Guqin is the oldest traditional musical instrument in China. Since ancient times, among the four arts of "Qin, chess, calligraphy and painting", the Qin refers to Guqin. Guqin has a long history, from The Book of Songs, Shangshu and Historical Records to Tang poetry and Song poetry, literary masterpieces and ancient paintings. There are related records on the theme of guqin.
In various historical records, there are different versions of legends about the inventor of guqin. One is that Fuxi built a piano. It is said that Fuxi created musical instruments and pianos. According to legend, Fuxi made guqin in order to cultivate self-cultivation, reason and make everything grow, which is also a widely recognized view of the origin of guqin.
The second is that Shennong built a piano. Shennong began to cut tung into a harp and string it into strings, in order to connect the virtue of immortals with the knowledge of heaven and man. According to historical records, there were guqin in Yao and Shun period, and the ancient song "South Wind" is said to be written by Shun: South Wind can solve the worries of our people; When the south wind blows slowly, it will enrich the people's property. It can be said that there are many versions about the origin of guqin, and the authenticity is difficult to verify.
The reason why Guqin is so attractive:
This is inseparable from its internal spirit and style characteristics. Guqin is small in size, but its timbre is rich and varied, and its charm is full. It is often suitable for the introverted activities of literati, so some politicians in ancient times described guqin music as "managing the voice of the world." There are countless poems related to Qin, and writers, politicians and even emperors have written many poems and songs related to Qin.
The ancients believed that the subtle influence of the sound of the piano could purify the soul, cultivate sentiment and realize the Confucian ideal of "changing customs and not being good at music". In addition to unique music, Guqin musical instrument itself is a beautiful handicraft, a masterpiece of craftsmanship, calligraphy and seal cutting in past dynasties. Each guqin has its own name, and the back of the guqin has inscriptions and seal cutting.
Many Qin people carved the word "neutralization" on the back of the piano and printed it on the music score, always demanding that "the way of neutralization" become a spiritual banner of literati. According to the Confucian doctrine of neutralization, it also summarizes the aesthetic principles of purity, subtlety, lightness and remoteness. These four words express the spirit of Guqin culture, which includes both Guqin techniques and requirements for piano players' cultivation.