Taiyin Daquanji Section 1/4

Taiyin Daquanji ¹
Folio 1D : Information on Assemblage of the Qin
Explanations provided by the translator are put either in brackets ( ) or in footnotes.²

太音大全集
卷一，丁﹕制度

Assemblage ³

The Grand History Master⁴ said, A qin length of 8 chi, 1 cun is proper. Feng Su Tong⁵ said the qin is 45 cun (4 chi, 5 cun) in length; this method follows the "four seasons, five elements"⁶ method. The two (men's) methods are different. Nowadays we use Fu Xi's construction as the correction length: three chi six cun six fen. This method follows the number (of days) in a year.⁷ This is an ancient method of construction. This style is suitable in length and width. The old chi and the contemporary provincial chi are the same, as compared to the Zhejiang chi, which is two cun longer. If longer than (Fu Xi's) length, then it is too long. If not this long, then it is too short. The famous qins used today are in accordance with this old method. Examine the styles which are listed below.

[Yin Shi:]⁸ The Grand History Master refers to Sima Tan of the former Han dynasty. He was a Grand Historian (taishiling). Later his son Sima Qian also held this rank. Thus, out of respect his father was called Grand History Master. Feng Su Tong is a book name. It was written by Ying Shao. Ji (year) is pronounced like ji (base); it is a year of 366 days.

The qin body is two cun long from the "forehead" to the (near side of the) mountain. The mountain is three fen thick. From the (other side of the) mountain to the furthest end of the dragon's lips is three chi four cun three fen (both the dragon⁹ and the phoenix¹⁰ are popularly associated with various parts of the qin). Altogether the length is (thus) 3 chi, six cun, six fen. Along the two sides the distance from the mountain to the cornered hats is three chi, three cun. The forehead measured across at the tongue is five cun two fen wide. In front of the dew collector the width is five cun one fen. Behind the mountain, as you approach the area of the neck, the width is five cun. Compared with the forehead it is two fen lower. The width in the center of the neck is four cun. The shoulders are six cun wide. At the waist the width is four cun one fen. At the tail the width is three cun nine fen. In addition, the measurements for the bottom of the qin are the same.

Essay on playing the qin ¹¹

As for the method for playing the qin, the disposition must be uncomplicated and peaceful. Especially important is playing by oneself and not playing pieces so that your hands have to move around too much. Big flaws in playing are as follows: not pressing down with the left thumb in the area where the fingernail and flesh come together; the front fingers not following the back fingers; when doing a ti (plucking outwards with the third finger) not avoiding the neighboring string; when doing a bai/bo (plucking inward with the thumbnail) not using the thumb; when performing jian'gou (a multi-stroke right hand technique) not paying attention to the palm; when doing a li (running the second finger across several strings) not doing it with the appropriate rhythm (cun); when playing hesheng (open string sounds together with stopped note sliding up to the same sound) not sliding up on the string. These sorts of things are the vital organs (gaohuang) of the qin. The (flaws) come from not studying the basic (qin) logic, not examining the rationale of the classical texts, not reading the qin handbooks, not being careful about hand movements, not being familiar with a good teacher. As a result, this causes loss of proper control in playing the qin,¹² (and) inappropriate phrasing, the sound rises and falls (too much?), the hand movements lose control, the tempo becomes confused, the sound intensity has no rationale, the major and minor aspects become convoluted, the speed has no regulation, and so the clear elegance of the ancients is lost, instead becoming low class and stingy. Look at (these bad players') hand movements and the flaws are apparent. The physical movements are the opposite of those for the qin; the feelings are the opposite of those for the qin. They know sound but they don't know music. They move their fingers but don't know the significance. Although they play, it is not as in former times. (For a good player) the sounds are plentiful but not confused. Like the moon (reflecting) on water, (the sounds) are together but not combined. Like wind in the pines, they are combined but also spread out. The sounds are valued for their lightness, not the addition of inappropriate ("guest") sounds. This is the refined theory of the qin. To be knowledgeable about music, one must seek this, then one can realize its beauty.

Situation of putting on the strings ^shi13 Situation of playing the qin

(From above left:) Method of putting on the strings
Whenever putting on strings, use the string put through the peg hooks (? use the knot on the string to pull the tassel attached to the pegs?), tightly pull the top of the tassel to near the center of the mountain top, then use ring finger to begin fixing the string (to the Phoenix Feet at the other end). (The most comfortable way to hold the string is to) wind it around the inside of the little finger, extend it outside of the ring finger, then inside the middle finger (of the right hand, as depicted in the diagram below called "Hand method for putting on strings"). Then tightly sieze and fix the string using the thumb. With the qin use strength and quickly pull, using the left hand to help cause the string to be tight, and also using the left hand to pluck a string, to see if the sound is right. Once it is correct, then coil the string around the Phoenix Feet. Rely on this method to put on the strings, then the fingers won't become sore. Although you use the little finger to coil the string, nevertheless you use strength on the index and middle fingers, so the little finger won't become sore. If you use (only the) other fingers, then they will all be sore.

Situation of people today carrying a qin Situation of the ancients carrying a qin

(From above right¹⁴): The Emaciated Immortal says , (the ancients') way of carryng the qin was to consider the top as yang and so have it facing outwards, to consider the bottom as yin and so have it facing inwards; the head is in front and suitably up, the tail is behind and suitably down.
People of today mostly put the bottom towards the outside, for ease of getting to the Dragon Pool so as easily to use the fingers to grasp it; but this way loses its correctness and is less appropriate.

The left hand and right hands are like a phoenix in the clouds.
This is the qin player's art ¹⁷ Hand methods:
for putting on strings (above) ¹⁵ and
for playing the strings (below) ¹⁶

(Here the "Zhu" volume adds an additional commentary. ¹⁸
The folio in this edition then ends with the following diagram. ¹⁹)

Tai
yin
Da
Quan
ji
Folio
One
End (Translation of top:
from left to right:)
- Thumb (tablature: "big")
- Index finger ("enter")
- Middle finger ("middle")
- Ring finger ("night")
- Baby finger ("forbidden finger":
it doesn't move)
(Translation of right and left sides,
from right to left:)
Left hand finger usage:
- 1st is called "big". Big refers to its being the biggest finger
- 2nd is called "food". Food refers to its ability to (put) food in the mouth.
- 3rd is called "middle"; middle refers to its living in the middle of the four (sic) fingers
- 4th is called "name"; name recalls Mencius' so-called "no name finger"
- 5th is called "forbidden"; forbidden refers to its having no use and so not moving.

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 In the 1970s, when I was studying guqin in Taiwan with Sun Yu-ch'in, I made a rough translation of this passage from a copy of Taigu Yiyin preserved in Taiwan and included by Dr. Tong Kin-Woon (TKW) in his Qin Fu (QFTGYY), pp. 35-39; it is here modified according to the mostly identical passage that begins the Taiyin Daquanji printed in QQJC Vol. I (pp.39 - 42), referred to by TKW as the "Yuan Volume" (see his #6), after its supposed editor, Yuan Junzhe. When putting it online I tried to make corrections, but a number of passages still elude me.
(Return)

2 See comments concerning the structure of the original text.
(Return)

3 制度 Zhi Du (Return)

4 This 太史公 Taishi Gong (Grand History Master) was 司馬談 Sima Tan (d. 110 BCE), father of 司馬遷 Sima Qian (ca.145 - c.85 BCE), who was also a Grand History Master ( also called the Grand Historian, or the Grand Astrologer). See Yin Shi below. (Return)

5 風俗通 Feng Su Tong, by 應劭 Ying Shao (3rd c. CE) (Return)

6 四時五行 si shi wu xing (Return)

7 See Yin Shi below. (Return)

8 音釋 Yin Shi: Pronunciation and Explanation Return)

9 Dragon body associations with the Qin body
Many parts of the qin have dragon associations. "Dragon's lips" (龍唇 Long chun: 49812.351/2: 琴唇也 same as qin lips) refers to the lower end of the qin, putting it next to the "dragon's gums" (龍齦 long yin 49812.729) shown in the illustrations above. The dictionary says dragon's gums are 琴尾端之堅木 "the hard wood at the lower end of the qin." It then quotes 禮書論 Li Shu Lun by 陳暘 Chen Yang as saying, Dragon's lips is the place where the 聲 sound comes from; dragon's gums is the place that gives rise to the 吟 resonance; dragon's mouth (龍口 long kou) receives the strings and the dragon's beard ([龍]鬚 long xu) is also used to adorn this. The next diagram, Assemblage of the inner top, shows a place for the dragon's legs (龍腿 long tui). The third diagram, Assemblage of the inner bottom, shows two sound holes called a broad pool (池闊 chi kuo) and a broad pond (沼闊 zhao kuo). The pool is elsewhere called a dragon's pool (龍池 long chi 49812.103), while the broad pond is elsewhere called the phoenix pool (鳳池 feng chi). (Return)

10 Phoenix body associations with the Qin body
As with the dragon, many parts of a qin are associated with the phoenix. Parts mentioned in the assemblages below include the phoenix wings (鳳趐 feng xue: long sides), phoenix tongue (鳳舌 feng she an indentation sometimes cut into the upper end of the qin), phoenix legs (鳳腿 feng tui: these seem to be connected to the dragon's legs inside the qin; they are also commonly called 雁足 yan zu, goose feet), and the phoenix pond (鳳池 feng chi, here called a broad pond. (Return)

11 The Zhu volume begins Folio 2 here. (Return)

12 [TKW30:] The other two volumes say "play the strings". (Return)

13 In QQJC and other reprints (which unfold the double pages) these two sheets are separated (back to back), but in the original they would have appeared side by side, as here. (Return)

14 This illustration in QFTGYY, which here is photocopying the Yuan volume, has a slightly different commentary, omitting "The Emaciated Immortal says", and dividing the commentary so that the second half, regarding current practise, is printed with the sketch "Situation of people of today carrying a qin". (Return)

15 The picture in QFTGYY shows the string more clearly, but after wrapping around the small finger, while it does go under the ring finger, it doesn't seem to go over the middle finger (see Situations of putting on the strings, above). I do not know the significance of the design on the right side of three of the sketches. (Return)

16 At the bottom of this diagram the Zhu volume has:

Whenever playing the strings, one should use the middle finger to hit (them). If using the ring finger for hitting, then the hand gesture should be like a turtle playing in the water (there is an illustration of this in the next folio). Then playing a tune, one should comply with the tablature.

Then written to the left of this and of "Hand Method for playing the strings" is the following text:

Tuning the strings.
Grasp a peg. To tighten a string, turn it to the right (looking down: counter-clockwise, so that the knot is pulled towards your right); to loosen a string turn it to the left. First use the the ring finger to strum the first three strings. This finished, "hook" the 1st and "thumb" the 4th then play them together (here "play" is literally "grate"; for these finger technique terms, see folios three and five; "grate 齪" is now replaced by "撮 pinch"). Then hook (the 3rd) and thumb the 6th, then grate them together. Then hook the second and thumb the fifth, then grate them together. After this thumb the 7th string by itself. Thus the tuning is accomplished. (Note: unles something has been omitted, this is a very basic method to give a general tuning, presumably based on the ability of the ear to hear the interval of a fifth.)
(Return)

17 In QFTGYY "This is the qin player's art" is not put here; instead, it is the title of the lower sketch, here untitled. (Return)

18 The table of contents for the Zhu volume here has "Several qin players" (彈琴家數), but this is not in the text. After "The left and right hands are like a phoenix in the clouds" and "This is the qin player's art" (not mentioned in the table of contents) is the following essay which, like the material in the previous footnote, doesn't seem to be in the other two editions.

The metropolitan graduate (jinshi) 劉景尹字伊叔 Liu Jingyin (Bio/xxx), literary name Yishu, was good at music, particularly on the qin. If he heard someone play a piece he immediately memorized it. 與寄庵居士葉子問挾琴過子奏古風操 While passing time with retired scholar-recluse Ye Ziwen he took a qin, and played Gufeng Cao. Before he was halfway through a string broke. He re-strung the qin, and again played. After finishing he put aside the qin and poured out some wine; then they discussed tuning the strings. Although it is a basic (common? 朱 = 本?) matter, it is very difficult. Yishu said, when beginning to study qin, and having the problem of not yet being familiar with the essential meaning, tuning the strings is the hardest thing to achieve. The first thing to attain is putting them on, then playing a piece. Otherwise (you might as well) hang it on the wall of the room and just bind your hands (束手月而已?). Thinking of the open sounds of the seven strings, first recognize the correct order of the seven strings: gong, shang, jiao, zhi, yu, wen and wu. A little summary is, if using the (open) 7th string, then put the thumb at the 9th position on the 4th. If (the open) 6th string, use the ring finger at the 10th positon on the 4th. But when seeking these sounds to be harmonious together, then stop: if when evaluating (輕重?) it, the sound is not yet harmonious, first you must tighten the 7th string by itself. (Then when you) use the 7th string to harmonize with the above sounds you can slacken it if in front (i.e., higher), or tighten it if behind (i.e., lower). 推之而上之觸類而伸 Extend/push out to raise them, push to stretch it out (push on a string to loosen it?). This is not a difficult matter. After this, the sound of the five tones becomes broad, filling the ears. If you can play the 7 open strings, you especially can attain the structure. This method of playing the open strings comes after putting on the strings and already recognizing the precision of the seven open-string sounds. Pluck with the thumb the open 2nd and 7th strings [using the left hand]. Then thumb the 1st and 6th. This should be done from the bottom towards the top (i.e., from the far side of the qin towards the near side?). Then "rub" (second finger inward) on the third (string) to harmonize it with the 6th (giving the interval of a 5th), "hook" (the third finger inward) on the 4th (string) to harmonize it with the 7th (also giving the interval of a 5th), and use the 2nd to harmonize with the 5th. If now you do this thumbing from the top towards the bottom (outwards?) you can finely distinguish the roundness and lustre of the qin sounds; then its correct.

I was happy with these words, simple and appropriate, so I have written them down.
(Return)

19 The Yuan volume has the sketch and information together, as here; QFTGYY has "Left hand finger usage" on the following page. The Zhu volume puts it before the sketch and calls it 凡用指 "Whenever using the fingers". (Return)

Return to Taiyin Daquanji index page,
to the annotated handbook list
or to the Guqin ToC.