Tunings
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Taiyin Daquanji  ToC   Folio 4 ToC  /  Folio 5 ToC   parts   1  /  2&3  /  4  /  5&6  /  7  /  8  /  9&10  /  "Folio 6": ToC 網站目錄
Taiyin Daquanji 1 太音大全集
Folio 5, Part 9: Changing the Tuning for Non-standard Modes 卷五，九：外調轉絃
Folio 5, Part 10: Heritage of Tunings 2 卷五，十：轉絃宗派
For more on tunings see:
Qin tunings, some theoretical concepts
Other non-standard tunings lists date from 1425 (7), 1525 (13), 1590 (19) and 1618 (20). 		QQJC I/93B

9. 外調轉絃 Changing the Tuning for Non-standard Modes Part 9 is on the right side, Part 10 is on the left (compare below 3          
There is no indication of source for this material. It seems to suggest that in the past there were many more tunings used but there is no historical information on this here. There is little evidence as to when they may have been used. The non-standard tunings that appear in some qin song books such as the Songfengge Qinpu suggests that they might have been more common in the qin song repertoire, much of which was not written down. It might make sense if people were adjusting the tuning to meet the vocal range of the singers.

As for the material here, the tunings used in any of the over 300 melodies I have reconstructed are explained elsewhere, e.g., here. Those here without surviving examples are here either out of curiosity or in hopes of having some future use. There seem to be quite a few textual errors further complicating a potential translation.

A. (19 外調 non-standard tunings)

  1. 慢宮 Mangong ：慢一、三、六個一徽（徽簡寫山）
  2. 慢商 Manshang ：慢一、三，應一絃散聲（神奇秘譜有：慢二，應一絃散聲）
  3. 慢角 Manjue ：慢三絃一徽
  4. 清調 Qingdiao ：緊七、五絃各一徽
  5. 清商 Qingshang：慢宀？，慢四絃（神奇秘譜：緊二、五、七 = 慢一、三、四、六）
  6. 情角 Qingjue：慢宀緊五十二徽
  7. 碧玉 Biyu：慢角同
  8. 琴調 Qindiao：慢商同
  9. 黃鍾 Huangzhong：慢大緊五各一絃
  10. 離憂 Liyou：黃鍾緊二半徽（西麓堂：慢一、二，緊五各一徽）
  11. 無射 Wuyi：黃鍾同
  12. 無媒 Wumei：慢角、慢三慢六一徽（西麓堂同）
  13. 應鍾羽 Yingzhong Yu：（圖無三；應鐘，神奇秘譜：緊五、慢一）
  14. 金羽 Jinyu：慢金同（神奇秘譜：同清羽，與蕤賓同：緊五）
  15. 側羽 Ceyu：黃鐘緊七
  16. 側楚 Cechu：離憂緊七
  17. 凄凉 Qiliang：緊二、五各一徽
  18. 泉鳴 Quanming：慢宀慢第一徽（西麓堂：慢三、六個一徽）
  19. 蜀側 Shuce：五九十間應七，十四應六，十上應五，十八應四，十六應六（！？）

B. 又 (20 more non-standard tunings)

  1. 無媒 Wumei：慢二、六各一徽（與上面不同；疑誤抄：二許寫三）
  2. 情角 Qingjue：慢一、六，緊三各一絃（與上面不同）
  3. 羲和 Xihe：慢一、三應一絃
  4. 碧玉 Biyu：緊三、五並七各一絃（與上面不同；西麓堂例子也不同： 慢一、四、六，緊三）
  5. 金羽 Jinyu：緊五一徽，即蕤賓（與上面同）
  6. 側属 Ceshu：慢一一徽
  7. 無射 Wuyi：慢三各一絃（與上面不同）
  8. 三清 Sanqing：慢一、二、三各一徽
  9. 清商 Qingshang：慢一、三、四、六各一徽（與上面不同）
  10. 玉清 Yuqing：緊七、慢四各一徽
  11. 泉鳴 Quanming：緊七慢一、四各一徽（與上面不同）
  12. 上間絃 Shangjianxian：緊五二徽
  13. 側羽 Ceyu：緊五同清商（與上面不同）
  14. 側楚 Cechu：慢二緊七各一徽（與上面不同）
  15. 慢商 Manshang：慢二一徽（與上面不同；與神奇秘譜同）
  16. 下間絃 Xiajianxian：慢二緊五各一徽
  17. 清調 Qingdiao：慢二緊五各一徽（與上面不同）
  18. 吳調 Wudiao：清調同
  19. 琴調 Qindiao：慢二同離憂（與上面琴調同）
  20. 清羽 Qingyu：緊一、四各一徽

A preliminary check suggests that of these latter 20, 11 have a title that is the same as in the former list, but of these only two define the tuning in the same way.

10. 轉絃宗派 Heritage of Tunings (QQJC I/93)
The chart seems intended to show how tunings may have evolved from each other. In some cases this is pretty clear.

For example, on the right side of the chart there is the following progression:

  1. 宮     Gong: Standard tuning
  2. 慢覺 Manjue: Lowered third string
  3. 無媒 Wumei: Lowered third and sixth strings
  4. 慢宮 Mangong: Lowered first, third and sixth strings
  5. 清羽 Qingyu: from the above data this actually should be 清商 qingshang (see #9 on the lower chart). In Shen Qi Mi Pu 清商 qingshang is given as the alternate name of the famous melody Qiu Hong.

Perhaps that was just a copy error. However, the next lineage to its left is not so clear. It starts:

  1. 宮     Gong: Standard tuning
  2. 慢覺 Manjue: Lowered third string
  3. 羲和 #3 Xihe: Lowered third and first strings
  4. 金羽 jinyu: neither choice, lower or raise fifth string, works
    碧玉 biyu: lowering third or raising third, fifth and seventh: neither fits here.

So here the chart seems to have broken down. The most logical entry there would be 三清 sanqing, which calls for lowering the first, second and third strings but that was put elsewhere on the chart under 凄凉 qiliang

It is an interesting puzzle trying to work out a chart like this; perhaps with some outside guidance it might be workwhile to work on this more. But the fact is that no one has used such tunings for centuries and it would take very special efforts to try to make something of it.

 
(The Taigu Yiyin in the National Central Library, Taiwan ends here;
  go to the "Folio 6" Part 1 or to the "Folio 6" ToC)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1.Taiyin Daquanji4
See comments with right hand technique explanations.
(Return)

2. Explanations by translator
See comments concerning the structure of the original text. Number of sections has been added here, but this has not been followed consistently.
(Return)

3. Image from Taigu Yiyin (compare QQJC I/93b above) QQJC I/93, bottom: basically same content as above                
The images from Taigu Yiyin are usually easier to follow than the same material from the Taiyin Daquanji in Qinqu Jicheng, however, as shown at right, in this case those from Taiyin Daquanji look more clear.
(Return)

 

   

 
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