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Videos for learning guqin
1
Lowest string tuned mostly between B and Bb; compare lowest string tuned to A 2 |
學古琴的錄像
第一絃的音高為 B - Bb |
Good angle for a teaching video 3 |
The present site has extensive information about fingering technique over the ages. However, it does not yet have a simple and unified directory of for learning the basic tablature. For this my recommendation is to look at a website such as that of 張培幼 Pei-You Chang:
The videos here through Lesson 6 have been made for a series of qin classes designed for beginners. My strong recommendation is that, before beginning, students familiarize themselves with background information such as one can find on this website. Particularly appropriate for this study are:
There are more pages on this site explaining the tablature used to show finger techniques, such as here, but beginners may also try to learn to play in the traditional manner: simply copy the videos.6
As for the melodies themselves, even beginners' melodies can be played at any level - there is a tradition saying that the apparently simple melodies often require more skill than do the typical virtuoso pieces (e.g., see Liu Shui comparison).7
There is also a tradition that says one should learn a melody thoroughly before playing it for an "outsider" - someone who does not also play. 8
All students are encouraged also to study the artistic and cultural context of this music. So beginning with Lesson 1 below, links are given to such information about each melody.
Videos (Comments on pitch and
tuning methods)
There are also smaller .mov files here for some pieces, such as Cao Man Yin 1 and Cao Man Yin 2. Video quality is somewhat lower; more dramatic is the lower sound quality.
Other videos (see also
Videos with first string tuned to A)
Basic stroke techniques plus learning where to put right hand without looking11
Important: always look at left hand; correct right hand position must become instinctive
Left thumb presses down hard ("入木 enter wood")
Play smoothly; note how sound changes depending on how close the right hand is to the bridge when plucking
Reminder: do not look at right hand
Note that open 5th is paired with 11th hui on 3rd string.
As #3
With harmonics touch the strings the way
dragonflies skim over water
Play these eight exercises until you can do them without looking at the right hand
Sing along with recording before playing; it concerns "仙翁 Xianweng", i.e., Chen Tuan
(also: tuned lower)
操縵引 Caoman Yin (Strum Silk Prelude, Section 1; 1585; online transcription; (sung)
Strokes as above but last phrase has a
mo 6 and a
duiqi. Singing while playing is a special skill
Harmonics, as well as helping with precise tuning, also provide special color to the melody
Kneeling: ("跪 gui"): for close finger positions, especially in upper register (e.g., in
Wine Mad)
The first melody I learned from my own teacher,
孫毓芹 Sun Yuqin
(also: tuned lower)
Last two notes are same as first two, so this can be played continuously as a meditation
仙翁操 Xianweng Cao with spoken intro (commentary;
online transcription;
p.1 of separate pdf)
As with other pieces having lyrics, sing along with recording before trying to play it
秋風曲 Qiu Feng Qu (1709; Autumn Wind Melody); like Meian's
Qiu Feng Ci;
commentary;
transcription;
solo then sung
In 1709 Qiu Feng Qu was paired with a version of Xiang Si Qu (later called 古琴吟 Gu Qin Yin)
Attributions are mainly to Xi Kang, but also Jiao Ran and Yongmen Zhou
招隱 Second Video: more rhythmic
(old qin music often has a regular structure: learn the structure then interpret it freely
Double rhythm version; most people today follow Yao Bingyan's
Other videos of melodies for students are here divided into three types:
Songs are here subdivided into two sections:
In addition to two that are included above (Gu Qiu Feng and Feng Ru Song Ge)
this includes the following:
This and the next piece use only five strings
Another video has this piece played on the lap in a memorial garden
Earliest version of 湘江怨 Xiang Jiang Yuan
(its commentary links to its transcription)
Same refrain for each of seven sections: good training to repeat a passage so often
This melody only here, with no commentary; set to lyrics of
a poem by Li He.
Earliest version of a melody in the standard repertoire, with famous lyrics seldom sung
The melody is related to a number of other pieces published in the 16th and 17th centuries; set to several lyrics from the Yuefu Shiji.
Lyrics by Liu Zongyuan; a prelude for Yu Ge
(see below; uses the non-standard ruibin tuning
陽關三疊 Yang Guan San Die (1530; Thrice "Yang Guan"; sung with qin);
transcription (pdf)
A famous parting song expanding on lyrics by Wang Wei; uses the non-standard ruibin tuning
文君操 Wenjun Cao
(1539; Song for Wenjun; sung with Qin);
listen with transcription
A romantic song also called A Phoenix Sekes his Mate(鳳求凰 Feng Qiu Huang)
醉翁吟 Zui Weng Yin;
commentary;
transcription (same music but solo qin)
Two settings of the same lyrics showing very different treatment
A banquet song published in 1618, with lyrics from the from the Book of Songs.
Short song from a handbook published in Japan, with lyrics by Li Bai
Short song from same Japanese source, with romantic lyrics about the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl
Early melody that can be sung using the lyrics of a modern song popularized by Deng Lijun
Specifically, the earliest version of melodies I learned from my own teacher, Sun Yuqin. Here note values are informed by the rhythms of the versions I learned from him; in contrast, my interpretation of almost all other pieces in my repertoire come purely from my understanding of the existing tablature itself. Note that the first four listed below (all having lyrics but rarely sung) are already listed and linked above,
Said to be earliest version of 玉樓春曉 Yu Lou Chun Xiao, a piece otherwise not published until 1931, where it is almost the same as here
Can be traced through about 45 versions since 1614, but modern version still quite similar
The modern version can be traced through
over 50 versions
The modern version can be traced through
over 40 versions
The modern version can be traced through
over 30 versions
The modern piece can be traced through
over 75 handbooks since 1634, many with multiple versions
This piece can be traced through
over 25 handbooks since 1634, but the modern version still seems
quite close to the original
At first similar to modern version but then does not have the
"72 glissandos"
Uses raised 5th string tuning; earliest version what is still today one of the most popular standards
Students can choose to learn from a wide variety of available melodies. Those with video recordings include:
No musical relationship to the modern
Yi Guren (Thinking of Old Friends)
An early melody last published in 1590 (scroll in video has image)
"Farewell my concubine"; song from 1511 used as prelude (comment on lyrcs; scroll in video has image)
Gentlemen
imagine themselves fishermen; often called Ao Ai, it uses the non-standard ruibin tuning (compare the standard tuning Yu Ge)
Illustrations depict Confucius in Qufu playing qin under a "xing" tree while teaching students (scroll in video has image)
Title recalls the account in Zhuangzi of a conversation between Confucius and Laozi (see scroll on left side of video)
Aligned as prelude to Zhi Zhao Fei but can also be same for
Chun Si (next).
Has no prelude but the melody Chun Xiao Yin (previous) can be used as such.
Glory to the Ming dynasty and long live the emperor!
This musical setting of the
Heart Sutra can be sung in English or Chinese, but also in
Japanese,
Korean or
Vietnamese
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a
separate page)
1. Guqin videos |
Most of these videos have been made using a camera with a built in microphone. Because of the simple setup and because the videos have been made for students, the camera is generally closer to the qin than it is in the above image. Having the lens so close to the qin makes it appear rather larger than it is in real life.
Comments on pitch (for relative pitches see Qin Tunings)
In this regard it is important to remember that, although historical documents have suggested early Chinese interest in finding an ideal pitch, there is no evidence to indicate how this might have affected qin tuning. Traditionally, however, there was only relative pitch, the actual pitch of the strings depending on such factors as the size and quality of the instruments, the quality of the strings, and the tastes of the individual players. For reason, although in my transcriptions use Western staff notation, the notes should be considered as relative pitch: C = do (1/gong in the Chinese system); D = re (2/shang); and so forth.
In fact, all of my recordings, including these videos, have been made over a period of time and so the relative pitch is not always consistent: the bottom string might also be tuned to A or B natural, rarely C. Personally, in places of relatively constant temperature and humidity I have kept my bottom strings tuned to between B and B flat, perhaps tuning them up for performance, or tuning them down when the humidity is higher/changing.
This is all related to the fact that I use silk strings. Silk strings are very strong and reliable if they are not tuned too high for the temperature and humidity. The modern Chinese conservatory standard does not allow such flexibility. Instead it has abandoned the silk string tradition in favor of modern nylon metal strings, favoring an aesthetic very much influenced by Western performance standards.
Comments on tuning methods (for achieving various tunings see Tuning a Qin)
Eventually there will be some demonstration videos.
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2.
Tuning the first string to A
For those who prefer the more mellow sound of lower tuning, or who fear the strings breaking; see separate listing.
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3.
Best angle for demonstrating
This high angle allows the student to see more clearly which string the teach is plucking. It must be added, though, that in face to face teaching the angle is not so high. When I studied with my teacher I do not remember specifically seeing exactly where he put his fingers - the action was too fast, so I had to gain an intuitive sense of where the relative positions were. By trail and error this became more clear, but having a sense of where the positions should be without having to look anywhere but one's own fingers is an important part of playing guqin (and probably most instruments).
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4.
Setting up
This is often a particular problem if one wishes to follow the ancient tradition of silk strings. It is rare that one can buy a guqin with silk strings, much less one with the silk strings tuned. In addition, nylon metal strings are usually tuned to the Western standard of A=440. There is further discussion of this under silk strings.
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5.
Technical issues
To avoid feedback video chat apps only allow sound to go in one direction at a time; if you can get around that there is also the problem of time delay, not matter how short.
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6.
Learn by copying
When I began studying with my teacher,
Sun Yuqin, he said, "Do not look at the tablature, just copy me." In fact, although the tablature looks rather complicated to those unfamiliar with it, once you learn to play a piece it does not take a lot of instruction to understand the tablature. (Further below.)
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7.
Difficult pieces
This is rather comparable to the attitude of those who say Mozart is more difficult than Chopin: according to them, the pyrotechnics in the latter may impress a lot of people but sophisticated listeners (i.e.,
"zhi yin") appreciate a more subtle approach. This does not mean that they cannot enjoy Chopin, and appreciate all the hard work that goes into learning the techniques needed to play it, but they also think that Mozart requires as much skill, just not of a flashy sort.
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8.
Playing for others
My teacher Su Yuqin told me I should play a piece "at least a thousand times" for myself before playing it for an outsider (i.e., someone who does not already play qin). However, in my experience today (especially on the internet) it often seems that there is little connection between the skill level of player and their willingness to play for others.
As for me, I am split between a desire to follow this instruction from my teacher, and my desire to play and document melodies that I have not heard before, mainly because in most cases none of them is known to have been played by anyone in centuries. Every time I "finish" such a reconstruction I love the result, but then instead of dwelling on that, once I have recorded it I am then likely tempted by looking at tablature for another "new" melody. Later when I listen to an earlier reconstruction I can hear that I should have done better when recording it. But then, rather than re-do that, I go on and reconstruct yet another new melody, hoping that the earlier reconstructions are at least good enough that they will inspire others to try to do it "better", or at least in their own way.
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9.
Preliminary exercises
When I began studying qin there were never "exercises": one just learned melodies. This was done by facing the teacher and trying to imitate what he did (see image)
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10.
Transcriptions
As mentioned above, my teacher told me many times not to look at the tablature, just to copy him. He thereby emphasized that this is an oral tradition: I might occasionally consult the tablature, if I wished, but I was learning from him, not from the tablature. To me this is related to the issue of whether guqin melodies are compositions or creations.
In this regard students should as much as possible try to learn from the accompanying videos, consulting the transcriptions only when the videos are not clear.
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11.
Looking Left
The right hand should strike the strings about midway between the 1st hui and the bridge; changing this position can give a slightly sharper or more rounded sound, but such changes are small and should not require looking at the right hand. It is much more important to look at the left hand, because it moves up and down and one requires great precision to get proper intonation.
The main exception to looking at one's own left hand actually comes when studying with the teacher: here the student must look at and mimic the teacher's hand movements. Fortunately, since the teacher is somewhat to the student's left across the table, both the teacher's and the student's hands are within the same field of vision, if not the direct focus.
Unfortunately, learning to play without looking at one's own hands does not mean that sight-reading the written score becomes easy: the information conveyed by qin tablature is in some ways more detailed than that conveyed by staff or number notation, at the same time it omits the important detail of the note values (rhythm), which must be learned from the teacher or, if the tablature is actually the teacher
(as in dapu), by careful analysis of the overall structure of the melody, not just each separate note.
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