Chenbentang Qinpu

This handbook is a handcopied volume resulting from group efforts of qin players associated with the Hangzhou qin master Zheng Fang (Zheng Zhengshu). It should thus be grouped together with Youshengshe Qinpu.

Chenbentang Qinpu has 27 melodies; two have two versions, seven have lyrics. At front are a 琴叙 Qin Comment by 東海周遷 Zhou Qian of Donghai and a 琴譜叙言 Qin Tablature Commentary by 虎林鄭方 Zheng Fang (Zhengshu) of Hulin (1665); plus a 師琴叙 Commentary on Teaching Qin by 陸輅 Lu Lu (1666). Also included are several brief essays on various qin topics, all collected from the usual old sources. Only two melodies have brief commentary at the beginning; two have afterwords.

Almost all of the tablature apparently represents music as played by Zheng Zhengshu. Four of them are also in Youshengshe Qinpu:

Yousheng identifies them all as Zheng's tablature and they are all virtually identical (Da Ya has some inconsistencies).

There were at least three new melodies:

Sheng Jing Shan Ju Yin (山居引, not 吟; lyrics)
Chun Yun
Fenghuang Ming Qi

The two melodies with brief commentary at front are:

Yu Hui Tushan (XI/104)
Qiao Ge (XI/112)

The two melodies with afterwords are:

Qiao Ge (XI/114)
Mozi Bei Ge (XI/127)

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Chenbentang Qinpu 友聲社琴譜） (QQJC XI/71-138)
The QQJC edition of Chenbentang Qinpu came from the Shanghai Library.
(Return)

2. New version of A Phoenix Seeks his Mate (鳳求凰 Feng Qiu Huang)
Copied from QQJC XI/136; see transcription
(Return)

Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.