A. Qin Specialists1

In the southern dynasties the leading gentlemen and the nobility for the most part loved literature and music; on their initiative more than a few literati qin players appeared. Some of literati were born of poor families; because of restrictions of the system of powerful gentry clans, they often lived in situations where they could not achieve their aims. They were often angry at the world and hated its vulgarity, leading them to flee from society and entertain themselves with qin and books. Dai Yong, Zong Bing, Liu Yun and Liu Xie were some of the relatively influential qin specialists of that time.

Dai Yong2 (377-441)

Dai Kui, the father, was a famous qin player of the Jin dynasty who once refused a position as musician in the residence of a prince, and in public opinion was very praiseworthy. (His sons) Dai Yong and Dai Bo, the older brother, continued their father's qin studies, and also were creative. The Biographies of Recluses in the History of the Liu Song said that they, "Each created new sounds, five bu (sections) by Dai Bo and 15 by Dai Yong; Dai Yong also created a long piece in one section, transmitting it to society." Most of the new sounds created by the Dai brothers were seldom seen amongst the qin specialists of that early period. Their creations were part of the process of developing based on tradition. They had great influence at that time, as shown by the expression "transmitted it to society." The melodies written by Dai Yong "were modified new sounds; the ones like Third Melody Wandering on the Strings and Taking a Rest in Guangling were different from others of that time".3 These two melodies had been mentioned by name in the Zither Rhapsody by Xi Kang (223-262).4 Dai Yong and Xi Kang were from the same region, both being from the Zhi district of Qiao (just west of the what is today Suzhou in northern Anhui province). It seems that Dai Yong was continuing Xi Kang's qin tradition. However, his being "different from others of that time" explains that he was able to weed through the old and bring forth the new; there was a certain amount of development rather than just retaining the old melodies and sticking to the old conventions. As for folk songs, he also advanced them through modifications. He combined two melodies called How Can it Be?5 and White Swan6 into one tune, calling it Clear Distance.7 How Can It Be Ballad and White Swans were matching songs in the se mode8 that reflected romantic activities, and the lyrical content of the two folk songs is rather similar to each other, so combining them into "one melody" is quite understandable. However, "calling it Clear Distance" carries some of the flavor of the contemporary Mystery Studies and Clear Talk (groups)9; they had probably already left behind the themes of the original traditional folk songs and were expressing the literati's interests and inclinations. Creations like this Clear Distance are not very rare; often from the titles one can see they are things of the literati, but their melodies draw on the creative results of the people. It is written that there was a Dai Family Qin Handbook, Four Folios;10 unfortunately the original book no longer exists. Dai Yong also had talents as a sculptor. For example, some people at that time cast an image of the Buddha, but people were not generally satisfied; it looked as though (the Buddha's) face was too emaciated. Later, under the direction of Dai Yong they whittled down the shoulders; only then did they overcome the original flaws.

Zong Bing¹¹ (374-443)

Like Dai Yong, (Zong Bing) was both a musician and an artist. "He was very skilled at qin and writing," and loved painting landscapes. He had "wandered far (west) amongst the shamans (wu) of Jing (northwest Chu), and in the south climbed (Hubei province's) Mount Hengshan." Each time he went traveling he often enjoyed himself so much he forgot to return. Because when he was old he was often ill, he could no longer have the pleasure of going to all the famous mountains and great rivers, so he painted the places to which he had already been, and hung the paintings in his home. He once told people, "When playing a melody on the qin I want to cause all the mountains to resound." From this one can see his playing was much imbued with imagination, the qin sounds and paintings already blending their forms. The subjects of what he played on the qin certainly involved landscape scenes, and this coincided with the atmosphere of the landscape poetry then in vogue. There are many themes like this among surviving qin melodies, and these have connections to the literati customs of this period. Zong Bing was also good at playing a qin melody called Jinshi Nong.12 This melody had been a specialty of Huan family during the Jin dynasty.13 Authorities during the Liu Song period once especially commissioned the music master Yang Guan to go to Zong Bing and try to learn the piece from him.14

Liu Yun¹⁵ (before 497 to after 503)

Liu Yun was a qin specialist during the Southern Qi dynasty (479-502). He was "widely skilled in musical pitches, and exceptionally blessed on the qin." His father Liu Shilong stood out for his use of the finger technique called shuang suo,16 so people called him "Master Liu Shuangsuo". Liu Shilong once said, "Horses and bow ends come first; Pure Conversation comes second; playing the qin comes third." One can see that playing the qin had an important place in his life. Liu Yun, "whenever he played his father's pieces, he constantly felt the meanings; (because he) often transformed the structure he completely expressed both the old and new." He was also a qin master who was able to advance changes based on traditional foundations. His most important qin art was studied from two famous qin teachers of the Liu Song period, Ji Yuanrong17 and Yang Gai.18 These two men were students of Dai Kui. Liu Yun was able to gain the strengths of the two men, achieving mastery through comprehensive study. Wang Ziliang of Jingling19 praised him as, "Skilled beyond Ji's expression, beauty reaching to Yang's substance; good disposition and beautiful hands, trusting in the present." This means that in the content of his expression he was superior to that of Ji Yuanrong, and in the form of his expression his level was better than that of Yang Gai. The emperor Liang Wudi (r.502 - 549) also praised him, saying, "His artistic skills were sufficient for 10 people." He also wrote several essays on music, including Discussing of Qing Mode, and Views on Music.

Liu Xie²⁰ (6th century)

(Liu Xie) was a qin specialist of the Northern Wei (386-535). Because he was creative many people came to study qin with him and he had great influence in the Nortern Wei. In Qin Shi it says, "He was well educated, was good at playing qin, using the movements of new music. The scholars of the capital all closely followed him."

(Continue to Qin melodies)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. Qin Shi includes a number of players not mentioned here. They include (names to be added later). (Return)
2. 戴顒 Dai Yong ; see 琴史 Qin Shi bio. 93 三戴 the Three Dai (actually four, the other three being 戴逵 Dai Kui, his father; 戴述 Dai Shu, his uncle; and 戴勃 Dai Bao, his older brother). (Return)
3. 10/1054 遊絃 punctuates this quote differently, so it translates as Dai Kui's three melodies, Wandering on the Strings, 廣陵 Guangling and 止息 Taking a Rest." The quote is not in Qin Shi; perhaps it comes from the Song History. (Return)
4. 琴賦 Qin Fu. See Van Gulik, Hsi K'ang and his Poetic Essay on the Lute, p.110. He translates Guangling and Zhixi as two different melodies. (Return)
5. 何嘗行 He Chang Xing 489.336 Xianghe Ge lyrics in Gu Yue Fu (not in YFSJ); lyrics begin 飛行雙鵠…. ; no attrib. (Return)
6. 白鵠 Bai Hu 23191.1162 bird name; rhapsody name (no lyrics given; not in YFSJ); ref. bio of 崔琦 Cui Qi (latter Han) (Return)
7. 清曠 Qing Kuang 18003.764 and 5/1335: nothing about music; not in melody lists. (Return)
8. 相和歌，瑟調 lyrics are in YFSJ 534-598. These include 豔歌何嘗行 How Can It Be Love Song Ballad (p.576) and 飛來雙白鵠 A Pair of White Swans Fly About (p.577) (Return)
9. 玄學 Xuan Xue "Abstruse Learning" and 清談 Qing Tan "Pure Conversation" were movements popular in the Wei and Jin period amongst people who disdained the ordinary society of their time. (Return)
10. Not in Qinshu Cunmu; perhaps mentioned in the above-referenced biography? (Return)
11. 宗炳 Zong Bing, literary name 宗少文; 琴史 Qin Shi bio. 102 says he was from 南陽 Nanyang, in the northwest of 荊 Jing (Chu). He is also in the Biographies of Recluses in the History of the (Liu) Song. (Return)
12. 金石弄 41049.131 and 11/1143 jinshi; this and the following entries do not mention nong; jinshi (metal and stone) may refer to gongs and chimes. If so the music may have been connected to ancient ritual melodies, and this might explain why the royal family was interested in it (Qin Shi says the first Liu Song emperor sent 楊觀 Yang Guan to learn it.) (Return)
13. Qin Shi bio. 73 concerns 桓譚 Huan Tan, whose father was a music master at the end of the former Han dynasty. Perhaps the 桓氏 Huan Family were his descendents. (Return)
14. 楊觀 Bio.xxx (Return)
15. 柳惲 Qin Shi bio. 104 二柳 Two Lius concerns 柳世隆 Liu Shilong and his two sons, the elder being 柳惔 Liu Yan and the younger 柳惲 Liu Yun. The father, who was from Jie in Hedong (northeast of Chang An), served the Southern Qi dynasty. Several of the quotes are not in Qin Shi, so presumably come from History of the Southern Qi. (Return)
16. 雙瑣 An old right hand finger technique. (Return)
17. Ji Xuanrong 嵇元榮 (Bio.xxx; descendant of Xi Kang?) (Return)
18. Yang Gai 羊蓋 Bio.xxx (Return)
19. 竟陵 Jingling，王子良 Wang Ziliang (Bio.xxx; 7072.xxx) (Return)
20. 柳諧 Qin Shi bio. 105 柳遠 Liu Yuan says Liu Xie was a paternal cousin of Liu Yuan, who was a military official as well as a good qin player. Bio.1709 says Liu Yuan (500-539) was (like Liu Shilong), from Jie in Hedong, northeast of Chang An. Bio.1711 says Liu Xie (503-528) was a 佐郎 zuolang "assistant official" (?). (Return)

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