Zhejiang School
School name: Zhejiang School, Zhejiang Pu, Zhejiang Cao Formation period: late Southern Song Dynasty
Founder: Guo Mian (Chu Wang) Main style: smooth Qinghe.
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), "Xia Wai Qin Pu" (Jin Ruli), "Qin Xue Quotes" (Xu Mengji), "Mei Xuewo's deleted piano score" (Xu Zhonghe), "Wugang piano score" (Huang Xian), "Xingzhuang Taiyin continuation score" (Xiao Luan), etc.
Guqin, also known as Yaoqin, Yuqin and Lyre, is one of the oldest plucked instruments in China. Guqin was popular during the Confucius period and has a history of at least 3,000 years. It was only called "guqin" at the beginning of this century. There are some theories about the creators of Qin, such as "Xi Fuxi made the Qin", "Shennong made the Qin", "Shun made the five-stringed Qin to sing the southern wind", etc. As a posthumous legend, it is not necessary to believe it, but it can be seen that the Qin has a long history. China has a long history. "The Book of Songs; Guanju" has "A graceful lady, the harp and harp are friends", and "The Book of Songs; Xiaoya" also has: "The harp and harp beat the drums to control the ancestors of Tian" and other records.
Guqin structure
The guqin is generally about three feet six inches long (about 120-125 centimeters), symbolizing the three hundred and sixty-five days in a year (some say it is like the 365 days in the Zhou Dynasty) Spend). Generally about six inches (about 20 centimeters) wide. It is generally about two inches thick (about 6 centimeters). The Qin was first made in the shape of a phoenix body. Its whole body corresponds to the body of a phoenix (it can also be said to correspond to the human body), with a head, neck, shoulders, waist, tail and feet.
The upper part of the "head" is called the forehead. The lower end of the forehead is inlaid with hardwood for stringing, which is called "Yueshan", also known as "Linyue". It is the highest part of the piano. There are two sound grooves, large and small, at the bottom of the piano. The larger one in the middle is called "Dragon Pond" and the smaller one at the end is called "Feng Pond". This is called going up the mountain and going down the marsh, and there are dragons and phoenixes, symbolizing all the phenomena of heaven and earth. There is a hardwood strip on the forehead side of Yueshan, which is called "Chenglu". There are seven "string eyes" on it, which are used to thread and tie the strings. There are seven "Qin Zhen" under it for tuning strings. On the side of the head of the piano, there are "phoenix eyes" and "guards". From the waist down, it is called "Qinwei". The tail of the instrument is inlaid with a hardwood "dragon gum" carved with shallow grooves to hold the strings. The edges on both sides of the dragon's gum are called "crown angles", also known as "burnt tails".
The seven strings rise from the exposed part, pass through Yueshan and Dragon Gum, and turn to a pair of "goose feet" at the bottom of the piano, symbolizing the seven stars.
In the belly of the piano, there are two dark grooves on the head, one is the "tongue point", the other is the "sound pool", and the other is the "acoustic sound". There is also a dark groove at the tail, which is called " Yun Bo". Corresponding to Longchi and Fengmarsh, there is often a "Nayin" in each place. There is a "Tianzhu" on the head side of Longchi Nayin and an "Earth Pillar" on the tail side. When making a sound, "the sound is about to come out, but it is narrow and lingers, so there is a lingering rhyme." Since the piano has no "frets" (posts) or "codes", it is very easy to play flexibly. It also has the characteristics of extremely long effective strings, large string vibration, and endless lingering sound, so it has its unique hand-playing sound. .
In terms of structure and sound, the structure of each part of the piano is very reasonable. Its size is neither big nor small, making it easy to carry and square and elegant. If you play the harp with your heart, its shape is enough to make people happy. The influence of Confucianism on the Qin making can also be seen from the naming of each part of the Qin.
The front of the piano is wide and the back is narrow, symbolizing the difference between superiority and inferiority. The five strings of official, merchant, horn, levy, and feather symbolize the five social levels of monarch, minister, people, affairs, and things. The sixth and seventh strings added later were called Wen and Wu strings, symbolizing the harmony between the monarch and his ministers. The twelve emblems each symbolize December, and the largest emblem in the middle represents the king, which symbolizes the leap month. The guqin has three timbres: overtones, fretted tones and scattered tones, which respectively symbolize the harmony of heaven, earth and man. The symbolic meaning of the naming of these guqin shapes actually reflects the Confucian etiquette and music thoughts and the harmony that the Chinese people value. Because the function of etiquette is to protect the individual, to bring out the individuality and to be harmonious, and its function is to harmonize with the group. The simultaneous use of rituals and music can enable individuals and groups to coordinate with each other and form a peaceful and reasonable life among people. Therefore, the implementation of these two seemingly opposite sets of skills, ritual and music, actually seeks to achieve the goal of complementing each other and achieving harmony. From the names of social order and class borrowed from the names of guqin shapes, it can be seen that the shape of its production has a profound meaning of educating human ethics.
Guqin shape
Guqin has beautiful shapes, and the most common ones are Fuxi style, Zhongni style, Lianzhu style, Luoxia style, Lingji style, banana leaf style, Shennong style, etc. They are mainly distinguished according to the shape of the neck and waist of the piano body. There are broken lines in the lacquer, which is a sign of the age of the guqin. Due to the vibration of long-term playing and the difference between the wood and the paint base, various break patterns can be formed, such as plum blossom break, ox hair break, snake belly break, ice break, turtle pattern, etc. Qins with broken patterns have clear sound and beautiful appearance, so they are more valuable. Famous ancient qins include Green Qi, Jiaowei, Chunlei, Bingqing, Monkey King Yiyin, Jiuxiao Huanpei, etc.
The evolution of Guqin
Tang Qin, especially the Qin in the flourishing 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. The gray paint on its surface includes ink and chestnut shell colors, and the vermilion paint was added by later generations when repairing it. The gray tires are all pure antler gray, and linen is wrapped from bottom to top on both sides of the piano back to the edge of the panel to prevent the upper and lower panels from coming apart. The side length of these pianos is between 120 and 125 centimeters. The guqin in the Song Dynasty changed, with a total length of 128 centimeters and a shoulder width of 25 centimeters. The body of the guqin was flat and enlarged. The size was larger than that of the Tang qin handed down from ancient times. It was one of the main styles of guqin 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, there was also the use of Babao ash, which was to crush gold, silver, pearls, emerald coral, etc. into deer antler ash and use it. 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 relatively short duration, there are relatively few existing physical objects. In the Ming Dynasty, the number of qin-making was unprecedented. Whether it was from emperors, princes or officials, there were many good qin-players. There were four famous piano makers in the clan: Ning Wang, Heng Wang, Yi Wang, and Lu Wang. 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 all made of eight treasures paint gray.
How to play
When playing, place the piano on the table, pluck the strings with your right hand, and press the strings with your left hand to pick up the notes. The musical range of the guqin is four octaves and two tones. There are seven scattered tones, ninety-one overtones, and one hundred and forty-seven fretted tones. There are many playing techniques, the right hand includes holding, breaking, wiping, picking, hooking, ticking, beating, picking, wheeling, plucking, plucking, rolling and whisking, etc.; the left hand has chanting, 猱, Chuo, injection, bumping, advancing and retreating, and retreating and retreating. , etc...
Characteristics of famous ancient piano makers
There were many master piano makers in the Tang Dynasty, except for Lei Wei, Lei Xiao, Lei Wen and Lei Jue of the Lei family. In addition to Lei Yuan and Lei Yuan, there are other famous figures recorded in literature: Zhang Yue, Guo Gao, Shen Lu, etc. It is a pity that except for Lei's Qin, none of the others' works have been handed down to the world. There were many famous piano makers in the Song Dynasty, such as Zhu Renji, Ma Xiliang, Ma Xiren, Seng Renzhi in the Northern Song Dynasty, Jinzhou, Jinggong Road, Chen Hengdao, etc. in the Southern Song Dynasty. In the late period, there were also Yan Zun, Ma Dafu, Mei Siyan and others. There were relatively few people in the Song Dynasty who made qins with year-end dates, and there were also many imitations of late Tang-style qins. Famous piano makers in the Yuan Dynasty include Yan Guqing, Shi Xiyun, Shi Guyun, Zhu Zhiyuan, etc., among whom Zhu Zhiyuan is the most famous. There are many imitations of Zhu Qin, some of which are inscribed with "Zhu Zhiyuan" or "Zhu Zhiyuan". We hope collectors will pay attention to them. There were also many masters of piano making in the Ming Dynasty, such as Tu Minghe and Wang Shunqing. The most famous ones were Zhang Jingxiu, Weixiu, Shunxiu and others. Zhang Dai's "Tao'an Mengmei" calls Zhang Jingxiu's piano-making one of Wuzhong's unique skills, "which can guarantee his invincibility for a hundred years."
Guqin broken lines
Refer to the various fracture marks on the surface of the guqin caused by years of weathering and vibration during playing. There are many types of broken patterns, including plum blossom broken, ox hair broken, snake belly broken, ice pattern broken, running water broken, dragon scale broken, etc. Generally speaking, a guqin will not show any breakage pattern for more than a hundred years, and the degree of breakage pattern will vary with age, which is one of the main basis for appraising the collection of ancient qin.
Guqin Appraisal and Collection Essentials
The broken pattern of Guqin will not appear for hundreds of years. This is a very important point in identifying Guqin.
Forged fracture patterns have been around since ancient times, and there are many methods, such as baking them with strong fire, and then using ice and snow to crack them; or using egg whites soaked into ash to paint, then steaming them in a retort, and then air-drying them; or using gypsum. Do gray bottom roasting, etc. In fact, there is a big difference between real and fake broken grains upon careful observation. The true broken grains have a smooth shape, the tail of the grain disappears naturally, and the peaks of the grains are like sword blades; while the fake broken grains inevitably have some defects after being catalyzed by cold and heat or knife carving. Losing nature and showing flaws. The inscription on the guqin is also an important basis for identifying the authenticity of the guqin. The back of the piano is all engraved, while the belly has both engraved and written styles. Those carved with a knife are easier to preserve, while those written in ink are more difficult to identify if they are older. The carvings on the belly of the guqin, such as the joints between the upper and lower plates on both sides of the guqin body, show no traces of reworking. Most of them are original models. If traces of reworking are found, they need to be studied carefully. The most difficult to identify is the old piano that has been cut open and rebuilt and then engraved with fake characters and the bonding is perfect, or the old wooden qin is engraved with fake characters. No matter whether it is the belly or the back, experienced appraisers can also identify it from the customary names of the emperors in the past, the taboo words used, and the calligraphy style of a dynasty or a certain calligrapher. Collectors whose main purpose is to play will definitely take the timbre of the guqin as one of the main criteria. When we listen to the sound of a guqin, the timbre is deep and thick yet bright, the upper, middle and lower three levels of timbre are even, and the overtones are as bright as pearls. And if it is responsive, it means it is a good guqin. Some guqins have broken grains and will produce "brake sounds" when playing the notes, which affects your hearing. At this time, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons and do not abandon it easily. When collecting guqin, it is generally recommended to hang it on a dry wall, and it is not advisable to keep it flat for a long time; if it is kept flat for a long time, it will easily cause "slumping". As a musical instrument, the guqin should be played frequently, otherwise the sound will be dark and astringent, and the guqin may be damaged by insects.
Famous Guqin Songs
"Three Lanes of Plum Blossoms", "Goose Falling on the Sand", "Guangling San", "Xiaoxiang Water Cloud", "Questions and Answers for Fishermen and Woodcutter", "Making Clothes" and "Yangguan Three Pieces" "Flowing Water", "Drunken Madness", etc. One of the great advantages of the guqin is the expression of one's own mood. In the dead of night, the best choice to express one's mood is to play a guqin song.
Famous Qin passed down from generation to generation
Tang Dynasty
Chunlei Qin; Lianzhu style
Nine Heavens Ring Peking Qin; Fuxi style
< p>Jiuxiao ring Peiqin; Fuxi styleSpring Thunder qin; Fuxi style
Great Sage's legacy qin; Fuxi style
Nine Xiao ring Peiqin; Fuxi style Style
The great sage’s musical harp; Lingji style
Duyou harp; Lingji style
The Taikoo harp; Shikuang style
Meihua Luoqin; Zhongni style
Laolong Yinqin; Xiangquan style
Yichi Boqin; Shennong style
Feiquan Qin; Lianzhu style
p>Song Dynasty
Jade pot ice harp; Shennong style
Chaos material harp; Lingguan style
Wanhe pine harp; Zhongni style< /p>
Tieke Qin; Fengshi style
Haiyue Qinghui Qin; Zhongni style
Ming Dynasty
瑑雷qin; Luoxia Style
Zhonghe Qin; Liezi Style
Zhu Gongwang Qin; Jiaoye Style
He Ming Qiu Yue Qin; Crane Ming Qiu Yue Style