Qin playing methods

Part Three: Qin playing methods (彈琴法 Tan Qin Fa; QQJC I/81)
This section has seven entries over the three folio pages shown at right. The first of these, top right, has the first three entries. These are, as follows:

Qi Song (compare QSCM)
齊嵩云嵇散《琴賦》曰：「摟、批、擽、捋、縹、繚、潎、洌。」（或是：「摟批、擽捋、縹繚、潎洌。」）調手勢也。皆取其名琴宜耳，非貧多以揚誇自昡也。故聲省則質而和。繁則不合稚勢焉。
凡操琴，左右手肘膩務下，不欲高。又不欲雜弄輕慶也。
每欲操琴則齪絃。(欲如調否)齪絃之時，左（右）附於少商絃下第八、九徽間。既調以左手。以中指柱琴於官絃第七（徽）激上，不調以左手於臨岳下。調齪以右手持軫，點泛。又齪，然後彈之。此始操琴之象也。
Qi Song (Tang dynasty) said:
In his Rhapsody on the Qin Ji Kang mentioned “lōu, pī, lüè, luǒ; piāo, liáo, liè, liè” (or: “lōupī, lüèluǒ; piāoliáo, lièliè”) are characters that describe hand movements (see details). These names were chosen as suitable for use with qin, not to suggest greater embellishment or pretense. Thus, when the sound is more reserved, it can be more pure and harmonious, whereas when (the player is) tense the result will not align with one's natural flow.
When playing the qin, both left and right elbows should relax rather than be raised up. Additionally, one should avoid complex movement and a frivolous attitude.
Before playing, one must adjust the strings (whatever the melody). When tuning put the left (not right!) hand near the lower part of the shaoshang (second) string, around the eighth or ninth position marker. When tuning with the left hand, the middle finger should press the string at the guan (first) string’s seventh hui and pluck upward. If not using the left hand, one should tune near the yue position (closest to the top of the qin). Do the tuning by using the right hand to turn the tuning peg. Lightly try a harmonic, again adjust the tuning, then play.
When starting to play qin this is the proper way to do it.
Zhao Weize (10th c. CE; compare QSCM, 趙維則)
趙惟則曰：「趙師云，凡彈琴之法，必資簡靜，豈須獨會，亦無手勢鼓動。不問肉甲相和，取聲溢潤。」
純甲其聲傷乾，純肉其聲傷鈍。凡論音頭，聲合陰陽。剛柔相薦應。聲必哀切。喜琴者，自曉陰陽，非由學得夫彈琴。兩手必須相跗，如雙鸞對舞，兩鳳同翔。取聲倫比，不欲隔越。用指之法，可具論㢤。
Zhao Weize said, "According to Master Zhao, The method whenever playing qin must be straightforward and tranquil. How much it requires exclusive comprehension, and not for the hand movements to be forceful. It only goes to say flesh and nail should be used together; it just needs the sound to be full and smooth."
If played entirely with nails, the sound will be too dry. As for the attack, the sound should have proper balance (yin yang). Hardness and softness must complement each other. The sound must also carry emotion and depth. Those who truly love the qin naturally understand yin and yang — it is not mere from practice that one learns to play qin. Both hands must work in harmony, like paired luan birds dancing together or twin phoenixes soaring side by side. The sound produced should be harmonious and coherent, it must not be disjointed. As for the techniques of using the fingers, they can be discussed further in detail."
Caishi Wunong (Continuation of the previous? Compare the melodies)
蔡氏五弄：並是側聲。每至教拍。皆以清殺。何者。留清額中。以彈側聲。以清終弄。有楚含清側聲。清聲雅質。若高山松風。側聲墟美。若深潤蘭菊。知音者詳察馬。至如東武太山。聲和清側。幽蘭易水。整帶吳楚，楚明光白雪。寄清調中。彈楚清聲。易水。鳳歸林。寄清調中。彈楚側聲。竹吟風。袁松露。寄胡笳中。彈楚清聲。如此其類。實日。非天然。雜以力取也。

QQJC I/82 top: Begin Part 4 3
Xue Yijian (in Qin Jue?)
薛易簡曰：鼓琴之時。無問有人無人。須有畏懼。如對長者。攬琴在膝。身須卓然。先定神氣。精心脆慮。必須意專。注指不虛。下鳴不錯。腐目視左手。耳德其聲。目不別視。耳不別聽。心不別思。志不雜注。若或不然。鬼神不來。心神不定。聲韻交雜。非正聲也。用指打絃。輕車相似。往來不得不勻。若使一重一輕。或急或慢。此琴大病也。凡彈琴。調弄句度。節奏停歌。不得過多。左右手法。絃不得絕高。亦不得按着絃。須生精神。形貌似不用筋骨。努張精神不得疾遽。不得徐慢。又不得筋力散慢。肩脾手臂。悉須調暢。用之勿令人覺。若能依此彈。雖淺學近攻用之可比歲久矣。夫彈琴有大病七、小病五。搖身動頭，此大病一也。目視別所，覷視上下，膽顧左右，此大病二也。或面色變易，如有慙色。或開口努目，似騁志氣，此大病三也。或眼目疾遽，喘息氣麄，進退無度，形神散慢，此大病四也。或調絃不切，聲韻不律，動失正意，聽無真聲，此大病五也。或彈琴歲久，不能取聲，不解用指，音韻錯亂，此大病六也。或彈調弄，節奏句度，或慢或急，自將爲能，改易古今，此大病七也。身側頭偏，手勢亂打絃，用指輕重不匀，此小病一也。若左右手總用甲多，令聲乾硬，雖有悲思，而無雅韻，此小病二也。若左右手用肉多，音韻不匀，取聲緊重，散則清爽，此小病三也。或左手一用甲，一用肉，音韻不匀，取聲疊疊，句度急躁，不考聲韻，此小病四也。取聲遲慢，音律不續，句度不成，調弄無味，此小病五也。去此十二病，用指手勢依法，則當可未炒矣妙矣。
Zhao Xikuang (QSCB, p. 120; also in QSDQ, Folio 10
趙希曠云：夫彈琴前指不付後指。踢絃不避絃隔絃。擘絃不擘大指。間句不探手掌。用指不隱手指。歷絃不蹲手腕。此琴之膏育也。此皆....

QQJC I/82 bottom: End Part 6 + Part 7; begin Part 4
....不究宗指。傳授不遇其人。何以感鬼神厚風化㢤。夫琴七絃。各司一聲。每徽各司一月。律吕五音。繁而不雜。如水中之月。同而不和。如風中之松。合而有散。其聲責靜。無增客聲。此聲之玄微也。
Qin Lu (begins at top of column 4 at right)
琴錄云：琴有三調，足有五調。清平琴（瑟！）楚側都十弄。皆清調為之本。今之俗人。苟求得由。不尋文經。又不讀譜。不看手訣手勢。遂使操絃理徽。無復文句。聲之曲折。手之取勢。緩急失儀。多被添減。應經便去亦彈。或小大乖。繁慢為度或和上徽。則繫下應。合調宫徵。却倒文武。錯亂縱横。口耳矜重。遂失古清尚之風。而多鄙吝瑣瑣瑣碎之曲。豈不痛㢤。音貴静而無增以容聲。招尚閑誡之以妄動。即庶幾於琴矣。觀其指揮。見其瑕釁。体與琴相及。情與琴相違。知聲而不知音。彈絃而不知意。此鼓琴之膏盲也。
Qu Zhan
麴瞻云。凡彈琴。散聲虛歇。如風水之澹蕩。左手勾按於絃。泛聲委美輕清若仙歌之九詠。用左手按絃。似起似着。如蜂蝶探花。木聲實按。如雷隱隱。或如鍾鼓巍巍。如山崖磊落也。
(Partial translation in QSCB Folio 4; see also QSCM)

Part 4: Demeanour (儀式 Yi Shi; first seven lines)
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Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 太音大全集 Taiyin Daquanji Folio 4, Part 3 (QQJC 30 Volume edition I/81-82; QF/75-77)
See the Comment on the different editions.
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2. Explanations by translator
See comments concerning the structure of the original text.
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