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Qin (Guqin) Research and Documentation

website·Indexed 32 days ago

https://qin.kqh.me

A comprehensive digital archive dedicated to the Guqin, featuring scholarly research on Qin history (琴史), musical theory, and fingering techniques (指法). The collection includes detailed analyses of historical scores like the Tang Copy of Jieshi Diao Youlan, biographical accounts of masters such as Hou Zuowu, and technical guides on tuning systems (品弦法) and acoustics.

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What's inside Qin

  1. Overview of the Qin Xue Zheng Sheng (琴學正聲) collection

    The 'Qin Xue Zheng Sheng' is a comprehensive collection of Guqin (ancient zither) studies and scores. It includes theoretical treatises on instrument construction, fingering, music theory, and a curated list of musical pieces from several historical score collections: Xiangshan Tang (響山堂), Chengjian Tang (澄鑒堂), and Wuzhizhai (五知齋).

  2. Overview of ancient Chinese calendar system studies

    The study of ancient official calendars (官曆) is based on documented parameters and algorithms. Key areas of study include:

    • General History: Development of calendars, intercalation (置閏), and the calculation of the new moon (進朔).
    • Astronomy: The movement of the sun, moon, five planets, and the 'seven luminaries' (七政).
    • Technical Calculations: Concepts including the tropical year (歲實), precession (歲差), planetary longitude (日躔), lunar distance (月離), and eclipses (交食).
    • Early Systems: The 'Four-Part Calendar' (四分曆) serves as the simplest entry point for calculation practice.
    • Mathematical Tools: Essential tools include the Arc-Arrow Circle-Cutting method (弧矢割圓術), Dayan method (大衍術), Day-Adjustment method (調日法), Stack-Accumulation method (垛積術), and Interpolation method (招差術).

  3. Overview of Long Qinfang and the 'Ba' Style of Guqin

    Long Qinfang (1886–1959) was a prominent Guqin master of the Sichuan school. He developed the 'Ba' style (霸派), which he described humorously as playing in the 'Baba' (plains) of Western Sichuan. Technically, the 'Ba' style is a creative fusion of the traditional Sichuan school's 'urgent waves and thundering' (急浪奔雷) and the early Yushan school's 'clear, subtle, and distant' (清微澹远) qualities. The resulting style is characterized as vigorous, proficient, thick, transparent, and possessing a profound, far-reaching artistic conception.

  4. Overview of the Qingshang and Xianghe Musical Systems

    The Qingshang and Xianghe systems represent the evolution of Chinese music from Han dynasty folk songs (Xianghe songs) to the more structured Qingshang music of the Eastern Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties.

    • Qingshang Three Modes (清商三調): Consists of Qing (清), Ping (平), and Se (瑟).
    • Xianghe Five Modes (相和五調): Consists of Qing (清), Ping (平), Se (瑟), Chu (楚), and Ce (側).

    By the Tang dynasty, these systems integrated with the 28 modes of Yan-yue (banquet music).

  5. Overview of the Qin Shi (琴史)

    The Qin Shi (History of the Qin) is a historical record of the Guqin, completed in 1084 (Yuanfeng 7th year) by Zhu Changwen. It documents the instrument's origins from the era of the ancient sage kings (such as Fuxi, Yao, and Shun) and its role in ritual music, governance, and personal cultivation. The text emphasizes the Guqin as a tool for harmonizing the world ('Chang' for universal benefit) and expressing personal resolve in solitude ('Cao' for self-cultivation).

  6. Overview of the Sichuan School (川派) Guqin Lineages

    The Sichuan School of Guqin was established by musicians from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions (including Zhang Kongshan, Cao Zhiyun, Tang Yiming, Yang Zidong, and Qian Shouzhan) who traveled to Sichuan during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi periods, bringing traditions closely related to the Yushan School. The school evolved into several distinct branches:

    • Mature Sichuan School (成熟川派): Descended from Zhang Kongshan through lineages such as the Chengdu Ye family (Yu Shaoze) and Huayang Gu family (Gu Meigeng). Characterized by rigorous structure and a style acceptable to modern listeners.
    • The 'Ba' School (霸派/川中虞山): Descended from Yang Zidong via Long Qinfang. It preserves the 'Original Sichuan' appearance with powerful, direct tones and a high artistic conception.
    • Modern Sichuan School (现代川派): Represented by Hou Zuowu and Wang Huade, who emphasized musicality and advanced technical execution, often described as 'surging waves and thundering lightning' (激浪奔雷).
    • Original/Primitive Branches: Such as the Shifang Liu family, which preserved Zhang Kongshan's original style but is less aligned with modern aesthetics.

  7. Overview of the 古逸叢書碣石調·幽蘭 collection

    The '古逸叢書碣石調·幽蘭' is a compiled collection of Guqin music and theory edited by 柯棋瀚. It aggregates content from several historical sources, including technical guides on instrument construction, fingering methods (left and right hand), and a vast array of traditional musical pieces categorized by 'intent' (意) and 'mode' (調).

  8. Overview of Wang Huade's musical career and style

    Wang Huade was a master of the Guqin and a practitioner of Sichuan Qingyin. His early musical training began with folk artists in Sichuan Qingyin and Pipa accompaniment. At age 24, he studied Guqin under masters Yi Shangda and Long Qinfang. After age 30, he furthered his studies in Beijing with renowned figures such as Zha Fuxi and Pu Xuezhai. His playing style is characteristic of the 'Shu' (Sichuan) school: vigorous and intense, contrasting with the more gentle 'Wu' (Jiangnan) style. His interpretations of pieces like 'High Mountains' (高山) and 'Flowing Water' (流水) are noted for their dynamic range, blending primitive simplicity with a bold, expansive spirit.

  9. Overview of Guqin performance program and performers

    This program features a collection of Guqin pieces performed by members of the Songfeng Guqin Society, including performers Ke Qihan, Mi Guannan, Xu Manya, Liu Jiaqi, and Huang Zhongchen. The repertoire focuses on various schools of Guqin music, specifically the Chuan school (Sichuan) and the Yushan school, with a focus on historical interpretations and modern adaptations.

  10. Overview of amateur Guqin practitioners and their diverse professions

    The Meian tradition included many 'amateur' players who achieved high proficiency while pursuing other professional careers:

    • Academic/Scientific: Sun Zongpeng (Physiology PhD, Pharmacy professor), Huang Yaozeng (Chemistry researcher), Ling Chunsheng (Anthropologist).
    • Medical: Zhou Xiaozhai (Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner).
    • Arts/Culture: Wang Ge-yan (Calligraphy/Painting), Deng Huainong (Painting), Shi Chongguang (Calligraphy/Teaching).
    • Government/Military: Wang Xinling (Supervisory Commissioner), Zhu Huisen (Minister of Education in Taiwan), Fan Ziwen (Intelligence system/Military).
    • Technical/Other: Feng Xiong (Water conservancy expert), Lyu Dekuan (Textile industry).

  11. Overview of the 1956 Guqin Rescue Mission

    In 1956, a three-person interview team consisting of Cha Fuxi (Chinese Musicians Association), Xu Jian, and Wang Di (Institute of National Music Research) conducted a 100-day mission (April 17 to July 27) to rescue the declining tradition of Guqin music. The team visited 17 locations, including Beijing, Jinan, Nanjing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Huizhou, Changsha, Hefei, Anqing, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guiyang, Chengdu, Guanxian, and Xi'an. The mission aimed to record performances, document the lives of elderly practitioners, and collect rare Guqin literature and artifacts.

  12. Overview of the Yingyang Qinpu (穎陽琴譜) Collection

    The Yingyang Qinpu is a collection of Guqin musical scores and theoretical treatises. It includes several distinct sections and volumes covering music theory, fingering methods, and specific compositions across multiple historical collections including the Yingyang Qinpu, Lantian Guan Qinpu, Dale Yuan Yin, and Yanlu Lou Qinpu.