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XLTQT   ToC   /   Preface   /   Commentary 首頁
Xilutang Qintong
Qin Anthology of the Hall in the Western Foothills
西麓堂琴統目錄
1549

Tunings in Xilutang Qintong (1549)
14 tunings:1 8-10 and 12-14 below are not among the 8 in Shen Qi Mi Pu 2

Name

Chinese

String tuning method

Tuning

Played as

Comments/Translation

# in (brackets) is the #
of pieces in this mode,
incl. modal prefaces
中文 loosen or tighten one half step unless otherwise indicated (underline = 1 step) if standard tuning has
1st string = c ("1"; d=2, etc.); (absolute tuning)
if 1 = do, 2 = re, etc.;
(relative tuning)
number in (brackets) is the name's
sequence in the set of 12 pitches
1. Huangzhong (2)
    Taicou (5)
    Dalü (3)
黃鐘
太簇
大呂
lower 3 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 -yellow bell (1) [usually: 1 3 5 6 1 2 3]
-great burst (3)
-big tube (2)
2. Gong (14)
    Shang (9+24)
    Jiao (13)
    Zhi (11+8)
    Yu (7+6)
    Shangjiao (3)
    Zhonglü (3)
    Linzhong (3)
    Jiaozhiyu (2)
宮 
商 
 
 
 
商角
中呂
林鐘
角徵羽
"standard" 1 2 4 5 6 1 2 5 6 1 2 3 5 6
1 2 4 5 6 1 2
5 6 1 2 3 5 6
1 2 4 5 6 1 2
5 6 1 2 3 5 6
1 2 4 5 6 1 2

 




- secondary tube (6)
- forest bell (8)
- these last 3 use 5 strings
3. Ruibin (4)
    Qingyu (2)
蕤賓
清羽

raise 5

1 2 4 5 6# 1 2 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 -luxuriant vegetation (7)
4. Yize (3)

    Nanlü (2)

夷則

南呂

lower 1, 3, 6

(or raise 2, 4, 5, 7)

7 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 -exotic standard (9);
  (SQMP: mangong)
- southern tube (10)
5. Guxian (3)

    Jiazhong (3)

姑洗

夾鍾

raise 2, 5, 7

(or lower 1, 3, 4, 6)

1 2# 4 5 6# 1 2# 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 -maiden clean (5)

-inserted bell (4)

6. Qiliang (7) 淒涼

raise 2, 5

1 2# 4 5 6# 1 2 2 4 5 6 1 2 3 -cold misery
7. Manshang (4) 慢商 lower 2 1 1 4 5 6 1 2 1 1 4 5 6 1 2  
8. Yunü (2) 玉女 lower 1, 3 7 2 3 5 6 1 2 7 2 3 5 6 1 2 -jade girl; only one melody:
can be played w/out lowering 1
9. Wumei (4) 無媒 lower 3 & 6 1 2 3 5 6 7 2 4 5 6 1 2 3 5 -no go-betwen (in Lixing Yuanya [1618]
raise 2 by  and 6 by 1 step)
10. Quanming (4) 泉鳴

lower 1(x2), 3, 6

6 2 3 5 6 7 2 5 1 2 4 5 6 1
(not 2 5 6 1 2 3 5)
- spring sounds; wrong tuning instructions, but correct guidelines
11. Wuyi (6)
      Yingzhong (3)
      Fugu (3)
無射
應鐘
復古
lower 1               raise 5 7b 2 4 5 6# 1 2 1 3 5 6 1 2 3

1 3 5 6 1

-no _?_ (11)
-responding bell (12)
-return to antiquity; uses only 5 strings
12. Jianxian (2) 間絃 lower 3               raise 5 1 2 3 5 6# 1 2 1 2 3 5 7b 1 2
(5 6 7 2 4 5 6?)
- between strings; only one melody:
all but 1 section end like open 6th
13. Biyu (3) 碧玉 lower 1, 4, 6           raise 3 7 2 4# 5b 6 7 2 6 1 3 3 5 6 1 -green jade; alternate tuning (not here)"
raise 3 a whole tone from guxian
14. Li You (1) 離憂 lower 1, 2               raise 5 7b 1 4 5 6# 1 2 1 2 5 6 1 2 3 -separation's sorrow;
only one melody, no modal preface
total: 29 diao yi
        140 melodies
        # does not include the diaoxian pin which precedes gong mode

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 14 Tunings: 1 standard (9 mode names) and 13 non-standard (20 mode names)
This seems to be the largest number of tunings used in any existing handbook except Lixing Yuanya (1618).

Lixing Yuanya (XXJC, VIII/250-303) has 24 melodies in 20 non-standard tunings (most have prefaces, all have lyrics):

  1. 慢宮 Mangong ("lower 1, 3, 6; same as 夷則 [same as 1549 yize, 南呂 nanlü"; VIII/250)
      猗蘭操 Yilan Cao (2 sections, titled)
  2. 黃鐘 Huangzhong ("raise 5, lower 1" [same as 1549 wuyi, 1618 dalü]; VIII/251)
      昭君怨 Zhaojun Yuan (8T)
  3. Again Huangzhong (same tuning as previous; VIII/255)
      前赤壁賦 Qian Chibi Fu (11)
  4. 姑洗 Guxian ("raise 2, 5, 7; same as 夾鍾 jiazhong, 清商 qingshang" [same as 1549 guxian] ; VIII/258)
      有回行 You Hui Xing (5; only here)
  5. 蕤賓 Ruibin ("raise 1" [same as 1549 ruibin]; VIII/260)
      秋鴻 Qiu Hong (36; compare guxian in 1425!)
  6. 無射 Wuyi ("lower 1, 2" [melody tends to avoid these 2 strings!]; VIII/271)
      梅花十五弄 Mei Hua Shiwu Nong (unrelated to other Meihua; 15T)
  7. 大呂 Dalü ("raise 5, lower 1; 如黃鍾但" [same as #2; again as 1549 wuyi]); VIII/274)
      三癖操 San Pi Cao (3; "three cravings"; only here)
  8. 慢商 Manshang ("lower 1, 3"; same as 1549 yunü; VIII/275)
      結客少年塲 Jie Ke Shaonian Chang (3; only here)
  9. 慢角 Manjiao ("lower 3, 6" [same as 1549 wumei; compare wumei]; VIII/276)
      將進酒 Jiang Jin Jiu (2; only here)
  10. 清角 Qing Jiao ("lower 1, 6, raise 3"; VIII/277)
      妾薄命 Qie Bo Ming (4; by 張子 Zhang Zi;
    only here)
  11. 清徵 Qingzhi ("raise 4, lower 5"; VIII/279)
      茶歌 Cha Ge (4;
    only here; Tea Song [only qin tune about tea])
  12. 慢羽 Manyu ("lower 5"; VIII/280)
      過義士橋 Guo Yishi Qiao (2;
    only here)
  13. 清羽 Qingyu ("raise 2, 4"; VIII/281)
      手挽長河行 Shouwan Chang He Xing (4;
    only here)
  14. 側羽 Ceyu ("raise 7"; VIII/284)
      飲中八仙歌 Yinzhong Baxian Ge (2;
    only here)
  15. 凄凉 Qiliang ("raise 2, 5"; as 1549; VIII/285)
      屈原問渡 Qu Yuan Wen Du (9)
  16. Again Qiliang (same tuning; VIII/288)
      陽關三疊 Yangguan Sandie (3)
  17. Again Qiliang (same tuning; VIII/289)
      春江送別 Chunjiang Songbie (9;
    only here and 1738)
  18. 碧玉 Biyu ("raise 3, 5, 7" [same as #18 ]; VIII/292)
      陌上桑 Moshang Sang (3; only here and an unrelated 1597)
  19. 側蜀 Ceshu ("lower 3" [as 1549 huangzhong, etc.; VIII/294)
      醒心集 Xing Xin Ji (5; see the unrelated 1585)
  20. 側楚 Cechu ("raise 7, lower 2"; VIII/296)
      孝順歌 Xiao Shun Ge (3;
    only here)
  21. 無媒 Wumei ("raise 2, 6"; VIII/298)
      白頭吟 Baitou Yin (4;
    only here; see details)
  22. 清調 Qingdiao ("raise 5, 7"; VIII/299)
      Wang Mingjun Yin (3;
    only here)
  23. 離憂 Liyou ("lower 1, 2"; VIII/301 [reverses order with next])
      東飛伯勞歌 Dong Fei Bo Lao Ge (2;
    only here)
  24. 泉鳴 Quanming ("tighten 3, 5, 7" [same as #18]; VIII/302)
      相逢行 Xiang Feng Xing (2; only here)

The names and tunings of these 20 modes are often different from those in other handbooks; they also do not include at least four of the tuning methods in 1549. Note also that although Qinshu Daquan, Folio 13 (1590), lists melodies for 19 non-standard modes, it has only titles, no actual tablature or indications of tuning mmethod.
(Return)

2. Compare Shen Qi Mi Pu
Shen Qi Mi Pu also has no melodies using only five strings.
(Return)

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