As explained in the preface by Zha Fuxi, this handbook was compiled by Xiao Luan (1487 - after 1561)², who had traveled through Wu and Yue (the area from Jiangsu to Zhejiang) acquiring "Xiaoshao" ³ melodies in the repertoire of the Cao and Bao families⁴ bestowed. Apparently he also created several qin pieces himself. His repertoire was published in two handbooks, Taiyin Buyi and the present handbook.

Taiyin Xupu altogether has 38 titles, none with lyrics. These 38 titles consist of 19 regular pieces, each preceded by an yin (intonation). Titles of all of the 19 intonations appear here for the first time (though #17 Kaigu Yin is related to the earlier Kai Gu), but at least seven of these are in fact versions of melodies published earlier under different names, usually in Shen Qi Mi Pu. Titles of 13 of the 19 regular pieces appear here for the first time, but there is a new melody for one of the old titles (You Lan). This leaves melodies of 12 intonations and 14 regular pieces that seem to appear here for the first time.

Of these 26 new melodies, 18 seem to appear only here and one (#3) appears in one other place. The remaining seven are all in the first half of the book. One (#2) is the 1st of 5, one (#4) is the 1st of 14, one (#6) is the 1st of 13, one (#8) is the 1st of 15, one (#10) is the 1st of 4, one (#12) is the 1st of 8, and one (#18, Yu Qiao Wenda) appears in over 35 later handbooks and is still popular today (the other two pieces in the first half of the book, #14 and #16, were published earlier). As for melodies 19 to 38, three (#20, #24 and #28) are pieces that appear earlier, two (#21 and #23) are preludes related to different titles published earlier, and 15 (including 14 of the last 15 melodies in the book) survive only here.

Further details:

Unlike with Taiyin Buyi, only six intonations have three sections. Others seem more like modal preludes.

The above statistics assume that Taiyin Xupu was published earlier (1559) than Qinpu Zhengchuan (1561). However, the closeness of publication dates and relationship of the melodies in the two handbooks needs further examination. For example, melodies in Taiyin Xupu are all identical to melodies that have the same titles in Qinpu Zhengchuan:

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 14820.29 杏莊 nickname of Qing dynasty person (Return)

2 蕭鸞 Xiao Luan also compiled #19 Taiyin Buyi and was connected in some way to #18 Taiyin Chuanxi. (Return)

3 27100.13, Xiaoshao Jiucheng, "a very famous early song title" (see in Toc). (Mathews says "ancient panpipe"). (Return)

4 曹 Cao and 鮑 Bao; no further information; see the comment at the top of the ToC: Taiyin Xupu includes 10 melodies from the section of Qinpu Zhengchuan which seems to have melodies of 宋仕 the Song family. (Return)

10
(Return)

Return to the annotated handbook list or to the Guqin ToC.