This book is largely the result of guqin work carried out in 1956 under the direction of Zha Fuxi. It was apparently published originally as several separate volumes, so in several places pagination begins again at 1, though combined-volume page numbers are added in brackets for the later volumes, making pagination somewhat complex, as will be seen below. The many references on this site in the form " # / # / # " go to section #5 below.

The overall table of contents is as follows, ²

1. Preface   (pp. 3 - 7) ³

2. Explanation of the materials and methods   (pp. 9 - 11) ⁴

3. A list of 109 qin handbooks ("qinpu"; compare the Annotated List) he had located, with basic data  (pp. 13 - 22) ⁵

4. A list of a further 35 qinpu not indexed in this guide  (pp. 24 - 26) ⁶
   short preface p. 23 says most are either not yet seen, suspect, or obscure handcopies

5. The 659 known surviving qin "melodies", with page references to #8, #10 and #11 below   (pp. 27 - 39) ⁷
   This site quotes as " # / # / # ", perhaps prefaced by "Guide", "Zha's index", etc."

6. A list connecting alternative melody titles with the titles used above   (pp. 41 - 45) ⁸

7. A list with each melody, its reputed creator (or period), and the qinpu that include it   (pp. 1 - 44) ⁹
   (All 659, chronological by handbook; pp. 1 - 30 is up through 1614)

8. A table of contents for each of the the 109 then-known qinpu   (pp. 3 - 204 [overall: 45 - 246]) ¹⁰
   Each handbook is given a brief introduction

9. All prefaces, afterwords and section titles for the melodies listed in #5 above   (pp. 3 - 282 [overall: 247 - 526]) ¹¹
   (chronological by qinpu; pp. 3 - 236 is up through 1614)

10. All lyrics for the melodies, as listed in #5 above   (pp. 3 - 576 [overall: 527 - 1100]) ¹²
    (chronological by qinpu; pp. 3 - 443 is up through 1614)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 Originally published 1958 by 人民音樂出版社 People's Music Publishing Company, Beijing;
Reprinted 2001 with a one page afterword (Return)

2 目次, p. 1; preceded by 內容提要 a comment on the contents (Return)

3 By 查阜西 Zha Fuxi, dated 10 June 1957 (Return)

4 Makes 11 points. (Return)

5 These 109 entries are all included in Guqin Handbooks, an Annotated List. In Zha's Guide there are 10 columns with: handbook name, number of folios, compiler/editor, nickname, traditional date, modern date, number of melodies, page # of its introduction in Section 8 below, location of original volume, comments (Return)

6 This section of Zha's Guide lists 35 handbooks that he has not indexed. He gives basic details in 7 columns: handbook name, number of folios, compiler/editor, nickname, reason it is not included, comments. The first 10 are pre-Qing dynasty; four have since then been reprinted. The 10 are:

1. 琴譜全集，Qinpu Quanji, Yuan dynasty imprint
   "not yet located" (not in Qinshu Cunmu or Zhongguo Yinyue Sixiang Pipan)

2. 永樂琴譜集成 Yongle Qinpu Jicheng
   "In Taiwan" (?); Qinshu Cunmu, #162

3. 龍湖琴譜 Longhu Qinpu
   "In Taiwan"

4. 梧岡琴譜 Wugang Qinpu
   "Contents are included within Qinpu Zhengchuan"

5. 正文對音捷要琴譜正傳 Zhenwen Duiyin Jieyao Qinpu Zhenchuan
   "Contents are same as Chongxiu Zhenchuan Qinpu" (In Taiwan; in fact there are small differences)

6. 松絃館琴譜疑本 Songxianguan Qinpu Yiben (Yiben = "suspect volume")
   Comment says it seems to be a false copy of Songxianguan Qinpu

7. 頖宮禮樂疏琴譜 Pan'gong Liyue Shu Qinpu of 李之藻 Li Zhizao
   "郊祀樂示範" Jiaosiyue Shifan" (Sacrificial Music Examples)

8. 操縵古琴譜 Caoman Guqinpu of 朱載堉 Zhu Zaiyu
   "郊祀樂示範" Jiaosiyue Shifan" (Sacrificial Music Examples) (Qinshu Cunmu, #181)

9. 欽定詩經樂譜全書 Qinding Shijing Yuepu Quanshu: Imperially Ordered of Shi Jing Music Settings, Complete
   "曲譜並無來歷、無曲調性" (transmitted without the qin tablature)

10. 樂經律呂通解 Yuejing Lülü Tongjie of 汪紱 Wang Fu
    "qin materials included in his Lixuezhai Qinpu" (also in Qinshu Bielu, #180)
    (Return)

7 "Melodies" is a vague term here. Almost all melodies change from one handbook to another, so there are many variants. In addition, some of the 659 titles include melodies totally unrelated musically (see, for example, Yang Chun). On the other hand, although Zha usually groups togther variant titles of the same melody, sometimes he doesn't find the connection. For example, he has as separate entries Yin De, Chumu Yin, and Qiujiang Yebo. The second is an abbreviated version of the first; the third is a later development. (Return)

8 See comments in previous footnote. (Return)

9 The chronological listing is based on the first surviving occurence of the melody. The first 236 of the 282 pages in this section cover the first 30 of the 109 handbooks in the Guide (going through 1614). This includes 371 of the 659 titles. After 1614 very few new melody titles occur in more than one or two handbooks. (Return)

10 The contents listing usually includes for each melody such information as the mode (if indicated), the number of sections, whether the sections have titles, whether there are lyrics and whether the melody has a preface. (Return)

1 About 380 of the 659 melodies have entries in this section (i.e., have prefaces, afterwords and/or section titles). The first 236 of the 282 pages in this section cover the first 30 of the 109 handbooks in the Guide (going through 1614). About 260 of the 371 pre-1615 melody titles have entries. After 1614 about 120 of the 288 new melody titles have entries. (Return)

12 About 340 of the 659 melodies have entries in this section (i.e., have lyrics). The first 443 of the 578 pages in this section cover the first 30 of the 109 handbooks in the Guide (going through 1614). About 165 of the 371 pre-1615 melody titles have lyrics. After 1614 about 175 of the 288 new melody titles have lyrics. (Return)

Return to the Qin ToC or to miscellanea.