ages have played the instrument, and the instrument was a favourite of scholars. Certain melodies are also associated with famous figures, such as Confucius and Qu Yuan. Some emperors of China also had a liking to the qin, including theSong dynastyemperor, Huizong, as clearly seen in his own painting of himself playing the qin in "Ting Qin Tu".

Historical

• Confucius:Philosopher, 551–479 BCE, associated with the pieceKongzi Duyi,Weibian SanjueandYoulan.
• Bo Ya:Qin player of theSpring and Autumn period,associated with the pieceGao Shan.andLiu Shui
• Zhuang Zi:Daoist philosopher of theWarring States period,associated with the pieceZhuang Zhou MengdieandShenhua Yin.
• Qu Yuan(340–278 BCE): Poet of theWarring States period,associated with the pieceLi Sao.
• Cai Yong:Hanmusician, author ofQin Cao.
• Cai Wenji:Cai Yong's daughter, associated with the pieceHujia Shiba-pai,etc.
• Sima Xiangru:Han poet, 179–117 BCE.
• Zhuge Liang(181–234): Chinese military leader in theThree Kingdoms,one legend has him playing guqin calmly outside his fort while scaring off the enemy attackers.
• Ji Kang:One of theSeven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,musician and poet, writer ofQin Fu.
• Li Bai:Tang poet, 701–762.
• Bai Juyi:Tang poet, 772–846.
• Song Huizong:Song emperor famous for his patronage of the arts, had aWanqin Tang( "10,000 Qin Hall" ) in his palace.
• Guo Chuwang:Patriot at the end of the Song dynasty, composer of the pieceXiaoxiang Shuiyun.

The classical collections such asQin Shi,Qinshi BuandQinshi Xuincludebiographiesof hundreds more players.

Contemporary

Main article:Contemporary guqin players

Contemporary qin players extend from the early twentieth century to the present. More so than in the past, such players tend to have many different pursuits andoccupationsother than qin playing. There are only a few players who are paid to exclusively play and research the guqin professionally and nothing else. Qin players can also be well-versed in other cultural pursuits, such as the arts. Or they can do independent research on music subjects. Often, players may play other instruments (not necessarily Chinese) and give recitals or talks.

Performance

The note range of a qin

During the performance of qin, musicians may use a variety of techniques to reach the full expressing potential of the instrument. There are many special tablatures that had developed over the centuries specifically dedicated to qin for their reference and a repertoire of popular and ancient tunes for their choice.

Playing technique

Main article:Guqin playing technique

The tones of qin can be categorized as three characteristic "sounds". The first type issan yin(Tán âm), which literally means "unfettered sound". It's the fundamental frequency produced by plucking a free string with the fingers of the right hand. The second type, made by plucking a string with the right hand and gently tapping specific note positions on the string with the left hand, will create a crisp sound namedfan yin(Âm bội,lit. "floating sound" ) or overtoneharmonics(the equivalent technique in Western music is thestring harmonicorflageolet). Important scale notes, calledhui(Huy), are marked by 13 glossy white dots made of mica or seashell inset in the front surface of the qin, occur at integer divisions of the string length. The "crystal concordant" (perfectly harmonic) overtones can only be evoked by tapping the strings precisely at thesehui.The third type isan yin(Ấn âm/Án âm,lit. "pressed sound" ), which is sometimes also calledshi yin(ThậtÂm, lit. "full sound" ) orzou yin(ĐiÂm, lit. "changing sound" ). These comprise the major cadences of most qin pieces. To playan yin,the musician stops a string at a specific pitch on the board surface with the left thumb, middle or ring finger, strikes the string with the right hand, then they may slide the left hand up and down to vary the note. This technique is similar to playing aslide guitaracross the player's lap. However, the manipulation of qin is much more multifarious than that of a guitar, which has only around 3 or 4 main techniques.(). According to the bookCun gian Guqin Zhifa Puzi Jilan,there are around 1,070 different finger techniques used for the qin. Thus the qin is possibly the instrument with the most playing techniques in both the Chinese and Western instrument families.Most of the qin's techniques are obsolete, but around 50 of them still appear in modern performance. Sometimes, guqin can be played with a violinbow.It has a tone similar to that of acello,but raspier.

• 
  〈 chọn 〉 Tiao
• 
  〈 câu 〉 Gou
• 
  〈 phách 〉 Bo
• 
  〈 bát 〉 Bo

The above four figures are from an old handbook.

Tablature and notation

Main article:Guqin notation

See also:Qinpu

First section ofYoulan,showing the name of the piece: "Jieshi Diao Youlan No.5", the preface describing the piece's origins, and the tablature in longhand form.

Written qin music did not directly tell what notes were played; instead, it was written in atablaturedetailing tuning, finger positions, and stroke technique, thus comprising a step by step method and description of how to play a piece. Some tablatures do indicate notes using thegongchesystem, or indicaterhythmusingdots.The earliest example of the modernshorthandtablature survives from around the twelfth century CE. An earlier form of music notation from the Tang era survives in just one manuscript, dated to the seventh century CE, calledJieshi Diao Youlan(Solitary Orchid in Stone Tablet Mode). It is written in alonghandform calledwenzi pu(VănTựPhổ ) (literally "written notation" ), said to have been created by Yong Menzhouduring theWarring States period,which gives all the details using ordinary writtenChinese characters.Later in theTang dynasty,Cao Rouand others simplified the notation, using only the important elements of the characters (like string number, plucking technique,huinumber and which finger to stop the string) and combined them into one characternotation.This meant that instead of having two lines of written text to describe a few notes, a single character could represent onenote,or sometimes as many as nine. This notation form was calledGian zi pu(GiảmTự phổ ) (literally "reduced notation" ) and it was a major advance in qin notation. It was so successful that from theMing dynastyonwards, a great manyqinpu( cầmPhổ) (qin tablature collections) appeared, the most famous and useful being "Shenqi Mipu" (The Mysterious and Marvellous Tablature) compiled byZhu Quan,the 17th son of the founder of the Ming dynasty.In the 1960s, Zha Fuxi discovered more than 130 qinpu that contain well over 3360 pieces of written music. However, many qinpu compiled before the Ming dynasty are now lost, and many pieces have remained unplayed for hundreds of years.

Repertoire

TheQinxue Rumen【 cầm học nhập môn 】 (1864) tablature has dots andgongchenotation next to the qin tablature to indicate beats and notes.

Qin pieces are usually around three to eight minutes in length, with the longest being "Guangling San",which is 22 minutes long. Other famous pieces include "Liu Shui"(Flowing Water), "YangguanSan Die "(Three Refrains on the Yang Pass Theme), "Meihua San Nong"(Three Variations on thePlum BlossomTheme), "Xiao Xiang Shui Yun"(Mist and Clouds over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers), and "Pingsha Luo Yan"(Wild Geese Descending on theSandbank). The average player will generally have a repertoire of around ten pieces which they will aim to play very well, learning new pieces as and when they feel like it or if the opportunity arises. Players mainly learn popular well-transcribed versions, often using a recording as a reference. In addition to learning to play established or ancient pieces very well, highly skilled qin players may alsocomposeorimprovise,although the player must be very good and extremely familiar with the instrument to do this successfully. A number of qin melodies areprogram musicdepicting the natural world.

Transcription

Dapu( học đánh cờ ) is thetranscribingof old tablature into a playable form. Since qin tablature does not indicatenote value,tempoorrhythm,the player must work it out for themselves. Normally, qin players will learn the rhythm of a piece through a teacher or master. They sit facing one another, with the student copying the master. The tablature will only be consulted if the teacher is not sure of how to play a certain part. Because of this, traditional qinpu do not indicate them (though near the end of the Qing dynasty, a handful of qinpu had started to employ various rhythm indicating devices, such as dots). If one did not have a teacher, then one had to work out the rhythm by themselves. But it would be a mistake to assume that qin music is devoid of rhythm and melody. By the 20th century, there had been attempts to try to replace the "Gian zi pu" notation, but so far, it has been unsuccessful; since the 20th century, qin music is generally printed withstaff notationabove the qin tablature. Because qin tablature is so useful, logical, easy, and the fastest way (once the performer knows how to read the notation) of learning a piece, it is invaluable to the qin player and cannot totally be replaced (just as staff notation cannot be replaced for Western instruments, because they developed a notation system that suited the instruments well).

TheQinxue Congshu【 cầm học bộ sách 】 (1910) uses a more detailed system involving a grid next to main qin notation; right grid line indicates note, middle indicates the beat, left indicates how the qin tablature relates to the rhythm.

There is a saying that goes "a short piece requires three months [of dapu to complete], and a long piece requires three years". In actual practice, it needn't be that long to dapu a piece, but suggests that the player will have not only memorised the piece off by heart, but also have their fingering, rhythm and timing corrected. And afterwards, the emotion must be put into the piece. Therefore, it could be said that it really does require three months or years to finish dapu of a piece in order for them to play it to a very high standard.

Rhythm in qin music

It has already been discussed that qin music has a rhythm and that it is only vaguely indicated in the tablature.Though there is an amount of guesswork involved, the tablature has clues to indicate rhythm, such as repeating motifs, an indication of phrases or how the notation is arranged. Throughout the history of the qinpu, we see many attempts to indicate this rhythm more explicitly, involving devices like dots to make beats. Probably, one of the major projects to regulate the rhythm to a large scale was the compilers of theQinxue Congshutablature collection of the 1910s to 1930s. The construction of the written tablature was divided into two columns. The first was further divided into about three lines of a grid, each line indicating a varied combination of lyrics, gongche tablature, se tablature, pitch, and/or beats depending on the score used. The second column was devoted to qin tablature.

Western composers have noticed that the rhythm in a piece of qin music can change; once they seem to have got a beat, the beats change. This is due to the fact that qin players may use some free rhythm in their playing. Whatever beat they use will depend on the emotion or the feeling of the player, and how they interpret the piece. However, some melodies have sections of fixed rhythm which are played the same way generally. The main theme ofMeihua Sannong,for example, uses this. Some sections of certain melodies require the player to play faster with force to express the emotion of the piece. Examples include the middle sections ofGuangling SanandXiaoxiang Shuiyun.Other pieces, such asJiu Kuanghas a fixed rhythm throughout the entire piece.

Organology

A qin tablature collection "Qinxue Congshu"

While acoustics dictated the general form and construction of the guqin, its external form could and did take on a huge amount of variation, whether it be from the embellishments or even the basic structure of the instrument. Qin tablatures from theSong eraonwards have catalogued a plethora of qin forms. All, however, obey very basic rules of acoustics andsymbolismof form. The qin uses strings ofsilkormetal-nylonand is tuned in accordance to traditional principles.

Ancient guqins were made of little more than wood and strings of twisted silk. Ornaments included inlaid dots of mother-of-pearl or other similar materials. Traditionally, thesound boardwas made of Chinese parasol woodfirmiana simplex,its rounded shape symbolising the heavens. The bottom was made of Chinese Catalpa,Catalpa ovata,its flat shape symbolising earth. Modern instruments are most frequently made ofCunninghamiaor other similar timbers. The traditional finish is of raw lacquer mixed with powdered deer horn, and the finishing process could take months of curing to complete. The finish develops cracks over time, and these cracks are believed to improve the instrument's sound as the wood and lacquer release tension. An antique guqin's age can be determined by this snake like crack pattern called "duanwen" ( đoạn văn ).

Construction

Main article:Guqin construction

According to tradition, the qin originally had five strings, representing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Later, in theZhou dynasty,Zhou Wen Wangadded a sixth string to mourn his son,Boyikao.His successor,Zhou Wu Wang,added a seventh string to motivate his troops into battle with the Shang. The thirteenhuion the surface represent the 13 months of the year (the extra 13th is the 'leap month' in thelunar calendar). The surface board is round to represent Heaven and the bottom board flat to represent the earth. The entire length of the qin (inChinese measurements) is 3chi,6cunand 5fen;representing the 365 days of the year (though this is just a standard since qins can be shorter or longer depending on the period's measurement standard or the maker's preference). Each part of the qin has meaning, some more obvious, like "dragon pool"and "phoenix pond".

Names of (from left to right) the front, inside and back parts of the qin

Strings

Main article:Guqin strings

A selection of different qin strings. Top to bottom: ( thái cổ cầm huyền ) Taigu Silk Qin Strings ( trung thanh zhongqing gauge) with a container of 'string gum' ( huyềnKeo), ( thượng âm bài cầm huyền ) Shangyin Shanghai Conservatorie Quality Qin Strings (metal-nylon), ( hổ khâu đàn cổ huyền ) Huqiu Silk Strings

Until recently, the guqin's strings were always made of various thicknesses of twistedsilk,but since then most players use modern nylon-flatwoundsteelstrings. This was partly due to the scarcity of high-quality silk strings and partly due to the newer strings' greater durability and louder tone.

Silk strings are made by gathering a prescribed number of strands of silk thread, then twisting them tightly together. The twisted cord of strings is then wrapped around a frame and immersed in a vat of liquid composed of a special mixture of naturalgluethat binds the strands together. The strings are taken out and left to dry, before being cut into the appropriate length. The top thicker strings (i.e. strings one to four) are further wrapped in a thin silk thread, coiled around the core to make it smoother. According to ancient manuals, there are three distinctive gauges of thickness that one can make the strings. The first istaigu[Great Antiquity] which is the standard gauge, thezhongqing[Middle Clarity] is thinner, whilst thejiazhong[Added Thickness] is thicker. According to theYugu Zhai Qinpu,zhongqingis the best. The currently used silk string gauge standard was defined by Suzhou silk string maker Pan Guohui ( Phan quốc huy ).

Although most contemporary players use nylon-wrapped metal strings, some argue that nylon-wrapped metal strings cannot replace silk strings for their refinement of tone. Additionally, nylon-wrapped metal strings can cause damage to the wood of old qins. Many traditionalists feel that the sound of the fingers of the left hand sliding on the strings to be a distinctive feature of qin music. The modern nylon-wrapped metal strings were very smooth in the past, but are now slightly modified in order to capture these sliding sounds.

Around 2007, a new type of strings were produced made of mostly a nylon core coiled with nylon like the metal-nylon strings, possibly in imitation of Westerncatgutstrings.The sound is similar to the metal-nylon strings but without the metallic tone to them (one of the main reasons why traditionalists do not like the metal-nylon strings). The nylon strings can be tuned to standard pitch without breaking and can sustain their tuning whatever the climate, unlike silk. The strings have various names in China, but they are advertised as sounding like silk strings prior to the 1950s, when silk string production stopped.

Traditionally, the strings were wrapped around the goose feet,but a device has been invented, which is a block of wood attached to the goose feet, with pins similar to those used to tune theguzhengprotruding out at the sides, so one can string and tune the qin using a tuningwrench.

Tuning

A tuning key for the guqin from the Han dynasty, collection of theÖstasiatiska Museet,Stockholm, Sweden

Main article:Guqin tunings

To string a guqin, one traditionally had to tie a fly's head knot (yingtou jie) at one end of the string, and slip the string through the twisted cord (rongkou) which goes into holes at the head of the qin and then out the bottom through thetuning pegs(zhen). The string is dragged over the bridge (yueshan『 Nhạc Sơn 』), across the surface board, over the nut (longyindragon gums) to the back of the qin, where the end is wrapped around one of two legs (fengzu"phoenix feet" oryanzu"geese feet" ). Afterwards, the strings are fine-tuned using the tuning pegs (sometimes,rosinis used on the part of the tuning peg that touches the qin body to stop it from slipping, especially if the qin is tuned to higher pitches). The most common tuning, "zheng điểu" 〈 chính điều 〉, ispentatonic:5 61 2 3 5 6 (which can be also played as1 2 4 5 61 2) in the traditional Chinese number system orGian pu(i.e. 1=do, 2=re, etc.). Today this is generally interpreted to mean C D F G A c d, but this should be consideredsol la do re misol la, since historically the qin was not tuned to absolute pitch. Other tunings are achieved by adjusting the tension of the strings using the tuning pegs at the head end. Thusmanjiao điểu( "slackened third string" ) gives1 2 3 5 61 2 andruibin điểu( "raised fifth string" ) gives1 2 4 5 71 2, which is transposed to2 3 5 61 2 3.

Playing context

Rock carving of abodhisattvaplaying a guqin, found inShanxi,Northern Weidynasty (386–534)

The guqin is nearly always played as asoloinstrument since its quietness of tone means that it cannot compete with the sounds of most other instruments or anensemble.It can, however, be played together with axiao(end-blown bamboo flute), with other qin, or played while singing. In old times, these(a long zither with movable bridges and 25 strings) was frequently used in duets with the qin. However, thesehas not survived, though duet tablature scores for the instruments are preserved in a fewqinpu,and the master qin player Wu Jinglüe was one of only a few in the twentieth century who knew how to play it together with qin in duet. Lately there has been a trend to use other instruments to accompany the qin, such as thexun(ceramic ocarina),pipa(four-stringed pear-shaped lute),dizi(transverse bamboo flute), and others for more experimental purposes.

In order for an instrument to accompany the qin, its sound must be mellow and not overwhelm the qin. Thus, thexiaogenerally used for this purpose is one pitched in thekeyof F, known asqin xiao“Cầm tiêu”, which is narrower than an ordinaryxiao.If one sings to qin songs (which is rare nowadays) then one should not sing in anoperaticorfolk styleas is common in China, but rather in a very low pitched and deep way; and the range in which one should sing should not exceed one and a half octaves. The style of singing is similar to that used to reciteTang poetry.In order fully to appreciate qin songs, one needs to become accustomed to the eccentric singing style adopted by certain players of the instrument, such as Zha Fuxi.

Traditionally, the qin was played in a quietstudioorroomby oneself, or with a few friends; or played outdoors in places of outstanding natural beauty. Nowadays, many qin players perform atconcertsin large concert halls, almost always, out of necessity, using electronic pickups ormicrophonesto amplify the sound. Many qin players attendyajis,at which a number of qin players, music lovers, or anyone with an interest inChinese culturecan come along to discuss and play the qin. In fact, the yaji originated as amulti-mediagathering involving thefour arts:qin,Go,calligraphy,andpainting.

Ritual use of the qin

A painting byChen Hongshouof a person with a qin

Being an instrument associated with scholars, the guqin was also played in a ritual context, especially inyayuein China, andaakin Korea.

TheNational Center for Korean Traditional Performing Artscontinues to performMunmyo jeryeak(Confucian ritual music), using the last two survivingaakmelodies from the importation of yayue from theSong dynastyemperorHuizongin 1116, including in the ensemble theseul(se) andgeum(금; qin). The Koreangeumused in this context has evolved to be slightly different when compared to the normalqinin that there are 14 instead of 13huiand that they are not placed correctly according to the harmonic positions besides other different construction features. The finger techniques are more closer togayageumtechnique than it is to the complex ones of the qin. As the qin never gained a following in Korean society, the ritualgeumbecame the fossilised form of it and to all intents and purposes unplayable for a qin player. The Korean scholars never adopted the qin but instead created their own instrument, thegeomungo( huyền cầm ), which adopted much of the qin's lore and aesthetics and essentially taking the qin's place as the scholars' instrument.

In China, the qin was still in use in ritual ceremonies of the imperial court, such can be seen in the court paintings of imperial sacrifices of the Qing court (e.g.The Yongzheng Emperor Offering Sacrifices at the Altar of the God of Agriculture,1723–35).The qin also have many variations with a different number of strings, such as duringSong Taizong's reign, but these variations never survived the changes of dynasty and so today the normal qin is used.

In Japan, the qin was never adopted into ritual music, but for a time in the lateEdo periodthe qin was adopted by some scholars and Buddhist monks. The guqin was later adjusted and adopted into general Japanese folk music as theKoto( cầm ).

Qin aesthetics

Main article:Guqin aesthetics

When the qin is played, a number ofaestheticelements are involved. The first ismusicality.In the second section of "Pingsha Luoyan", for example, the initial few bars contain anaovibratofollowed by a phase of sliding up and down the string, even when the sound has already become inaudible (). The average person trained in music may question whether this is really "music".Normally, some players would pluck the string very lightly to create a very quiet sound. For some players, this plucking isn't necessary. Instead of trying to force a sound out of the strings one should allow the strings to emit the sounds to which they are naturally predisposed. Some players say that the sliding on the string even when the sound has disappeared is a distinctive feature in qin music. It creates a" space "or" void "in a piece, playing without playing, sound without sound. In fact, when the viewer looks at the player sliding on the string without sounds, the viewer automatically" fills in the notes "with their minds. This creates a connection between player, instrument and listener. This, of course, cannot happen when listening to a recording, as one cannot see the performer. It can also be seen as impractical in recording, as the player would want to convey sound as much as possible towards a third audience. But in fact, there is sound, the sound coming from the fingers sliding on the string. With a really good qin, silk strings, and a perfectly quiet environment, all the tones can be sounded. Since the music is more player-oriented than listener oriented, and the player knows the music, he/she can hear it even if the sound is not there. With silk strings, the sliding sound might be called theqior "life force" of the music. The really empty sounds are the pauses between notes. However, if one cannot create a sound that can be heard when sliding on a string, it is generally acceptable to lightly pluck the string to create a very quiet sound.

In popular culture

Xu Kuanghua playing an ancient qin in the filmHero

As a symbol of high culture, the qin continually appears in many forms of Chinese popular culture to varying degrees of accuracy. References are made to the qin in a variety of media including TV episodes and films. Actors often possess limited knowledge on how to play the instrument and instead, they mime it to a pre-recorded piece by a Qin player. Sometimes the music is erroneously mimed toguzhengmusic, rather than qin music. A more faithful representation of the qin is in theZhang YimoufilmHero,in which Xu Kuanghua plays an ancient version of the qin in the courtyard scenewhile Nameless and Long Sky fight at aXiangqiparlour. It mimed the music played by Liu Li, formerly a professor at theCentral Conservatory of Musicin Beijing.It is suggested that Xu made the qin himself.

The qin was also featured in the2008 Summer Olympics Opening CeremonyinBeijing,played by Chen Leiji ( Trần Lôi kích ).

The qin is also used in many classical Chinese novels, such asCao Xueqin'sDream of the Red Chamberand various others.

The qin is also used in many contemporary Chinese novels, notably the 2016 novelMo Dao Zu Shi,as well as the 2019 live-action series adaptation,The Untamed,in which the qin is used as a spiritual tool of protagonist Lan Wangji. Behind-the-scenes footage of the production of the series revealed that several actors were given qin lessons prior to filming to prepare them for their roles as characters that played the instrument.

Electric guqin

The electric guqin was first developed in the late 20th century by adding electric guitar–style magnetic pickups to a regular acoustic guqin, allowing the instrument to be amplified through an instrument amplifier or PA system.

Related instruments

The Japaneseichigenkin,amonochordzither, is believed to be derived from the qin. The qin handbookLi xing Yuanya(1618) includes some melodies for a one-string qin, and theWuzhi Zhai Qinpucontains a picture and description of such an instrument.The modern ichigenkin apparently first appeared in Japan just after that time. However, thehonkyoku(standard repertoire) of the ichigenkin today most closely resembles that of theshamisen.

The Koreangeomungomay also be related, albeit distantly. Korean literati wanted to play an instrument the way their Chinese counterparts played the qin. The repertoire was largely thegeomungoparts for melodies played by the court orchestra.

See also

• Contemporary guqin players
• Guqin aesthetics
• Guqin construction
• Guqin playing technique
• Guqin schools
• Guqin tunings
• Koto
• List of Chinese musical instruments
• Qinpu
• Se
• Yayue

References

Further information:List of guqin literature

In Chinese

• Zha, Fuxi (1958).Cun gian Guqin Qupu Jilan【 tồn thấy đàn cổ khúc phổ tập lãm 】. Beijing: The People's Music Press.ISBN7-103-02379-4.
• Gong, Yi (1999).Guqin Yanzoufa【 đàn cổ diễn tấu pháp 】; 2nd ed., rev. inc. 2 CDs. Shanghai: Shanghai Educational Press.ISBN7-5320-6621-5
• Yin, Wei (2001).Zhongguo Qinshi Yanyi【 Trung Quốc cầm sử diễn nghĩa 】. Yunnan: People's Press of Yunnan.ISBN7-222-03206-1/I‧866
• Guo, Ping (2006).Guqin Congtan【 đàn cổ tùng đàm 】. Jinan: Shandong Book Press.ISBN7-80713-209-4

Qinpu

See also:List of qinpu

• Zhu, Quan (1425, 2001).Shenqi Mipu【 thần kỳ bí phổ 】. Beijing: Cathay Bookshop.ISBN7-80568-973-3/J‧284
• Zhou, Zi'an (1722, 2000).Wuzhi Zhai Qinpu【 năm biết trai cầm phổ 】. Beijing: Cathay Bookshop.ISBN7-80568-864-8/J‧237
• Zhang, He (1864, 1998).Qinxue Rumen【 cầm học nhập môn 】. Beijing: Cathay Bookshop.ISBN7-80568-865-6/J‧236
• Yang, Zongji (1910–1931, 1996).Qinxue Congshu【 cầm học bộ sách 】. Beijing: Cathay Bookshop.ISBN7-80568-552-5/I‧139
• Zhang Yushu et al. (1921).Kangxi Zidian【 Khang Hi từ điển 】. Shanghai: Shanghai Old Books Distribution Place.

In English

• Parabola, Vol XXIII, No. 2, Summer 1998, pp 56–62: J. L. Walker "No Need to Listen! A Conversation Between Sun Yu-ch'in and J. L. Walker"
• Gulik, Robert Hans van (1940, 1969).The Lore of the Chinese Lute.2nd ed., rev. Rutland, Vt., and Tokyo: Charles Tuttle and Sophia University; Monumenta Nipponica.ISBN0-8048-0869-4
• Lieberman, Fredric (1983).A Chinese Zither Tutor: The Mei-an Ch'in-p'u.Trans. and commentary. Washington and Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.ISBN0-295-95941-X
• Yung, Bell (2008).The Last of China's Literati: The Music, Poetry and Life of Tsar The-yun.Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.ISBN978-962-209-916-6
• Gulik, Robert Hans van (2011).The Lore of the Chinese Lute.3rd ed. Bangkok: Orchid Press.
• Rawski, E. Evelyn & Rawson, Jessica (ed.) (2005).CHINA: The Three Emperors 1662—1795.London: Royal Academy of Arts.ISBN1-903973-69-4

External links

• John Thompson's on theGuqinSilk String ZitherA host of information on the qin and silk strings for qins in English, including extensive study of Shenqi Mipu and analysis of playing style, plus useful section on qin sources
• The Qinon the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History,The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Silk on WoodA Feature Radio Documentary byRobert Ioliniabout the Silk String Qin and MadameTsar Teh-Yun.The website includes online video performances by the Deyin Qin Society of Hong Kong.
• Chinese Guqin and NotationJudy (Pei-You) Chang's very detailed and well illustrated site explaining fingering techniques, including sections on structure, forms and various information
• A Complete Study of the Chinese Zitherfrom 1670
• Chinese Guqin cliques and where they originatedA specific analysis of most Guqin cliques and play styles, also have some analysis about their originations
• Period table of Chinese dynastiesA timetable of different Chinese dynasty to help people understand the period of Guqin History
• Guqin Store pageA Guqin store website page in LA