Shenpin Zhi Yi

As for complications within zhi mode melodies, these begin with naming the notes. In this context it is useful to compare zhi mode melodies with those in the shang mode. As with early shang mode melodies, SQMP melodies in zhi mode often include an altered third: the third interval up from the main tonal center (main note), while normally a whole-tones third, is sometimes flatted. On the other hand, whereas with shang mode it is clear that the first string should be considered as the relative note gong, with the zhi mode this is not so clear. (Also, compare the following with tonal centers shang, which mode generally have the open first string as the main tonal center and the open second string [shang] as the secondary tonal center [sometimes the open fifth string is also a secondary tonal center].)

The tonal centers in zhi mode are as follows :

The main tonal center is the equivalent of the open fourth string, called "zhi" (sol, 5). Thus the title "zhi mode" is appropriate. And following on from this, if the open first string is considered as gong, then in zhi mode the main note is zhi (5); the note to be flatted is then 7 (ti), thus becoming 7^b.
The secondary tonal center is the equivalent to the note of the open second string (called "shang"). With the open first string considered as gong, this secondary note is 2 (shang, re); it is thus a fifth interval above the primary tonal center, 5 in the lower octave.
The closing note for most zhi mode melodies is the diad 5 over 2. (An ear trained in Western classical music might prefer 2 over 5.) Secondarily they end in a diad unison on 5.

In my transcriptions I have chosen always to express gong as "C", hastening to remind everyone that this is better considered as the relative note do. For almost all of these transcriptions, my decision as to which specific note to consider as gong has been based on avoiding written accidentals.⁵ Applying this to Shen Qi Mi Pu melodies in zhi mode has led to considering the first string as gong.

However, especially with later melodies in zhi mode, it might also be appropriate to consider other open strings as gong. Thus, in some cases the open fourth string seems to function as do better than the first string. Once again, since the fourth string is called "zhi", the title zhi mode" remains appropriate. In this case the relative tuning of zhi mode melodies would be considered not as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 but as 4 5 7b 1 2 4 5. This returns the occasionally flatted note to being mi (3).

Later zhi mode melodies become even more complex. For this it is interesting to consider the possibility that the musical complexity resulted from the players themselves being uncertain about which note was gong. The complexity generally relates to the flatted or non-flatted thirds plus the fourth (fa). Thus (considering the open fourth string as do), in addition to the flatted third alternating with the non-flatted third, the fourth (fa) is also quite common, either substituting for mi and/or mi^b (as with the shang mode melody Qiujiang Yebo) or mixing together with them (as with the zhi mode melody Saishang Hong).

Further complicating analysis is the movement of some melodies between shang and zhi modes. Thus, Yu Qiao Wen Da, originally grouped with shang melodies, is later said to be zhi. The later versions do in fact have characteristics of the zhi mode, though this requires considering the 3rd string as 1 do (see further comment).

It also appears that a number of melodies in mid-Ming handbooks categorized as in zhi mode diverge from the common pattern of this mode as described above. For example, Nanxun Ge seems to have the open 1st string, played as do, as its main note. Shi Xian seems to fit into the traditional scale system if the tuning is treated not as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 but as 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 .⁶

Other melodies published in the mid-Ming and later seem best understood if the relative tuning of the seven qin strings is considered to be 2 3 5 6 7 2 3. This is because some zhi mode melodies seem best interpreted as having characteristics of a la - mi mode (compare A minor). Thus, if the tuning for Weibin Yin is considered as 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 , with 5 as the main note, it turns out that the third above 5 is always played as 7^b, never changing to the whole-tones third. This makes the open fourth string sound not like 5 or 1, but like 6 (la). This in turn suggests that perhaps the tuning should be treated as 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 . If the tuning is treated in this way, the melody will be found to have several occurrences of sharped 4, but overall it gives the feeling of a la - mi melody such as those in yu mode, but with the tonal center sometimes shifting from 6 and 3 to 1 and 5.⁷

In other cases, such as Saishang Hong, the note 1 is often sharped, giving the flavor or alternating between an A major and A minor mode. In this regard, it is interesting to observe that the ambiguous note, 1 or 1 sharp, has no open string representation in 2 3 5 6 7 2 3. Note also that a sharped 1 in la - mi modes is not uncommon in the qin repertoire. See, for example, comments under Shenpin Wuyi Yi, as well as the yu mode melody Pei Lan.

Original preface
None ⁸

Music
One section ⁹

(00.45) -- harmonics
(01.04) -- Modal prelude ends

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Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Shenpin Zhi Yi 神品徵意
10483.66 徵歌 zhi yi quotes Li Bai; .78 徵聲 says 五音中之徵聲; but no mention of a zhidiao. Zhi, elsewhere usually pronounced zheng, has a great many meanings (summon, ask, clear, stop, surname, etc).
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2. Later the melodies seem often to suggest the tuning should be considered as 4 5 7b 1 2 4 5 (see further) or 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 (see further).
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4. Mode in Taigu Yiyin
Taigu Yiyin groups melodies chronologically, not by mode. Determining mode thus comes from direct observation as well as by comparing versions included under modes in later handbooks. I have added a comment as to why I consider the 1511 Guan Ju Qu to be in zhi mode.
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5. For more on the rationale for this see comments under Modality in Early Ming Qin Tablature.
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6. If the tuning of Shi Xian is considered as 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 there are many F sharps in the transcription.
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7. Varying relative pitch names for the strings in zhi mode
In zhi mode melodies the main and secondary tonal centers are consistently the equivalent of the open fourth string (named zhi) and the open second string (named shang). However, not only is it not always clear which of these two represents the primary and which the secondary tonal center, it also seems that the relative tuning can be considered in at least four different ways, as follows:

First string as do: 1 2 4 5 6 1 2
For early known zhi mode melodies such as those in Shen Qi Mi Pu it seems best to consider this as the relative tuning; the main tonal center is the usually the note 5; the secondary tonal center is 2. This is discussed further above.
Third string as do: 5 6 1 2 3 5 6
In the melody Shi Xian the main tonal centers are still the equivalent of the open 4th string and the open 2nd string, with the open 4th perhaps somewhat more important. My original transcription of this melody in Music Beyond Sound treats the tuning as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 , thereby making the primary tonal center the note 5 and the secondary tonal center 2. However, there are then numerous occurrences of 7 flat as well as 4. Avoiding the most number of accidentals in Shi Xian requires considering the tuning to be 5 6 1 2 3 5 6. In that case 2 (open fourth string, called zhi) is the main tonal center and 6 is the secondary tonal center. (See also below for considering the tuning here as 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 .)
Fourth string as do: 4 5 7b 1 2 4 5
In some melodies, such as Saishang Hong and Long Gui Wandong, it seems best to consider the relative tuning this way. This makes the primary tonal center 1, the secondary 5. Note that the tablature for both these melodies avoids using the open 5th string. Since the open fifth string is a second interval above the main tonal center (i.e., the open fourth string) and a fifth interval above the secondary tonal center (open second string), this means that if the tuning is considered as 1 2 4 5 6 1 2, then the scale must be considered as 1 2 4 5 7, with the main tonal center 5, secondary 2, and 7 often flatted (6 sharped?). However, if one considers the tuning as 4 5 7b 1 2 4 5, this makes the main tonal center 1 (do) and the secondary tonal center 5 (sol), i.e., it is a do sol mode (here 1 is sometimes sharped [not 2 flatted], perhaps during passages when the tonal center shifts to 6). It is, however, rather unusual (at least in the Ming dynasty qin repertoire) for the note 2 (re, shang) to be avoided; in addition, another avoided note is 6 (la), making the scale (i.e., the names of the notes generally played in this melody) 1 3 4 5 7^b, with 3 often flatted.
2 3 5 6 7 2 3 (no string as do!)
Yet another alternative may sometimes be to consider zhi mode as 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 . Already the alternative of 4 5 7b 1 2 4 5 outlined in the previous paragraph allows considering 3 (mi) the norm and a flatted 3 as a variation. However, it is also possible to consider the flatted 3 the norm and non-flatted 3 as the variation. In this case it might be more natural to consider the melody not to be in a do - sol mode but in a la - mi mode, so that the scale is not 1 3 4 5 7^b but 6 1 2 3 5, with 1 sometimes sharped. For this the tuning of the seven qin strings should be considered as 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 . A sharped do (1) in la - mi modes is not uncommon in the qin repertoire. See, for example, comments under Shenpin Wuyi Yi.
A good related example is Weibin Yin. As discussed above and elsewhere, avoiding the most number of accidentals there requires considering the tuning to be 5 6 1 2 3 5 6. In that case 2 is the main note and 6 the secondary note. However, there are then numerous occurences of 4 (fa). To avoid this one can consider its tuning as 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 .
Comparing Weibin Yin to Shi Xian, mentioned above, and considering the tuning 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 in Western terms as G A C D E G A , the mode of Weibin Yin would seem somewhat akin to a D minor mode (except that the B is usually not flatted), while that of Shi Xian seems more closely to resemble A minor. Both start on the open 7th string. In Shi Xian it is clear that the primary tonal center is the open 2nd string and this should be considered as 6 (A), with the secondary tonal center 2 (D). In Weibin Yin, however, it soon becomes apparent that the primary tonal center is the open 4th string and that this should be considered as 6 (A) with the secondary tonal center being 3 (E).

The ph.d. dissertation by Tse Chun-Yan, which discusses special intonations that may have been used in Qing dynasty (and perhaps earlier) melodies, says that the special intonation was most commonly present in zhi mode.
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8. Preface
Although SQMP modal preludes have no prefaces, those in Zheyin (which all have identical music) do. The preface to the zhi modal prelude in Zheyin is as follows,:

（徵意）﹕希仙曰，
考之徵數五十有四聲，陰中之陽，稍清也。位於四弦專之，而為徵調。有清和之音。

Meaning of Zhi (mode):
(Not yet translated.
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9. Music
The tablature in Zheyin Shizi Qinpu is identical, so its lyrics can be sung here.
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