This copy is held by the Music Research Institute of the China National Academy of Arts. It is an original Wanli-period Ming printing, an early impression on white cotton paper, edited by the Ming scholar Yang Lun (style name Heping). In fact, the whole book is divided into two collections, a main collection and a continuation collection.

The main collection is titled Taigu Yiyin (Celestial Airs of Antiquity) and is not divided into folios. At the beginning of the volume is a preface by the jinshi Li Wenfang, dated to the jichou year (1589). After the preface are complimentary lines presented by Li Zhushi of Nanyang and a small portrait of Yang Lun; after that comes a discourse on the qin, and then the musical handbook proper. It contains altogether thirty pieces, all with lyrics. At the end of the handbook is a postface by Lü Langu. The continuation collection is titled Boya Xinfa (Boya’s Essential Method), likewise without folio divisions, and includes seven pieces such as Gaoshan and Liushui.

By collating this book against the commonly seen Ming printed early editions of Yang Lun’s Taigu Yiyin and Boya Xinfa, one can see that the original book should actually have been titled Zhenchuan Zhengzong Qinpu (Authentically Transmitted Orthodox Qin Handbook). In the commonly seen edition, both the title-line inscription Taigu Yiyin on the opening page of (the melody) Yang Chun and the title Boya Xinfa on the opening page of Gao Shan bear very clear traces of having been cut away and altered.

Judging from the contents of the book, the commonly seen edition of Taigu Yiyin contains additional materials not present here, including Shanggu Qinlun (Discourse on the Qin in Antiquity), Wuyin Tonglun (General Discussion of the Five Tones), Li Yue Xu (Preface on Ritual and Music), Fu Qin Zhuanxian Ge (Song of Playing the Qin and Tuning the Strings), diagrams of the front and back of the qin, a portrait of Yang Lun, a chart of the taboo names for the fingers of the left and right hands, hand postures, an ancient qin model, and Guanyi Kao. The commonly seen edition of Boya Xinfa also contains an additional Xu Qin Xu (Preface to the Continuation of the Qin) and twenty-two further pieces including Meihua San Nong.

Now, on the basis of the facts that in the original edition the piece Jishan Qiuyue is attributed to Mao Jizu, that the short prelues to the various pieces differ, and that in Lü Langu’s postface at the end of the handbook the person called Li Siquan in the commonly seen edition is changed to Zhou Tong’an, one may infer that the commonly seen edition was perhaps produced by Zhou Tong’an, a contemporary of Yang Lun, or by a bookseller, through altering and supplementing the original blocks. However, the surviving original edition may itself also beincomplete; one example is the absence of the Xu Qin Xu in Boya Xinfa. Therefore, in this compilation, besides reproducing the original edition in facsimile, the editors have also appended, for purposes of scholarly reference, the items found in the commonly seen edition of Taigu Yiyin — namely Shanggu Qinlun, Wuyin Tonglun, Liyue Xu, Fuqin Zhuanxian Ge, the portrait of Yang Lun, the chart of finger taboo names for the left and right hands, and Guanyi Kao — as well as the Xu Qin Xu and twenty-two pieces including Meihua San Nong from Boya Xinfa.

According to Lü Langu’s postface:

“This handbook was revised and settled by Grand Historian Master Yu of eastern Zhejiang. As for the exquisite perfection of its finger techniques, these were based upon Yang Hezhou and Li Siquan. Yang himself was furthermore able to carve them into printing blocks so as to broaden their transmission; thus Yang may truly be said not to have turned his back on the source.”

From this it may be seen that the materials of this handbook must have come from a line of teacher-to-disciple transmission.

中國藝術研究院音樂研究所藏，明萬曆原刊白綿紙初印本，明楊掄（字鶴浦）輯。全書實分正、續兩集。正集稱「太古遺音」，不分卷。卷首有己丑（公元一五八九）進士李文芳序。序後有南陽李柱史贈句及楊掄小像，後為論琴，再後為曲譜，共三十曲，皆有詞之譜。譜末有呂蘭谷跋。續集稱「伯牙心法」，不分卷，共收《高山》、《流水》、等七曲。

此書經與常見的明刊本楊掄《太古遺音》、《伯牙心法》先印本比勘，可以看出：原書應稱《真傳正宗琴譜》。常見本《陽春》首頁書名行款的「太古遺音與《高山》首頁的「伯牙心法」，均有十分清晰的劖改痕迹。從書的内容來看，常見本《太古遺音》多出《上古琴論》、《五音統論》、《禮樂序》、《撫琴轉絃歌》、《琴面圖》、《琴背圖》、《楊掄像》、《左右手指諱號圖》、《手勢》、《上古琴樣》、《官意攷》，常見本《伯牙心法》多出《續琴序》及《梅花三弄》等二十二曲。現據原本中《箕山秋月》的作者毛繼祖與各曲譜小序，及譜末吕蘭谷跋中常見的李泗泉，常見本均改爲周桐庵的 事實推測，常見本有可能是楊之同時人周桐庵或書商利用原板劖改增補而成的。但現存原本可能不足，如缺《伯牙心法）中的《續琴序）即其一例。因此，本编除用原本影印外，另將常見本《太古遺音>中的《上古琴論》、《五音統論》《禮樂序》、《撫琴轉絃歌》、《楊掄像》、《左右手指諱號圖》、《官意攷》及《伯牙心法》中的《續琴序》與《梅花三弄》等二十二曲附列於後，供研究參考。

據吕蘭谷跋稱：「是譜係浙東太史余公刪定，至若指法之精絕，則本之楊鶴州、李泗泉、楊生，又能繡諸梓以廣其傳，楊生可謂不背本矣。」由此可見，此譜之材料當來自師承。