This page is mostly to do with my guqin activities. Find out about the pieces I can play and what I get up to concerning qin, other than the Wikipedia articles.
I made a significant contribution to this article and its other relating articles around the mid-2000s but have not made any notable changes to it since. It needs a complete overhaul to get it back up to quality but I am leaving it for others to do this work even though I know I'm probably the only one who would be able to put the effort and resources into it. I don't have the motivation to devote any more effort into the article at present.
This is my current repertoire of melodies I can play on the guqin, mostly for my benefit to keep track of them more than anything. I have a core list of pieces which I can play with confidence or am good at. I currently have around 30 melodies in my repertoire (around the same number I had a few years ago before I forgot most of them), including the different versions of the same piece, of varying length and level. Listen to (or watch) some of them by clicking on their names (or clips at the end) if available. Consult this page: Wikipedia:Media help (Ogg) if you have trouble reading the files. Note that these recordings were made a while back and I have significantly improved since I did them. More up-to-date recordings can be found on YouTube and SoundCloud. Go to my links page.
I can play most of these melodies immediately, with a degree of accuracy from memory (roughly in the order of which I learnt them; different versions of the same melody are grouped together), though for some I might require some time to practice them to be able to play them smoothly since I don't play them all the time and might have forgotten them.
These are the ones I learnt off Zeng Chengwei. They are my core melodies and are all from the Tianwen Ge Qinpu 【天聞閣琴譜】. I would say that I am a transmitter of the Shu School of guqin if it came down to it as Zeng He (ZCW's son) told me my playing was of that style so it is more or less a thumbs up to that.
Zuiyu Changwan 《醉漁唱晚》 [Evening Song of the Drunken Fisherman] (learnt by myself using ZCW's score with my own phrasing)
Wuye Wu Qiufeng 《梧葉舞秋風》 [Chinese Parasol Tree Leaves Dancing in the Autumn Wind] (learnt by myself using ZCW's score)
Tao Yuan 《桃園》 [Peach Garden] (learnt by myself using ZCW's score)
These melodies were transcribed by me from the Tianwen Ge Qinpu 【天聞閣琴譜】. They are Zhang Kongshan arranged melodies that has fallen out of use and transmission but I have decided to transcribe them and it is technically still within the lineage though for obvious reasons cannot be listed together with the melodies transmitted by Zeng Chengwei. These are part of my dissertation folio project for my MA in Traditional and World Music at the University of Sheffield from 2019-2021.
Xiao Xiang Yeyu 《瀟湘夜雨》 [Night Rain on the Xiao and Xiang Rivers]
Yuqiao Wenda 《漁樵問答》 [Dialogue Between the Fisherman and the Woodcutter]
A selection of melodies that I use to play but have forgotten or I have forgotten half or most of it. I may re-learn them in future. I've also learnt some melodies (such as Guangling San) halfway through then abandoned them; they are not included in this list.
Compositions that I did some years ago and now. Mind you, the ones I did a few years back are not as good as my current ones (my performance and compositional skills have improved considerably over the years).
These were composed as experimental pieces that are part of a folio of pieces. They are not very good and was me messing about with techniques, tunings and all that. I have attempted to rearrange some but most are beyond worth resurrecting and so I have simply filed them away. These four pieces are collected in the (now abandoned) Da Zheng Yegong Milu Qinpu 【大正齾公秘録琴譜】 codex of 2003-04.
Qiangpao Wushe 《槍炮五射》 [Five Shots of the Pistol] (Opus 1)
Edited, re-setted and corrected Sept 2006. Being my first composition, the melody isn't good and it was composed for one specific purpose which has now lapsed so not worth resurrecting at this juncture.
Edited, re-setted and 'corrected' Sept 2006. The tuning is too complicated to make this piece playable or worthy of rearrangement into something better.
Xianlian Ni'ou 《先練霓鷗》 [The First Trainer Neo] (Opus 4a)
These are more serious attempts at composition and have a proper structure and theme. They sound like proper melodies rather than just musings. These are now (or will be) preserved in my Miyun Guan Qinpu 【秘雲舘琴譜】 vol. 2 (2015/16) codex of personal transcriptions.
Yewu Ti 《夜鵡諦》 [Call of the Kakapo] (Opus 5)
Guxian Diao (+2,5,7; bE key)
A lament on the injustice done to endangered species. The kakapo (meaning 'night parrot') is from New Zealand; I first saw it on the BBC's The Life of Birds documentary.
Composed Oct 2006, edited December 2014.
Jiu Xun 《九旬》 [90 Days] (Opus 6)
Zheng Diao (C key)
Was composed as a tribute to the 90 Day Café in Birmingham that I was a regular at. Performed at a recital in front of the owners, the staff and their families the night before they closed down for good.
Composed Sept 2011, edited June 2015.
Danxi Xing 《丹西行》 [Journey to Danzey] (Opus 7)
Zheng Diao (D key)
Composed in May 2015 to commemorate my visit to Nick Drake's grave in January of the same year.
Yinhu Cao 《銀狐操》 [Melody of the Silver Fox] (Opus 8)
Qiliang Diao (+2,5; bB key)
Composed in June 2015 to commemorate a friend leaving Birmingham for London.
Lundun Maimo 《倫敦霢霂》 [Light Rain in London] (Opus 9)
一名夜雷 [also called Night Thunder]
Zheng Diao (C key)
Composed in part in 2006 but revived and completed in June 2015.
Miyun Si You 《秘雲思友》 [Hidden in the Clouds Thinking of a Friend] (Opus 4b/10)
Zheng Diao (F key)
Composed in c. 2003 as Xianlian Ni'ou 《先練霓鷗》 [The First Trainer Neo] (see above) but re-edited, rearranged and renamed in June 2015.
Niujin Zhoubo 《牛津晝泊》 [Mooring at Day in Oxford] (Opus 11)
Zheng Diao (G key)
Composed in 2015.
Aoxiang Yin 《翺翔吟》 [Soaring Chant] (Opus 12)
Zheng Diao (F key)
Composed in 2017. Meant to be used in a duet with someone (voice) but it was rejected.
I have four qins at the moment; one for nylon-composite, one for silk, one for metal-nylon, and a second-hand short portable qin (膝琴) strung with nylon-composite strings.
Main usage: For serious performances, recordings, etc. Given the value of the instrument, I will not travel with it or use it unless absolutely necessary.
Dimensions
Length: body 123cm, string 112.3cm
Width: 19cm at head, 21cm at shoulders, 15.5cm at tail
Thickness: 4.5cm at 3rd hui, 5cm at tail
String setting: Was metal-nylon (Shangyin brand I think), now permanently nylon-composite (Longren and then finally Dai-shi). Used to have the tuning contraption but removed very early on.
Material
Wood: New wutong (Chinese parasol tree) wood top and zimu (catalpa) bottom board; hongtan (Mountain Jasmine) bridge, tail, etc; original Paulownia goosefeet changed to white jade.
Lacquer: Natural Sichuan lacquer with deer horn powder.
Hui: Standard mother-of-pearl.
Accoutrements: Tuning pegs of Siamese Rosewood but changed to white jade; rongkou of crimson pure silk but changed to kingfisher blue with tassels and jade beads; tassels of dark burgundy polyester cord and gold yellow thread on a paper base but removed.
Colour and appearance: Mid brown with lighter patches and sections in a flowing pattern (top is now darker after re-lacquering).
Sex: Female 凹.
Inscriptions
「泉音」 Quan Yin (original inscription between peg pool and dragon pool; filled with green pigment)
「丙戌曾成偉斫」 Bingxu Zeng Chengwei Zhuo (original inscription in black ink in the dragon pool at the side of sound absorber)
「秘雲琴館」 Miyun Qinguan seal (larger than original seal; between dragon pool and goosefeet; filled with red pigment)
「桐陰玩鶴秋懷永，萃底鳴珡晝景長」 (either side of the dragon pool; filled with white pigment) and 「石門」 seal (at one end of the dragon pool; filled with red pigment)
Sound: Very good, clear and consistent in all registers. Greater projection and sweeter tones.
Playability: Very easy to play and execute techniques. Low string resistance but is slightly higher beyond the 4th hui (however, this 'relaxed' after many years of play).
Faults and repair work
Scratches on the back near to the new tuning device caused by zither wrench. Repaired using lacquer and deer horn powder mixture.
Fingering divots near the top and middle registers. Repaired using lacquer and dear horn powder.
2013/4: divots at middle to top registers and scratches at the back. Repaired using deer horn powder and entire top surface re-lacquered.
2015: dent created on ceremonial cap by accidentally walking into table with qin. Repaired in the usual manner.
2016: dent created by someone dropping a qin on first string near 6th hui. Repaired in the usual manner.
2017: whole top surface re-lacquered.
Overall assessment: This is without a doubt the best qin I have. Initially, the playability was somewhat lower than expectations but now it has been broken it, it feels very good and sounds brilliant. Pretty much my go-to instrument for performance and recordings.
Origin: Ziyin Silk String Guqin Society 【子音絲絃古琴社】 via Taobao, supervised performance model for silk strings, in 2018.
Cost: ¥2,800 CNY; $523 USD (£400 GBP) inc. agent fees etc on top.
Level: High-end beginners.
Main usage: As a private studio instrument, or when silk strings are required.
Dimensions
Length: body 124cm, string 112cm
Width: 20cm at shoulders, 14.5cm at tail
Thickness: 5cm at 3rd hui, 4cm at tail
String setting: Originally Jinyu medium gauge silk strings but changed to a mixture of different brand silk strings to suit needs; Huihui Tang wrapped for 1-3, Lei-shi thick gauge wrapped for 4, LPKaster thin gauge unwrapped for 5 & 6, and an old Jinyu for 7. I'm still on the lookout for a replacement 5 and 6 that matches the quality and gauge of the original Taigu ones.
Material
Wood: Old paulownia wood for top board; bottom board zimu (catalpa); bridge and tail Fragrant Rosewood (Dalbergia odorifera).
Lacquer: Natural lacquer with deer horn powder.
Hui: Standard mother-of-pearl.
Accoutrements: Tuning pegs and goosefeet of rosewood but changed to white jade; rongkou of brown polyester thread with burgundy tassels but changed to forest green coloured silk (with jade beads).
Colour and appearance: Dark brown, some flecks of deer horn chips showing here and there. There are some duanwen cracks on the top surface; not sure if they are genuine due to a greater age or because the wood hasn't been seasoned enough so causing them.
Sex: Male 凸.
Inscriptions
「尊朙」 Zun Ming (between peg pool and dragon pool; filled with azurite pigment)
「永裕兄藏琴禮堂題」 Yongyu-xiong cangqin, Litang ti (below the name inscription; filled with white pigment) and 「禮堂鉩」 Litang's seal (next to inscription; filled with red pigment)
Sound: Soft and ancient. Consistent on all registers and optimum volume and projection. Positions above the 4th hui sound very clear and do not die out.
Playability: Very easy to play; strings close to surface and positions above the 4th hui are effortlessly played.
Faults and repair work
2018: inner edges of sound holes are not lacquered so lacquer cement and clear lacquer rubs applied (also to some places with exposed wood). Peg pool holes rather splintered so used a file to tidy them up; also a crack so filled it in and tidied the edges which were not too finished. The cord hole for the 7th string was off-kilter and it was wearing the rongkou cord due to the peg sitting not in alignment with the hole from the peg pool; used a drill to widen the hole towards the central line and fix this problem.
Overall assessment: This was bought to replace the Ming Yu qin which has outlived its use for me so I decided to pass it on to someone else who needed a decent qin. I wanted a qin that was made specifically for silk strings. This wasn't the original model I wanted but because that one was not in stock/sold out so I decided to go for this lesser model. It is quite a good instrument compared to the the Ming Yu one and silk strings do sound good on it. Indeed, I was quite surprised at how good the quality is given its price and level so I am very happy with it.
My fifth qin (2023); used with nylon-composite strings.
Name
Chinese: 海月
Pinyin: hǎi yuè
English translation: "moon shining above the sea"
Form/style: Luqi 綠綺 (brilliant green) in 膝琴 short portable size.
Year of manufacture: Dated 2017.
Origin: Made by the Taiyin Qin Society (太音琴社), bought second-hand from eBay in 2023.
Cost: £122 GBP.
Level: Lower-beginners level.
Main usage: As a 'bash' instrument for travelling, off-site informal teaching, playing in the wilderness, other purposes where sound quality is not important.
Dimensions
Length: body 80cm, string 72.5cm
Width: 14.5cm at head, 18.5cm at shoulders, 12.5cm at tail
Thickness: 4cm at 3rd hui, 4cm at tail
String setting: Original nylon-composite strings. I've tried metal-nylon strings on them but it sounded terrible, so had to use the original strings (some had broken wrapping ends so I had to add extensions to them to be able to remount them).
Material
Wood: Artificially-aged (Chinese parasol tree) wood top and zimu (catalpa) bottom board; ebony bridge, tail, etc.
Lacquer: Natural lacquer with deer horn powder.
Hui: Standard mother-of-pearl.
Accoutrements: Tuning pegs and feet of ebony (original smaller ones; I'm not changing them); rongkou originally brown polyester but changed to beige polyester with a short incorporated tassel; tassels originally brown nylon but removed soon after purchase.
Colour and appearance: Very dark brown.
Sex: Male 凸.
Inscriptions
「海月」 Hai Yue (original laser inscription between peg pool and dragon pool in green pigment)
「太音丁酉」 Taiyin Ding-you (original laser inscription on one side of the phoenix pond in green pigment)
Sound: Sound is not as good as usual qins and depends on strings used as well. Typically, metal-nylon strings might not be suitable (too blaring and scattered), so nylon-composite are better (the original strings were too short at the wrapping end and required an extension to be tied on). Haven't tried silk strings on them but might not bother.
Playability: Okay playability; the strings are a tad high in the higher registers. Also, because it is very short compared to other short qins, the space between the hui are also shorter and will take getting use to.
Faults and repair work
2023: Some bumped cracks on the sides. Will not take any further action on these as they are not major.
Overall assessment: As expected, the qin is not as good in terms of sound quality compared to the average instrument, given its size and cheapness. But I've bought this qin not as a performance instrument and did expect it to not be up there in terms of expectations. As an instrument for travelling and playing in the wilds, this is acceptable. However, given its sound quality is not the best, it might not be suitable for performances abroad and so an alternative cheap qin might be better suited to that purpose than this one.
[[File:|thumb|275px|right|My sixth qin (2023); used with metal-nylon strings.]]
Name
Chinese: N/A
Pinyin: N/A
English translation: N/A
Form/style: Hundun 混沌 (primordial chaos)
Year of manufacture: Possibly around the 2020-21 or earlier.
Origin: From Sound of Mountain (SoM) c. 2021-22, bought second-hand off eBay.
Cost: RRP from SoM is £750, eBay final auction price was £350.
Level: Described as 'concert-grade' on SoM, but I assess it to be lower-intermediate level.
Main usage: Used as a spare/alternative qin for secondary usage, mainly for teaching, usual performances, and other situations when the ZCW qin is not worth using in.
Dimensions
Length: body 125cm, string 112.2cm
Width: 19cm at head, 20cm at shoulders, 13.5cm at tail
Thickness: 5.5cm at 3rd hui, 4.5cm at tail
String setting: Originally standard Yue Sheng metal-nylon strings.
Material
Wood: Old/aged shanmu (Chinese fir) for top board; bottom board zimu (catalpa); bridge and nut of ebony.
Lacquer: Natural lacquer with deer horn powder.
Hui: Standard mother-of-pearl.
Accoutrements: Tuning pegs and feet of ebony; rongkou of original brown and beige mixed thread polyester; tassels originally dark brown nylon but changed to burgundy nylon.
Colour and appearance: Black.
Sex: Male 凸.
Inscriptions
None.
Sound: Good projection and consistency in sound. Slightly better than average I'd say.
Playability: Good playability. Slightly high string resistance at higher registers but not too much.
Faults and repair work
None so far.
Overall assessment: I'm quite happy with this qin for how much it costed me. Very suitable for teaching and performance.
My third qin (2016/17); used for metal-nylon strings. Sold on to a former student.
Name
Chinese: 微吟
Pinyin: wēi yín
English translation: "subtle chant"
Form/style: Luoxia 落霞 (descending dew)
Year of manufacture: c. 2016 though I feel it might be made earlier.
Origin: 'Celebrity Arts' 【泰和殿】 Taihe Dian (supervised by 王可遜 (Wang Kexun)) via Taobao, selected model, in 2016.
Cost: ¥3,460 CNY; $640 USD (£520 GBP) inc. agent fees etc on top.
Level: Professional beginners.
Main usage: As a spare instrument.
Dimensions
Length: body 124.5cm, string 111.5cm
Width: 17.5cm at head, 20cm at shoulders, 13cm at tail
Thickness: 4.5cm at 3rd hui, 4.3cm at tail
String setting: Originally Yuewang Mansion standard type metal-nylon but changed to Marusan Hashimoto hybrid strings, Yuesheng Hexian Qinghe gauge metal-nylon strings, Longren nylon-composite, Taigu Jiazhong standard silk, Taigu Zhongqing quality, etc. After much experimentation, it sounds good with either thin gauge silk or metal-nylon, but I have settled on the Yuewang Mansion Kong Shan (medium gauge, soft) metal-nylon strings.
Material
Wood: Hundred years-old shanmu (Chinese fir) for top board; bottom board zimu (catalpa); bridge and tail African blackwood.
Lacquer: Natural lacquer with deer horn and cinnabar powder; reinforced with hemp cloth.
Hui: Standard mother-of-pearl.
Accoutrements: Tuning pegs and goosefeet of African blackwood but changed to black ox horn; rongkou of brown polyester thread with green tassels but changed to raspberry coloured silk with jade beads.
Colour and appearance: Dark brown, some cinnabar red patches in places.
Sex: Male 凸.
Inscriptions
「微吟」 Wei Yin (between peg pool and dragon pool; filled with green pigment)
「秘雲琴館」 Miyun Qinguan seal (between dragon pool and goosefeet; filled with red pigment)
Sound: Heavy and deep; low projection. A bit weak and thin in places. However, it has improved after continuous play. I tried different strings on it and it seems to work best with thinner silk strings or low-volume metal-nylon strings.
Playability: Quite easy to play (not to the same extent as a ZCW of course). Low to medium string resistance (with nylon-composite).
Faults and repair work
2017: some scratches at the slope and a crack on the seam of the dragon's gums. Peg pool uneven causing peg slippage for 6 and 7. Remedied with lacquer.
Overall assessment: This qin was a slight disappointment when I got it because I couldn't find strings which actually sounded good on it and the playability was lower than expected. After much breaking in, it is holding its own as a good metal-nylon string instrument. Although it can't be a travelling qin due to it being rather heavier than my other qins, it nonetheless could have been a spare instrument used for teaching on if need be. In 2018, a former student asked me if I would sell a spare qin to her. As this qin was a so-so instrument, I decided to part with it for £650 (roughly what I paid for plus all the new pegs, fittings and strings on top) and save up for a better one.
Origin: probably made by the Longfeng Instrument Factory via Chinese Culture Net in 2002, model selected by Wang Fei (王菲) of the North American Guqin Association.
Cost: $1,050 USD; roughly £800 GBP inc. shipping on top.
Level: Selected beginners.
Main usage: Originally as a main instrument with multiple uses.
Dimensions
Length: body 124cm, string 114.2cm
Width: 19cm at head, 20cm at shoulders, 15cm at tail
Thickness: 6cm at 3rd hui, 5.5cm at tail
String setting: Originally metal-nylon, but I used silk on it for many years since as well as other string types for a brief periods. It is now used only for silk; usually a mix of different brands and gauges such as Taigu, Jinyu and Huihui Tang. Currently, Jinyu medium gauge is used.
Accoutrements: Tuning pegs of African rosewood but changed to padauk, then to Siamese rosewood; rongko of brown polyester thread but changed to incense coloured silk with green jade beads.
Colour and appearance: Dark brown, lighter patches in some places, deer horn powder specks can be clearly seen.
Sex: Female 凹.
Inscriptions
「鳴玉」 Ming Yu (original inscription between peg pool and dragon pool; filled with green pigment)
「秘雲琴館」 Miyun Qinguan seal (between dragon pool and goosefeet; filled with red pigment)
Sound: Clear and loud, but thin in places (especially on the higher registers). Sounds better with silk strings or nylon-composite; sounds very bad and brassy with metal-nylon.
Playability: Not quite easy to play as there is a higher string resistance than normal, even after the bridge was lowered somewhat. Silk is easiest to play on it; with other strings it is not as good a feel due to the string resistance.
Faults and repair work
Structural crack on the back of the qin at the head running on the right of the name inscription through the peg pool (due to natural fault in wood used plus climatic change) which has been stabilised then patched up and repaired, including minor lacquer cracks. More repairs done in 2013 to tidy up the crack to remove unevenness and apply new lacquer layers.
Dent located on the string path of string 5 at 11th hui; patched up and repaired.
Yueshan bridge too high for the thinner strings; initially planed down by Zeng Chengwei and finished off by self. However, it has caused problems of buzzing for silk strings etc and might need to be restored back to the original height, either by replacing the bridge entirely or building up with lacquer.
Xingyun wen markings on surface of qin due to general wear; repaired using lacquer.
Goosefeet loose due to the holes being a bit too big; temporarily stabilised using bits of cloth or linen and finally some pieces of wood.
Goosefeet replaced with padauk mushroom-shaped ones with square pillars; later changed to Siamese rosewood drum-shaped ones.
2013: Entire top surface re-lacquered.
2017: Bridge and chenglu replaced with African rosewood; bridge back to original height. Lacquer repairs to surrounding areas. Later in the year: filled in the grooves of the dragon's gums with lacquer.
Overall assessment: This qin is not particularly a 'good' instrument in that at my current level of playing, I would not have selected or bought it if it was placed in front of me now. One thing is the length which is longer than ordinary qins which means the strings would naturally be higher tension, plus the higher bridge, makes playing more energy consuming than it should. Plus, the light wood and large soundbox makes it very loud, especially for metal-nylon strings, and that makes it very brassy and bad sounding. These problems have been more or less alleviated by using silk but as the length of the qin is long it means they have to be tensioned higher than normal and so they could be more likely to break. Overall, I didn't not know what to do with this qin. I can't use it as a spare qin for travelling etc as I can't used anything other than silk on it, nor do I think it is worth keeping as a silk stringed qin. I eventually decided to give this qin away to a former student who was in need of a decent qin. Although I wanted to sell it, I don't feel it is worth much and people tend not to want to buy old instruments (unless they are antique) so passing it on was the most appropriate option.
Fate: Presented to Daniel Doebbeler on 6th Jan 2019.
Below is a table of string gauges of various strings (in mm), some from direct measurements and some from data from various sites, for comparison. Please note that there would be a degree of error in these measurements. Sometimes different batches can produce minor differences but these are usually a matter of only 0.01-0.03.
String brand: in Chinese and English. I would go by packaging name and my own translation as required.
Gauge: this is the general gauge style I classify it as in the whole scheme of things.
Date of production or purchase: some strings are difficult to date so I can either go by hints on the packaging or when I bought it if I think they were made new and close to when I purchased it.
String gauges (mm): as said above, there is a degree of error plus differences across batches and year.
Notes: my remarks on the strings in question plus source of measurements if not from me.
Recording sample: where available, a link to recordings would be given. Please note that different qins produce different sounds on different strings (plus many other factors such as the players individual playing technique and recording quality etc) so do not take these recordings as the true sound. It only acts as a reference to hear what they potentially might sound like. If source is not specified then they are my recordings.
Source: information on where to get the strings. Note that some strings are old or not in production anymore. I will link to the best source available to the West where available. For Taobao sources, I won't link to a particular seller (unless they have a specific official page) as there could be many so you simply must search for it; you also would need a Taobao agent to obtain them etc which I will not advise further.
The table is split into the (current) four main string types of silk, metal-nylon, nylon-composite (commonly called 'ice strings' in modern Chinese usage) and hybrid. Some people have other names for these but I'm sticking to the ones that a general consensus has been reached around at (other than hybrid which is what the original and sole makers insist on calling them). There also exists other types of strings that I know have been made (such as ones made of catgut and pure nylon wire) but these are experimental or extremely rare and not available to the public, never mind that I couldn't possibly have the opportunity to measure them, so I have not included them here.
There are new strings coming on the market every year, but I have only included strings which I have information on the gauges at hand, or if I have them myself to measure. Having them on this list does not mean I approve of a particular kind or not, but I have noted down any flaws I have discovered.
This is from a bunch of spare strings that came from the van Gulik-Picken qin. I have not managed to take measurements from the whole set.
[1] NB: I am not too sure of the origins of the strings in this recording as they are very old but these are most likely the old brand Jinyu. The 3rd and 4th strings I changed are from a pack of the old Jinyu brand.
Only vintage sets available. Very rare.
虎丘牌古琴弦
Huqiu Brand Guqin Strings
Medium/thin
2000s
1.68
1.57
1.49
1.41
1.14
0.98
0.88
This set of strings also includes an extra thinner string measuring 0.79. This might have been included so the player can shift the gauge style of the strings from thick to thin. They are very rough and sticky. The currently made ones are said to be better.
There are two qualities: Standard (標準) and Quality-made (精製). Also, there are many different runs, some said to be better. They are no longer made and so are rare.
No longer in production. For possible sources for old stock, see John Thompson's webpage for ideas: [4]. Also, some sets do turn up from time to time on Taobao.
太古 - Taigu (medium)
Zhang Jun-hao's recording: [5] NB: I don't know what quality or what gauge the strings used in the recording are but I am guessing it is Standard Taigu gauge going by my ear.
These strings have been created by 潘國輝, the last of the traditional silk string makers. There are two varieties: standard (now phased out) and "Baiji" (白芨). For those use to Taigu brand strings these are are good alternative, though they are thicker. The thickest gauge strings are currently the thickest silk strings on the market. Measurements taken from a Taobao site. Subsequently, two newer versions have appeared on the market: standard and quality (精品). These are distinguished from the white packaging.
The Taobao shop page selling the old version of the strings: [7]; newish version: [8]; newest version: [9]
中號 - medium
1.78
1.60
1.40
1.22
1.08
1.00
0.90
粗號 - thickest
1.88
1.78
1.58
1.40
1.20
1.02
0.94
烏羽屋真絲琴弦
Tobaya Pure Silk Qin Strings
Medium
2013
1.52
1.28
1.15
1.10
0.95
0.90
0.85
These Japanese strings are made slightly differently from the Chinese method in that the first four thickest strings do not have the wrapping. Measurements from John Thompson's website.
Chang Peiyou's recording comparing Suxin with Tobaya silk strings: [11]
These can be found on Taobao. You can also buy them directly from the maker here: [12]
丸三橋本蠶絲弦
Marusan Hashimoto Silk Strings
Wide range
2013
1.80
1.50
1.25
1.14
1.05
0.90
0.80
These are considered the best affordable silk strings on the market. Made in Japan, they are constantly improving and experimenting, hence the variation of gauges over time. Measurements taken from John Thompson's website. They also produce specific strings for Wang Peng under his Juntian Fang brand, in three gauges (清远, 天和, 含章), though these are limited edition. They have recently produced some new sets that have tying cords at the wrapping end. This seems to have been done to avoid wearing out the string on the wrapping section, but this is rather unnecessary if the strings are good quality (this sort of thing might be more beneficial for their hybrid strings which do not wear well).
Some recordings can be found on John Thompson's website: [13]
Can be found on Taobao. Westerners can also buy them from the American seller, Sounds of Asia: [15]. You could also buy directly from them through mail order: [16].
2014
1.83
1.55
1.30
1.20
1.04
1.80
1.60
1.37
1.12
0.93
素心絲弦
Suxin Silk Strings
Various
2014
1.78
1.65
1.30
1.22
1.00
0.89
0.77
These are probably the best silk string on the market and are very expensive. They are made in a different way to the traditional strings to a very high standard, in various gauges and smoothness, and to order. Measurements taken from John Thompson's website and are for the "Premium - Light Gauge - Medium Tension" model.
Chang Peiyou's recording comparing Suxin with Tobaya silk strings: [17]
They have various websites but for Westerners, they can buy the strings directly from here: [18]
微廬絲絃
Weilu Silk Strings
標準 - medium
2015
1.55
1.40
1.35
1.18
1.05
0.97
0.88
I found these on Taobao and they gave out the gauges. They are most likely made by the same string maker as other modern Chinese silk string brands are but under their own specifications.
Unfortunately, these are no longer listed on the retailer's Taobao shop page.
加重 - thick
1.73
1.57
1.45
1.31
1.18
1.05
0.97
LPKaster Real Silk Strings
Thin
2015
1.30
1.20
1.12
1.02
0.92
0.72
0.62
An independent silk string maker in the USA, these strings are made differently, more like the Tobaya brand without the wrapping on the first four strings but developed independently. However, in 2017, wrapped strings are now available after development. Because there is a large range of string thicknesses, you can mix and match what strings you want to use. Measurements taken from maker's Etsy page.
These can be bought directly from the maker's Etsy page: [21]
Thin/Medium (wrapped)
2017
1.60
1.40
1.30
1.20
0.82
0.72
回回堂絲絃
Huihui Hall Silk Strings
Medium - β version [1-3 wrapped]
2017
1.62
1.46
1.36
1.16
1.03
0.97
0.84
These strings use a revival of an old brand name that was prevalent during the Qing Dynasty. They have only the first three strings wrapped, though there is a version where the fourth is also wrapped (the unwrapped fourth string isn't very good being too lumpy and sounding thin). The wrapping is done differently than standard strings in that the thread is very fine and tightly spun around the string core. I do not know whether the wrapping is actually silk or whether it is something like nylon. The wrapping also extends all the way to the end of the string unlike standard ones.
These strings are similar to the new Huihui Tang strings in that the wrapping of the thicker strings is very finely done. The colour of the strings are darker, more red, perhaps due to a different string glue formula. Different versions are available. Later sets seem to be more sticky compared to other silk strings.
Available from the 樂器漆料 Taobao page: [23] and other retailers.
This is from a mixed bag of strings. It is well known that the SC no longer makes these and so there are many imitations sold. I assume that the gauges are at least consistent throughout. I've also heard there is a thicker gauge available.
Original ones are no longer in production. Imitations can be found on Taobao.
樂聖牌琴弦
Yuesheng Qin Strings
Medium
2000s
1.27
1.12
1.00
These are the original, poorer quality, model of the brand. I've used up four of the set so my part of the measurements are incomplete. The second set are measurements taken by Michael Bretti.
Can be found on Taobao. Also can be purchased from Sounds of Asia: [25]
?
1.45
1.32
1.09
0.99
0.94
0.86
0.69
敦煌型古琴弦
Dunhuang Style Guqin Strings
Thin
2015?
1.40
1.14
1.09
0.97
0.89
0.76 (est.)
0.64
I don't know much about these strings. The range is rather close to that of the Shanghai Conservatory brand. Measurements from Michael Bretti (sixth string is a guess estimate of mine).
Can be found on Taobao. Also can be bought via Sounds of Asia: [26]
樂聖和弦
Yuesheng Harmony Strings
清和 - Qinghe (thinnest)
2016
1.34
1.24
1.10
1.02
0.94
0.85
0.75
This is currently the best brand of m-n strings available. The gauges are slightly odd for the thinnest and thickest sets of strings in that strings 5, 6 and 7 are exactly the same and so these strings for the thinner gauge set are thicker than the medium gauge ones. The thinner set does not have an overspun encasing whilst the others do. Measurements taken from the original packaging.
These new brand of m-n strings have slightly different gauges and materials in the make up so you can select the best set to suit a qin. Typically, the first two or three strings are encased in copper filament; the other strings are not encased or are in a variety of materials such as polyester, nylon and silk. Measurements for the Standard set are taken by me, the rest are from the maker's Taobao site.
Uses a combination of different fibres in three gauges. Compared to other m-n strings, the gauges have a very narrow range but the differences in tension and volume are different due to the way each string gauge is made. Said to be one of the best on the market since they came out.
These are a new set of metal-nylon strings by Dai-shi. All but two of the types are the standard everyday affair (being almost completely the same as their 2018 sets), expect for the 雅（絲合） and 逸 types which is different in that instead of a single solid steel wire core it is made of several wires twisted together, mimicking the construction of silk strings. This makes them softer and more flexible than the standard solid steel wire cores, and arguably better at reducing the metallic sound. There is some actual silk is used in encasing, but not enough to classify it as 'metal-nylon-silk strings'. The 逸 gauge is very thick and meant to mimic the size and feel of normal silk strings.
Can be obtained from various Taobao sellers.
潤 - medium
1.40
1.10
1.04
0.92
古 - thick
1.27
1.20
1.08
0.97
0.85
0.78
雅（絲合） - average (silk combo)
1.42
1.28
1.02
0.90
0.79
0.72
逸（絲合） - very thick (silk combo)
1.78
1.58
1.34
1.14
1.06
0.93
0.83
Nylon-composite strings 尼龍復合絃（俗稱「冰弦」）
龍人冰弦
Longren Ice Strings
Medium
2008
1.36
1.26
1.13
1.10
1.03
0.90
0.74
These were produced to remove the metallic sound of m-n strings. Unfortunately, the quality has slipped somewhat over the past few years. The gauges for the old and new sets that I have are all over the place so I've taken an average. Apparently, there is a thicker gauge available.
[32] NB: strings 1 and 2 are mark one strings and the rest are relatively new. An older recording of mark one strings: [33]
Can be found on Taobao. There is a Western source for these strings but the price is so over-inflated that you are better off going through Taobao.
戴氏冰弦
Messrs Dai Ice Strings
Slightly thick
2015
1.45
1.31
1.17
1.14
1.05
0.88
0.75
These are better nylon-composite strings, with the first four strings being thicker than with Longren ones. There is extra copper wire overspun to increase stability.
Can be found on Taobao; though it is becoming rarer.
樂王府冰絲弦
Yuewang Mansion Ice-silk Strings
天籟 - Tian Lai (thick)
2017
1.45
1.35
1.25
1.15
1.05
0.95
0.80
New type of nylon-composite strings. Thickest set so far. They also have a plastic sleeve at the wrapping end indicating the string number, etc. According to the description, they also have an additional copper wire encasing making them more stable and do not require pre-stretching. They are, however, high tension, so difficult to string and play compared to the others. They sound very close to metal-nylon strings that have mellowed out, sounding bright and loud.
Can be bought from the maker's official Taobao shop page: [36]
Hybrid strings 混合/合成絃
丸三橋本混合弦
Marusan Hashimoto Hybrid Strings
Thick
2016
1.75
1.48
1.33
1.29
1.04
0.89
0.83
These new type of strings are made like traditional silk but with a Tetron twisted core and nylon wrapping. They sound closer to and behave like silk strings, though their tension is very high like m-n, and they are more difficult to string than silk.
The following is my construction of the lineage of the modern Shu-Chuan School from the beginnings to the present (including myself). This is a complex undertaking as there are many branches of the Shu School and there are many players. I have only included those which are mentioned in books and are particularly representative. The line is drawn from Zhang Kongshan and so does not include other Sichuan-based players not in direct lineage from him or or taught by his transmitters/associates (e.g. a lot of players that classify themselves as 'Fanchuan' but are not really 'Chuan' in any respect of style). I have added dates where I can find them.
Note that the use of 'Shu' (蜀), 'Chuan' (川) and 'Fanchuan' (泛川) are rather interchangeable depending on perspective and the player's personal preferences. Technically speaking, only those actually based in Sichuan can be defined as 'Shu', whilst outside it the term 'Fanchuan' is applied, even for those whose style is tentatively as far removed from what can be said to be 'Chuan'. The safest term to use is simply 'Chuan' as that can mean actually in Sichuan or the qin style.
The above chart is pretty much complete but requires more missing links, dates, etc to be added.
Solid line indicates solid transmission, dashed lines indicate association, dotted lines indicates a passing transmission (i.e. they received the tradition through a number of lessons rather than a sustained contact/connection). If a line branches out with nothing attached at the end it means there are more transmitters but for sake of space or lack of information, these are not specified.
There are a couple of distinct branches. The ones extant today are the Ye and Gu lines. In addition, there is the Ba lineage. The other lines, to the best of my knowledge, are extinct.
This is arguably the 'main line' out of the two branches that are still extant. This is due to the fact that the main transmitters are based permanently in the Shu region and therefore is closer to the original style and environment in which it developed.
The Gu line is, since Gu Yucheng, is no longer based in the Shu region. This has lead them to be termed as Chuan or Fanchuan (i.e. outside Shu) to avoid confusion with the Ye line 'Shu-pai'. Being outside the Shu region, the style has developed pretty much independently of the Ye branch though still retaining a distinctive Shu edge.
Though not a branch of the Zhang Kongshan Shu style, this lineage is nevertheless influenced by him to begin with but developed on its own. Those who live in Sichuan but are not related to the Ye line tend to be of this lineage.
