The Li Shao Yi states: "As for qin and se, when you hold on to one do so with the left hand. Holding a qin is referred to as "embracing" it, and also "ceding to" it. When the hands are about to play it this is called "aiding" it and also "inviting" it".

When sitting facing the qin, one should align with the sixth hui (marker) to be correct. Some use the space between the sixth and seventh hui, or the seventh hui alone, but this does not accord with the proper principles. This is because when the right hand plucks the strings near the bridge, and the left hand presses down or produces harmonics at the thirteenth hui, the midpoint between bridge and the thirteenth hui is the sixth hui. This is why the sixth hui is taken as the correct central reference.

When playing the qin, don't ask whether others are present or not, one should always maintain a sense of reverence and respect, as if facing a teacher or a worthy friend. The qin should rest on the knees, and the body should remain upright. One must calm the spirit and focus the mind, eliminate distractions, and concentrate with full attention. The fingers must not strike the strings carelessly, and the strings must not produce erroneous sounds. The eyes should remain on the left hand, the ears listening to the sound. There is no need to tense the muscles or brace the shoulders; rather, the spirit and breath should flow smoothly. One's use of force should be controlled, so that this is not apparent to others.

去十病，除九不詳，久則習與性成，如自然耳。
Eliminate the ten faults and remove the nine errors, then over time habit will merge with nature and it will become like second nature.

夫十病者：

As for the Ten Faults:

1. Shaking the body and moving the head.
2. Eyes wandering.
3. Face changing expressions, straining with an open mouth, and excessively displaying personal emotion.
4. Eyes darting anxiously, breathing unevenly, rocking back and forth, revealing an unsettled and sluggish spirit.
5. Despite years of practice, still failing to understand sound.
6. Disorderly fingering, imprecise tuning, uneven tonal quality, failing to articulate all five tones, and producing sounds that are not true.
7. Irregular rhythm and phrasing, sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow, thinking oneself skillful but altering the ancient sounds.
8. Leaning the body and tilting the head.
9. Hand movements become too convoluted.
10. Having long fingernails on both hands, making the sound dry and hard, and producing a sense of desolation.

尤（九）不詳者。

As for the Nine Imprecisions:

1. Not striking the correct notes.
2. Harmonic sounds and stopped lose their distinctive qualities.
3. Not being in tune before starting to play.
4. The five tones become muddled.
5. Fingers become crooked instead of straight.
6. Slow and fast lose their distinctiveness.
7. Fast and slow vibrato are not distinctive.
8. Careless and crude technique.
9. Not following proper procedures when teaching others.

此二者不除。雖窮年學琴。終不能使聲韻雅正。感動幽冥。雖彈亦奚以為哉。
If these two sets are not eliminated, then even if one spends a lifetime learning the qin, in the end, one will still be unable to make the sound and resonance refined and proper, nor move the spirits of the unseen. In such a case, what would be the point of playing at all?