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XLTQT   ToC   /   Preface   /   Commentary

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Xilutang Qintong Qin Anthology of the Hall in the Western Foothills

西麓堂琴統目錄 1525 (not 1549)

Tunings in Xilutang Qintong (1525)
14 tunings:¹ 8-10 and 12-14 below are not among the 8 in Shen Qi Mi Pu ²

Name	Chinese	String tuning method	Tuning	Played as	Comments/Translation
# in (brackets) is the # of pieces in this mode, incl. modal preludes	中文	loosen or tighten one half step unless otherwise indicated (underline = 1 step)	if standard tuning has 1st string = c ("1"; d=2, etc.); (absolute tuning)	if 1 = do, 2 = re, etc.; (relative tuning)	number in (brackets) is the name's sequence in the set of 12 pitches
1. Huangzhong (2)     Taicou (5)     Dalü (3)	黃鐘 太簇 大呂	lower 3	1 2 3 5 6 1 2	1 2 3 5 6 1 2	-yellow bell (1) [usually: 1 3 5 6 1 2 3] -great burst (3) -big tube (2)
2. Gong (14)     Shang (9+24)     Jiao (13)     Zhi (11+8)     Yu (7+6)     Shangjiao (3)     Zhonglü (3)     Linzhong (3)     Jiaozhiyu (2)	宮  商  角  徵  羽  商角 中呂 林鐘 角徵羽	"standard"	1 2 4 5 6 1 2	5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 4 5 6 1 2	- secondary tube (6) - forest bell (8) - these last 3 use 5 strings
3. Ruibin (4)     Qingyu (2)	蕤賓 清羽	raise 5	1 2 4 5 6# 1 2	2 3 5 6 1 2 3	-luxuriant vegetation (7)
4. Yize (3)     Nanlü (2)	夷則 南呂	lower 1, 3, 6 (or raise 2, 4, 5, 7)	7 2 3 5 6 7 2	3 5 6 1 2 3 5	-exotic standard (9);   (SQMP: mangong) - southern tube (10)
5. Guxian (3)     Jiazhong (3)	姑洗 夾鍾	raise 2, 5, 7 (or lower 1, 3, 4, 6)	1 2# 4 5 6# 1 2#	6 1 2 3 5 6 1	-maiden clean (5) -inserted bell (4)
6. Qiliang (7)	淒涼	raise 2, 5	1 2# 4 5 6# 1 2	2 4 5 6 1 2 3	-cold misery
7. Manshang (4)	慢商	lower 2	1 1 4 5 6 1 2	1 1 4 5 6 1 2
8. Yunü (2)	玉女	lower 1, 3	7 2 3 5 6 1 2	7 2 3 5 6 1 2	-jade girl; only one melody: can be played w/out lowering 1
9. Wumei (4)	無媒	lower 3 & 6	1 2 3 5 6 7 2	4 5 6 1 2 3 5	-no go-betwen (in Lixing Yuanya [1618] raise 2 by 　and 6 by 1 step)
10. Quanming (4)	泉鳴	lower 1(x2), 3, 6	6 2 3 5 6 7 2	5 1 2 4 5 6 1 (not 2 5 6 1 2 3 5)	- spring sounds; wrong tuning instructions, but correct guidelines
11. Wuyi (6)       Yingzhong (3)       Fugu (3)	無射 應鐘 復古	lower 1               raise 5	7b 2 4 5 6# 1 2	1 3 5 6 1 2 3 1 3 5 6 1	-no _?_ (11) -responding bell (12) -return to antiquity; uses only 5 strings
12. Jianxian (2)	間絃	lower 3               raise 5	1 2 3 5 6# 1 2	1 2 3 5 7b 1 2 (5 6 7 2 4 5 6?)	- between strings; only one melody: all but 1 section end like open 6th
13. Biyu (3)	碧玉	lower 1, 4, 6           raise 3	7 2 4# 5b 6 7 2	6 1 3 3 5 6 1	-green jade; alternate tuning (not here)" raise 3 a whole tone from guxian
14. Li You (1)	離憂	lower 1, 2               raise 5	7b 1 4 5 6# 1 2	1 2 5 6 1 2 3	-separation's sorrow; only one melody, no modal prelude
total: 29 diao yi         140 melodies					# does not include the diaoxian pin which precedes gong mode

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 14 Tunings: 1 standard (9 mode names) and 13 non-standard (20 mode names)
This seems to be the largest number of tunings used in any existing handbook except Lixing Yuanya (1618).

Lixing Yuanya (QQJC, VIII/173-344) has 24 melodies in 20 non-standard tunings (most have commentary, all have lyrics). The following listing of these non-standard tunings for Lixing Yuanya is now also incorporated into the Lixing Yuanya Table of Contents.

1. 慢宮 Mangong ("lower 1, 3, 6; same as 夷則 [same as 1525 yize, 南呂 nanlü")
2. 黃鐘 Huangzhong ("raise 5, lower 1" [same as 1525 wuyi, 1618 dalü])
3. 姑洗 Guxian ("raise 2, 5, 7; same as 夾鍾 jiazhong, 清商 qingshang" [same as 1525 guxian)
4. 蕤賓 Ruibin ("raise 1" [same as 1525 ruibin])
5. 無射 Wuyi ("lower 1, 2" [melody tends to avoid these 2 strings!])
   大呂 Dalü ("raise 5, lower 1; 如黃鍾但" [same as #2; again as 1525 wuyi])
6. 慢商 Manshang ("lower 1, 3"; same as 1525 yunü)
7. 慢角 Manjiao ("lower 3, 6" [same as 1525 wumei; compare wumei])
8. 清角 Qing Jiao ("lower 1, 6, raise 3")
9. 清徵 Qingzhi ("raise 4, lower 5")
10. 慢羽 Manyu ("lower 5")
11. 清羽 Qingyu ("raise 2, 4")
12. 側羽 Ceyu ("raise 7")
13. 凄凉 Qiliang ("raise 2, 5"; as 1525)
14. 碧玉 Biyu ("raise 3, 5, 7")
15. 側蜀 Ceshu ("lower 3" [as 1525 huangzhong, etc.)
16. 側楚 Cechu ("raise 7, lower 2")
17. 無媒 Wumei ("raise 2, 6")
18. 清調 Qingdiao ("raise 5, 7")
19. 離憂 Liyou ("lower 1, 2")
20. 泉鳴 Quanming ("tighten 3, 5, 7")

The names and tunings of these 20 modes are often different from those in other handbooks; they also do not include at least four of the tuning methods in 1525.

Note also that although Qinshu Daquan, Folio 13 (1590), lists melodies for 19 non-standard modes, it has only titles, no actual tablature or indications of tuning mmethod.
(Return)

2. Compare Shen Qi Mi Pu
Shen Qi Mi Pu also has no melodies using only five strings.
(Return)

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