Xilutang Qintong adds the following commentary at the front of the Yize modal prelude:

The first confusion caused by this explanation is that in fact if one follows the instructions, the open 6th string will have the same sound as the 4th string stopped in the 11th position, not the 12th. Other factors are also unclear.

Yize uses the same tuning as Huo Lin in Shen Qi Mi Pu, which calls its tuning mangong. Xilutang Qintong calls that melody Jin Wei and its tuning nanlü. It thus appears that there is no clear distinction implied by these names. Mangong means "lowered gong" (probably "lowered first string"). Yize (exotic standard) is the 9th of the 12 Chinese tones, while nanlü (southern tube) is the 10th. It is not clear what significance this all has.

Looking at the tonal centers, these three (#113-115) pieces in yize mode have their tonal center on 1 (do) with the secondary on 5 (so), but the tonal center often changes to center on 6 (la), with 3 (mi) as a secondary. The one melody in nanlü, Huolin - Jin Wei, also seems to have 1 as its primary tonal center, but for most of it 6 seems to be an even more important tonal center. Again there is what in Western terms might be considered major and minor modes, though in Huo Lin there seem to be more tonal center shifts from 1 to 3.

As for themes, the two melodies using yize tuning have themes related to Qu Yuan and the state of Chu. Melodies with that connection generally use a raised fifth string tuning: most often raised fifth (ruibin) or raised second and fifth (qiliang), but also raised second, fifth and seventh (Guxian). Yize tuning can also be effected by raising the second, fourth, fifth and seventh strings.

However, the theme of Huolin - Jinwei is a story about Confucius.

 
Preface

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One Section

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 39908.203; 21/192/-- . (Return)

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