The guqin, is a fretless seven-stringed
zither, and is China's oldest stringed instrument,
with a history of some 7, 000 years. It is highly
revered by the Chinese people who also view it
as a cultural symbol.
First we will introduce some classical pieces
of Guqin music, before going on to describe the
instrument in greater detail. The Guqin is not
an instrument that translates well into Western
culture.
Jiu
Kuang (1.41)
Wine fanatic
Recommend for first time listeners
No.1
Ping
Sha Luo Yan (6.45)
This tune is a representative of
Guqin music.
Recommend for first time listeners
No.2
Ping Sha Luo Yan describes the
scene when the sky is dotted by
a group of goose who is singing
on-and-off, and about to land. The
horizon is far away, and the sand
in the desert is flat. The freely
flying goose in the sky embodies
the ambition and breadth of mind
of the hermits.
Though this tune is relatively
new, it’s been the most prevailing
Guqin melody in the past 300 years.
Its popularity owes much to its
novel and unique expressive methods,
which make the tune easier for common
audience to understand.
Gao
Shan Liu Shui (5.08)
High mountains and flowing water.
Recommend for first time listeners
No.3
Top 10 Classical also
Legend goes that Guqin master Bo
Ya was playing the instrument in
the wilderness, and the woodman
Zhong Ziqi understood that his music
was describing the "high mountains
and flowing water." Bo Ya was
surprised, and said, "my heart
echoes in yours," They became
very good friends, and when Ziqi
was dead later, Bo Ya was devastated
of losing the one who can really
understand what was in his mind
by listening to his music. He broke
the instrument, and never played
again in his life. The Chinese word
Zhi Yin (confidant), literally meaning
knowing the voice, also originated
from this story.
High mountains and flowing water.
Usually known as a masterpiece of
Guzheng music, this is the Guqin
edition.
Note: We
have been informed this piece may
be a guzheng version - apologies.
However it is our opinion this piece
features the guqin being supported
by a guzheng, as it would be impossible
for one instrument to play some
of the different notes at the same
time.
Pei
Lan (8.00)
Wearing orchid
Gao
Shan (6.42)
High mountain
Gu
Guan Yu Shen (7.06)
Encountering spirits in a lonely
room
Kong
Zi Du Yi (5.44)
Confucius reading Yi Jing (Book
of Changes)
Chang
Men Yuan (5.37)
Complaint of the long gate
Tao
Yuan (2.36)
Peach garden
Zui
Yu Chang Wan (1.27)
Drunk fisherman singing at night
You
Lan (10.12)
Orchid in serenity
Yi
Gu Ren (8.42)
Recalling an old friend
Xiao
Xiang Shui Yun (7.53)
Water and cloud in Xiao and Xiang
rivers
Tian
Feng Huan Pei (2.28)
The tune was composed in the Ming
Dynasty
Pu
An Zhou (8.13)
This is a Buddhist sutra tune.
Long
Shuo Cao (10.32)
Melody of Long Shuo. The tune concerns
a famous Chinese story of which
Zhu Quan gives only the bare bones.
Liu
Shui (7.32)
Flowing water
Mei
Hua San Nong
There are three overtones that are
repeated on three different sections
of the Guqin instrument, hence the
name of Mei Hua San Nong (three
overtones of clubs).
By singing the pureness, fragrance,
pride and fortitude of clubs, this
tune praises people of great nobility
and high ethics. The first half
is relatively slow and relaxed,
demonstrating the composure and
static beauty of the flower; while
the latter half is more rapid and
hurried, depicting the tenacity
of the plant. The violent contrast
between the two parts adds to the
attractiveness of the tune.
This tune demonstrates the pride
and fortitude of clubs in winter.
Top 10 Classical also
Da
Hu Jia (14.53)
Long Version of Nomad Reed Pipe
Guang
Ling San (22.31)
This tune was composed as early
as in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and
is known for its great momentum.
Top 10 Classical also
The name Guang Ling San means the
tune prevailing in Guangling area
(today's Yangzhou of Jiangsu Province).
The theme was based on a story
during the Warring States Period
of more than 2,000 years ago. A
craftsman manufacturing sword was
killed by Monarch Han, because he
did not meet the due date of producing
a desired sword by the emperor.
Nie Zheng, the craftsman's son,
first disguised to be a bricklayer
to get into the palace for revenge,
but his efforts came in vain. He
then secluded himself in the mountains
to practice Guqin, an ancient music
instrument, and ten years later
he became the best Guqin master
in the country. The emperor summoned
him to play in the palace. Nie killed
the monarch while he was playing,
and he himself was killed, too.
This Guqin tune was composed by
later generations based upon this
story. Ji Kang, a famous scholar,
who also plays this tune.
Guqin: History
and General Information
The guqin, is a fretless
seven-stringed zither, and is China's oldest stringed
instrument, with a history of some 7, 000 years.
Historically, the guqin has been viewed as a symbol
of Chinese high culture, but today only a few
thousand people can play it, and it is rarely
seen in China. It is also a very quiet instrument,
and suited to solo performances, or sometimes
played in concert with a few other compatible
instruments, or accompanied by voice.
The guqin is a unique instrument which needs to
be hand made by specialist craftsmen using special
wood, lacquer and a high degree of skill. Most
guqin's sold in general music stores, even in
China, are virtually unplayable and are suitable
only for hanging on the wall for decoration.
Professional qin players never buy such instruments
or recommend them to their students. Not only
are they unable to produce an acceptable sound,
they can even cause injury to a student's hand.
Whilst traditionally the instrument is known simply
as the 'Qin', this name came to mean a wide variety
of instruments, so for clarification during the
12th Century, the prefix 'Gu' was added. 'Gu'
means ancient, whilst 'Qin' means stringed instrument
Around this time a standard format
was also introduced, which gave basic dimensions
and set the number of strings at 7. Traditionally
the GuQin had 5-strings. Records relate of ancient
12 stringed versions, and a 10-stringed one was
unearthed in the 1970's. There also exists a full
written description of a single stringed version.
Today GuQin specifically means a fretless 7-stringed
zither about 4-feet long, which lays flat and
is played in similar fashion to an Hawaiian guitar,
although its pitch is much lower
Originally Guqin's were carved from a
single branch or piece of wood. This was accomplished
via the small soundhole on the back of the instrument.
Chinese people are highly skilled at this type
of work.
Until the Cultural Revolution, all strings were
made of silk. Since then nylon or flatwound steel
strings have become popular, which offer greater
loudness and durability.
Related Instruments:
1. Japanese 'ichigenkin', which is thought to
be derived from the GuQin
2. Korean 'geomungo'
3. Chinese 'zhu', plucked with a stick and with
7 fretless strings, but with moveable bridges
under each string
Guqin, literally meaning ancient
ancient music instrument, is a seven-stringed
zither without bridges. With a history of more
than 3,000 years, Guqin music has been enlisted
as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage
of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.
Confucius was
a master of this instrument. for thousands of
years, Guqin has been regarded as a very important
element for education for the purpose of enriching
the heart and elevating human spirit. However,
being considered as a high-class art form, it
has never been very popular throughout history.
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