Guqin, also known as Qin, Yaoqin, Yuqin, Siton and Lyre, is a Chinese plucked string instrument with a history of more than 3,000 years

Since the 1820s, it has been associated with the piano Due to the difference, it was renamed Guqin. It originally had 5 strings, but was customized to 7 strings in the Han Dynasty. It also has 13 emblems marking the rhythm. It is also a ritual and musical instrument

Pre-Qin

The origin of the Qin is unknown. However, the leaders of various clans at the beginning of ancient Chinese civilization are related to the founding legend of Qin, such as Fuxi making Qin, Shen Nong making Qin, Tang Yao making Qin, Huang Di making Qin and Yu Shun making Qin, etc., but there is no archeology Support should be expressed as an attachment. There is a word for qin in the oracle bone inscriptions, but it may have developed from the Middle Eastern harp like the harp. The earliest sample of the harp was unearthed in Qiemo County, Xinjiang Province, and can be traced back to 400 BC to 200 BC. The earliest written record of the harp can be found in the Book of Songs. The oldest object similar to the harp is the Zhuhe ten-stringed harp in the tomb of Zeng Houyi. The length of the ten-stringed qin is similar to that of a modern qin, while the length of the 10-stringed qin is half that of a modern qin. The body is thicker, the surface is uneven, and there are no emblems. In the middle of the Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty, lyres that were shorter than modern qins were unearthed. The ten-stringed qin unearthed by Marquis Yi of Zeng has a curved panel, a slightly raised head, a concave waist, an upturned tail, and a foot underneath, much like the one-legged Kui, which is a symbol of a ritual instrument.

Zhong Yi from the Western Zhou Dynasty was the earliest professional qin player in existing records. [1] According to historical records, there were qin players in the courts of princes during the Spring and Autumn Period, and most of them had "Shi" as their surname, such as Shi Kuang, Shi Wen, Shi Xiang, and Shi Juan. According to historical records, they all had superb piano skills. In the pre-Qin period, the qin was used for accompaniment and singing, which was called "string song". There are also a large number of records about Qin in literary works such as "The Book of Songs", which shows that Qin had rich expressive power at that time. During the Warring States Period, with the continuous progress of music, qin music also gained great development and popularity, resulting in the emergence of a large number of qin players, such as Boya and Zhong Ziqi's "Meeting a bosom friend in the mountains and flowing water", which has been passed down through the ages. The qin, as the main musical instrument, was endowed by the scholars with the function and aesthetic of cultivating the mind through etiquette. It is said that "a gentleman approaches the qin and the harp as a matter of etiquette, not to make his heart feel sad" and "a scholar will not withdraw from the harp if he has no reason to do so". Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, admired the qin very much. He could play the qin and sing 300 poems from the Sutra. He also learned the qin from his master Xiang and became a model for later generations of scholars. Later generations also composed two qin pieces, "Confucius Readings in the Book of Changes" and "Weeping Yan Hui". Famous qin players during this period include Shi Kuang, Boya, Yongmen Zhou, Confucius, etc.

Han Dynasty

Guqin (7 photos)

The shape of the guqin was determined in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The early Han lyre unearthed from Han Tomb No. 3 in Mawangdui has a simple structure, a small speaker, a small sound, a solid wood tail, and no emblem on the panel. From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Qin was very popular among scholars. "Qin Cao" written by Cai Yong is the most abundant and detailed introduction to early qin music in existence. The original book has been lost, and it was compiled into a book by later generations. It also contains 5 qin music, collectively called "Cai's Five Nongs"; it is also said that he once The famous "Jiaowei Qin" was made from the burnt wood left in the stove. "Eighteen Pats of Hu Jia" is said to have been written by Cai Yan, Cai Yong's daughter. In fact, both "Big Hu Jia" and "Little Hu Jia" were borrowed from the title of the Tang Dynasty. In addition, there are "Shuoyuan·Qin Lu" written by Liu Xiang and "Qin Qingying" written by Yang Xiong. The Qin music "Guangling San" was also widely circulated at this time. Famous qin players during this period include Sima Xiangru and Heng Tan. The oldest known written qin fingering score can be traced back to the Han Dynasty.

Wei and Jin Dynasties

During the war-torn Wei and Jin Dynasties, a large number of literati qin players appeared in the gentry class who were not attached to the court, such as the "Seven Sons of Jian'an" and the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest". The Qin style was so popular that they not only played but also composed a large number of Qin music. Ji Kang's four pieces, "Chang Qing", "Duan Qing", "Chang Side" and "Duan Side", are collectively known as the "Four Songs of the Ji Family". The existing music scores of the same name are recorded in the music scores of the Ming Dynasty. They may not be the original works; they are still written. There are "Qin Fu", "Soundless Sad Music Theory" and so on. Famous qin players during this period include Ruan Yu, Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Ruan Xian and Ruan Zhan.

Southern and Northern Dynasties

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, both monarchs and scholars were fond of music and literature, and literati loved to play the piano and interpret the music, which was very popular. Due to the restrictions placed on literati by the gentry clan system, many literati The cynical entertains himself with music and books. During this period, the earliest written music score appeared. Qiu Ming, a hermit in the Southern Dynasties, had a written music book called "Jieshi Diao·Youlan".

Famous qin players during this period include Dai Yong, Zong Bing and Liu Yun.

Sui and Tang Dynasties

In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Yan music and dance were popular, but the Qin style declined slightly. Dong Tinglan is good at playing "Hujia" and other music, and his popular works include "Yizhen"; during this period, he composed new qin music such as "Wind and Thunder Yin", "Zhaojun Resentment", "Li Sao", "Yangguan Sandie" and "Fisher Song Diao", etc. There was also great development in the Tang Dynasty. For example, the "Jiuxiao Huanpei" owned by the Lei family in Sichuan is a famous Qin handed down from generation to generation. Tang Qin has been regarded as a rare treasure in all dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, subtracted notation gradually matured and became the main notation format for recording Qin music. In the early Tang Dynasty, Qin also spread to Korea and Japan. Famous qin players during this period include Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Han Yu, Zhao Yeli, Xue Yijian, Chen Kangshi and Chen Zhuo.

Tang Qin, especially the Qin in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, has a fat and round shape. Most of the existing Tang qins often have two pieces of paulownia wood affixed to the panels of Longchi and Fengnum as a false sound absorber. Until the early Ming Dynasty, there were still qin makers using this method. Most of the broken patterns on Tang Qin are snake belly breaks, ice pattern breaks, running water breaks, etc. Its gray surface paint includes ink and chestnut shell colors. The vermilion paint was added by later generations when repairing it. The gray body is pure antler gray. Linen cloth is used to wrap both sides of the back of the piano from bottom to top to the edge of the panel. To prevent the upper and lower plates from opening. The side length of these pianos is between 120 and 125 centimeters.

Song and Yuan Dynasties

Due to the Song Dynasty’s policy of suppressing martial arts and promoting literature, starting from Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, everyone from the emperor to the court and the public during the two Song Dynasties were very good at playing the piano, and they were all proud of being able to play the piano. The pinnacle of fine pianos in the past. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Qin began to have a clear school inheritance. The first guqin school, the Zhejiang School, appeared in the late Southern Song Dynasty, represented by Guo Mian and others. Jiang Kui of the Southern Song Dynasty composed the qin song "Ancient Resentment", which is the earliest extant qin song. Famous qin players during this period include Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Yizhong, Zhibai, Yihai, Zequan, Ni Yunlin, Yelu Chucai and Miao Shi, etc. During the Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, Qin had been widely circulated among the literati of the Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongolian aristocrats.

The guqin of the Song Dynasty changed, with a total length of 128 cm and a shoulder width of 25 cm. The body of the qin was flat and enlarged, and the size was larger than the Tang qin handed down from ancient times. It is one of the main styles of Qin in the Northern Song Dynasty. In the Southern Song Dynasty, except for the antique works, the body shape gradually became flatter and narrower, especially the Zhongni style guqin, which was towering and narrow, which was the main style of qin making in the Southern Song Dynasty. People in the Song Dynasty used tung-faced catalpa bottoms or pine-cedar tops as the main materials for making musical instruments. Broken patterns include snake belly breaks, ice streak breaks, flowing water breaks, etc., while cow hair breaks are rare. The gray tires are still mainly antler gray, and some use linen as a base, but they are rare. In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the use of Babao Ash (that is, gold, silver, pearls, emerald coral, etc. was crushed and mixed into antler ash for use). The Song Dynasty was an important stage in the history of piano making after the Tang Dynasty. The official government even set up a bureau to make pianos, which was the so-called "official piano".

Qin-making in the Yuan Dynasty was a transitional product between the Song and Ming Dynasties. Due to its short duration, there are relatively few existing physical objects.

Ming and Qing dynasties

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, various schools emerged and a large number of musical scores were published. The first extant musical score with subtracted characters, "Magic Secret Music", preserves many ancient tunes. In the late Qing Dynasty, the art of piano declined relatively. Famous qin players during this period include Wang Zhi, Jiang Keqian, Yang Luan, Yan Cheng, Xu Changyu and Qianlong. [2]

The number of qin-making in the Ming Dynasty was unprecedented. Whether it was from emperors, princes or officials, there were many good qin-players. There were four famous qin makers in the clan: King Ning, King Heng, King Yi, and King Lu. Among the four kings, only King Lu made the most qin. Production began in the Chongzhen period. It is said that there were as many as four to five hundred pieces, all of the same style and size. They were all numbered in chronological order and engraved on the inside of the belly. The name of the qin "Zhonghe" was engraved on the back of the qin. , the poem "Looking up to the Yangtze River" and the large seal of "The Biography of the State of Lu" are both painted with eight treasures of gray paint.

Modern Times

From the late Qing Dynasty to the 1950s, there were about 100 people who were able to play the piano across the country. The Jinyu Qin Society established in Suzhou and Shanghai in the 1920s and the "Jinyu" piano magazine compiled and printed were the only major events at that time. From the 1950s to the 1960s, Zha Fuxi led a survey team to conduct censuses in areas where Chinese guqin players gathered, visited many qin players, collected written and recorded materials, and compiled and published "Cunjian Guqin Music Score Collection" and "Qin Music Collection" " and other books laid the foundation for the revival of guqin art. Tang Jianyuan edited the book "Qin Fu", one of which covers the status of Qin players in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in the 1970s.

Guqin has gradually been incorporated into the professional music education system. Guan Pinghu, Zha Fuxi, Wu Jinglue, Gu Meigan, Zhang Ziqian, Wei Zhongle, etc. are studying and teaching Qin art in Beijing, Shanghai and other places. In addition to restoring ancient music, piano players also try to compose new music.

During the Republic of China, the qin spread to Southeast Asia, Europe, the United States, and Australia as literati went abroad. Especially after the reform and opening up, a large number of Chinese were overseas. So far, it has been played in Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, There are luthiers and luthier clubs in the Netherlands and Sweden.

Due to the decline of the guqin and the cultural ideas it symbolizes, on November 7, 2003, the art of guqin was included in the second batch of the world's representative list of human intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. On May 20, 2006, the State Council of the People's Republic of China included the guqin in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists, classified in the "folk music" category, numbered II-34

All dynasties Qin Shu

There are more than 150 guqin music scores in existence. The important qin music books in the past are as follows:

The only existing written music score: the hand-written scroll "Jieshi Diao" in the early Tang Dynasty Orchid" (existing in the Tokyo National Museum, Japan).

The earliest reduced-character notation: "Ancient Grudge" in Jiang Kui's "Songs of Taoist Baishi" in the Song Dynasty.

The most important qin music books in the Han Dynasty: Yang Xiong's "Qin Qingying" and Zhuge Liang's "Qin Jing".

The earliest existing large-scale collection of guqin music: "Magic Secret Music" (1425) compiled by Zhu Quan in the early Ming Dynasty.

Important musical notations of the Ming Dynasty: "Magical Secret Music", "The Complete Collection of Taiyin", "Xilutang Qintong", "Taikou Yiyin", "Fengxuan Xuanpin", "The Complete Collection of Qin Shu", "Song Xian Guan Music Score".

Important musical scores of the Qing Dynasty: "Dahuange Music Score", "Songfeng Pavilion Music Score", "Deyintang Music Score", "Chengyitang Music Score", "Wuzhizhai Music Score" ", "Chuncaotang Music Score", "Ziyuantang Music Score", "Introduction to Qin Xue", "Jiao'an Qin Score", "Tianwen Pavilion Qin Score", "Ku Mu Zen Qin Score", "Qin Xue Series" .

Republic of China and modern times: "Mei'an Qin Score", "Jinyu Qin Journal", "Guqin Music Collection", "Guqin Music Collection", "Guqin Music Collection".

Guqin notation refers to the process of playing the music according to the score. Since the music score does not directly record the music, but only records the string positions and fingerings, the rhythm has a lot of room for expansion. Therefore, scorers must be familiar with the general rules and performance techniques of Qin music, figure out the mood of the music, recreate it, and strive to reproduce the original appearance of the original music.

Making scores is very time-consuming, so the piano industry uses the phrase "three years for big music and three months for small music" to describe this process.

In the past, piano players would mark gongchipu and fragments on the music score after typing it. Contemporary musical notation has been combined with Western five-line musical notation or simplified musical notation, which is faster and easier to popularize than gongchi musical notation.

Top Ten Famous Songs

1. Guangling San

2. High Mountains and Flowing Waters (divided into two songs "High Mountains" and "Flowing Waters" after the Tang Dynasty)

3. Wild geese fall on the flat sand

4. Alcoholic

5. Guan Shanyue

6. Xiaoxiang Water Cloud

7. Yangguan Sandie

8. Three Plum Blossom Lanes

9. Eighteen beats of Hujia

10． Orchid

11． Remembering an Old Friend

Other Famous Songs

Puan Mantra

Nagato Grudge

Yangchun

White Snow

Changqing

Li Sao

Long Xiangcao

Wu Ye Dancing in the Autumn Wind

Mozi's Sad Silk

Confucius Reading Yi

Qiu Sai Yin

Pheasant Flying towards the Sky

Meeting the God in the Lonely Pavilion

Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix

Mooring at night on the Qiujiang River

Daoyi

Oul and Lu Wangji

Crying in the night

The gods are happy

Famous schools

(1) Zhejiang School

School names: Zhejiang School, Zhejiang Pu, Zhejiang Cao Formation period: the late Southern Song Dynasty

Founder: Guo Miao (Chu Wang) Main style: smooth, clear and harmonious.

Representative figures: Guo Chuwang, Mao Minzhong, Xu Tianmin, Xu Qiushan, Xu Mengji, Xu Zhonghe, etc.

Representative piano music: "Xiaoxiang Water Clouds", "Fishermen's Songs", "Lumberjack Songs", "Eighteen Beats of Hujia", etc.

Important Qin works: "Qin Cao Pu" (Guo Chuwang), "Qin Shu" (Yuan Tong), "Xiawai Qin Pu" (Jin Ruli), "Qin Xueshu" (Xu Mengji), "Mei Xuewo's deleted piano score" (Xu Zhonghe), "Wugang piano score" (Huang Xian), "Xingzhuang Taiyin continuation score" (Xiao Luan), etc.

(2) Yushan School

Name of school: Yushan School, Shu School

Period of formation: late Ming Dynasty

Founder : Yan Zheng (Tianchi)

Main style: clear, subtle and distant, Zhongzheng Guanghe.

Representative figures: Yan Tianchi, Xu Shangying, Wu Jinglue, etc.

Representative qin music: "A Night Mooring on the Autumn River", "Liang Xiao Yin", "Xiaoxiang Water Clouds" and other important qin works: "Song" "Xianguan Qin Score" (Yan Tianchi), "Dahuange Qin Score" (Xu Shangying), etc.

(3) Guangling School

Name of the school: Guangling School

Era of formation: Qing Dynasty

Founders: Xu Changyu, etc.

Main styles: upright, ups and downs, free, and distant.

Representative figures: Xu Changyu, Xu Hu, Xu Qi, Wu Xuan, Qin Weihan, Shi Kongchen, Sun Shaotao, Zhang Ziqian, Liu Shaochun, etc.

Representative piano music: "Long Xiang Cao" , "Plum Blossom Three Lanes", "Pingsha Falling Geese", "Xiaoxiang Water Clouds", "Guangling San", etc.

Important Qin works: "Chengjiantang Qin Score" (Xu Changyu), "Five "Zhi Zhai Qin Pu" (Xu Qi), "Zi Yuantang Qin Pu" (Wu Xuan), "Jiao'an Qin Pu" (Qin Weihan), "Ku Mu Zen Qin Pu" (Shi Kongchen), etc.

(4) Pucheng Sect

Sect name: Pucheng Sect

Forming period: Qing Dynasty

Founder: Zhu Tongjun

Main style: delicate fingering, free and refined, slow and slow.

Representative figures: Zhu Tongjun, Xu Yuqiao, Zhang He, etc.

Representative Qin music: "Questions and Answers for Fishermen and Woodcutter", "Three Layers of Yangguan", "Flowing Spring on the Stone", etc.

Important Qin works: "Chun Caotang Qin Pu" (Su Qinshan), "Yugu Zhai Qin Pu" (Zhu Tongjun), "Introduction to Qin Xue" (Zhang He), etc.

(5) Pan-Sichuan School

Name of the school: Pan-Sichuan School, Sichuan School, Shu School Formation Period: Qing Dynasty

Founder: Zhang Kongshan Main Style : Urgent, unrestrained, and majestic.

Representative figures: Zhang Kongshan, Gu Yucheng, Gu Jun, Gu Meigan, Xia Yifeng, Zha Fuxi, Yu Shaoze, Zhu Mohan, Ding Chengyun, etc.

Representative Qin music: "Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix", "Pheasants Flying to the Morning", "Liang Father's Song", "Danggui", "Flowing Water", "Drunken Fishermen Singing Evening", "Confucius Reading Yi", " Pu'an Curse" and so on.

Important Qin works: "Tianwenge Qin Pu" (Tang Songxian), "Baipingzhai Qin Pu" (Gu Jun), etc.

(6) Jiuyi Sect

Name of the sect: Jiuyi Sect

Era of formation: Qing Dynasty Founder: Yang Zongji (Shibai)

Main style: vigorous and solid, paying attention to the rhythm of chanting.

Representative figures: Yang Shibai, Guan Pinghu, etc.

Representative Qin music: "Flowing Water", "Eighteen Beats of Hujia", "Orchid", etc.

Important Qin works: "Qin Xue Series" (Yang Shibai), etc.

(7) Zhucheng Sect

Sect name: Zhucheng Sect

Formation period: Qing Dynasty

Founders: Wang Puchang, Wang Yumen

Main styles: clear and distant (Puchang), beautiful and lingering (Yumen).

Representative figures: Wang Puchang, Wang Yumen, Wang Xinyuan, Wang Yanqing, Wang Xinkui, etc.

Representative Qin music: "The Resentment of Nagato", "Yangguan Sandie", "Guanshan Moon", etc.

Important Qin works: "Tongyinshanguan Qin Pu" (Wang Puchang), "Qin Pu Zhenglu" (Wang Yumen), etc.

(8) Mei’an Sect

Name of the school: Mei’an Sect

Era of formation: Qing Dynasty

Founder: Wang Bin Lu (Yan Qing), Xu Lisun

Main features: smooth and cantabile, beautiful and lingering, with a large range of chanting.

Representative figures: Wang Yanqing, Xu Lisun, Shao Dasu, Wang Yongchang, etc.

Representative Qin music: "Goose Falling on the Flat Sand", "Night Mooring on the Autumn River", "Pounding Clothes", etc.

Important Qin works: "Longyin Hall Qin Pu" (Mao Shixun), "Mei'an Qin Pu" (Xu Lisun), etc.

(9) Lingnan School

Name of the school: Lingnan School

Era of formation: Qing Dynasty

Founder: Huang Jingxing

Main style: clean and elegant.

Representative figures: Huang Jingxing, Li Baoguang, Zheng Jianhou, Yang Xinlun, etc.

Representative piano music: "Blue Stream Flowing Spring", "Nostalgia", "Yushu Facing the Wind", "Oll and Heron Forget the Machine" , "Crying in the Night" and so on.

Important Qin works: "Gugang Qin Pu", "Wuxue Shanfang Qin Pu" (Huang Jingxing), etc.

Hope it helps you