Youtube channel of Taiwan Guqin Society

This is the youtube video channel of Taiwan's guqin society (after clicking on the link below). Enjoy!

Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/TaiwanGuqinSociety?feature=watch

Taiwanese online store with large collection of guqin-related books and CDs

After searching the internet using Google, it seems that this is the only Taiwanese online store that ships to customers outside Taiwan. Yes, it has a much larger collection of guqin-related books and CDs on sale than TaoBao. Yay! No, I have not found any Taiwanese online store that sells guqins made by Taiwanese guqin masters. If you know of any, please please please let me know? Thank you!

Source: http://search.books.com.tw/exep/prod_search.php?cat=all&key=%E5%8F%A4%E7%90%B4&c=0

Guqin books in Singapore's Chinese Library in NTU

Pics of Guqin books sitting on a shelf in Singapore's Chinese Library in NTU (Nanyang Technological University). I guess no one is tripping over themselves to rush there to borrow or read them. Haha. Yes, anyone from general public can just walk in and read them. You can photocopy them using a NETS mrt cash card (ahem! for research reference of course! Don't xerox too much even if it's only 2.5 cents per page! Must properly follow the rules set by the library, ok? Good! Haha) Well I was just passing by. Gotta get to another location. Haha
 

Metal GuQin

I just received this book 'Guqin in the Collection of the Palace Museum' (RMB 280, which is equivalent to about US$46 or about SG$57 from this Taobao webpage).

There were pictures of qins made from metals, such as copper, bronze and iron. Incredible! Also there was a qin from wood that was comprised of little hexagonal pieces. Fascinating! 

Ordered a Shakuhachi and Guqin duet book

I just ordered a book on how to play duets using Shakuhachi 尺八 and Guqin 古琴. These two musical instruments are very close to my heart. I particularly love Shakuhachi tunes by the Kinko 琴古sect. Mere coincidence that 古琴 and 琴古 are anagrams? One can only wonder. Hahaha

This is the only book I have found so far that discusses about this topic. I'd post an update in this blog after the book arrives in my hands in (maybe) 2 week's time. Haha

Just ordered some 初音 Hatsune silk strings (made by Tobaya 鳥羽屋 in Kyoto Japan)

Having used HuQiu 虎丘, JinWu 今虞 and TaiGu 太古 silk strings for guqin, I feel that they are prone to breakage on the 7th thinnest string, even when they were only tuned relative to B-flat (or A-sharp) on the thickest 1st string; and the thinnest 6th and 7th strings were also loosen after every practice session. I just ordered some Hatsune guqin silk strings (manufactured by 300+ year old Kyoto Japan company Tobaya 鳥羽屋).

I'd post an update in this blog about whether it's easy to tune the 初音 Hatsune guqin 古琴 silk strings to the so-called 'Standard C' (that users of metal-nylon guqin strings typically tune to) when they arrive in Singapore in about 2 weeks time. hahaha

On a personal note, yes I do support friendly international relations between China and Japan. Peace is very precious and should be promoted amongst Asian neighbors. *smile*

Playing Guqin Oppa Gangnam Style

During free exploration of guqin at night, my 4 year old daughter showed me a new playing style, much to my horror. (Gasp!) Oppa Gangnam style. *face palm* Hahaha

10 exam grades for guqin

I just received this set of 3 books (no audio CD) containing the tunes for the 10 grades of Guqin exams, edited by China's pre-eminent Gong Yi, Li XiangTing and exams to be overall supervised by Dai XiaoLian. Book 1 contains tablature for Grades 1-6, Book 2 for Grades 7-8, Book 3 for Grades 9-10. I suppose each grade takes a year so 10 grades may take 10 years to complete. There's only tablature in the 3 books, nothing about assessment rubrics. No audio CD either. RMB95 but I bought mine for RMB88 at this Taobao shop. It seems that Malaysia's Da Lv Qin school would be starting graded exams based on these 3 books in August 2013. Good! More power to them and their students! Haha

Guqin talk by Mr. Zhong in Singapore's Choa Chu Kang public library on 7th July 2013

Guqin talk by Mr. Zhong in Singapore's Choa Chu Kang public library on 7th July 2013. Details shown below:

 

 

 

(Thanks for alerting me about this event, Faery!)

Working girl

I'm working...

Prodigy kids from 'Guqin for Kids' (book + DVD)

Screenshots of the kids (prodigy extraordinaires really) who performed the guqin tunes in the 'Guqin for kids' DVD. I was floored after watching the teaching material. Very impressive. It only costs about the same as a McDonalds meal in Singapore (RMB40 or about SG$9 or around US$7). Personally, I'd be using this kids learning material to learn how to play guqin from now on. Yes! Don't laugh! The book and DVD set is really that excellent! In the DVD the kids played many difficult and beautiful pieces (list of pieces can be seen in the photo here) that many adults (even a silly 40 year old like me, haha) may have problems playing.

Support guqin teaching material publishers. Buy it from http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=18438032368&ali_trackid=2:mm_40715376_0_0:1369628367_3k5_921534849&spm=2014.12309527.1.0

 

Guqin book for kids

Finally! I hold in my grubby little hands the book I have been waiting for: Intro to Guqin for Kids. It comes with 2 discs, a DVD of little girls (pre-teens) demonstrating how to play 20 famous tunes, and an audio CD of 9 tunes played by a grand master from Guangling sect. RMB40. Support guqin teaching material publishers. Buy your own copy at the Taobao shop I bought from at

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=18438032368&ali_trackid=2:mm_40715376_0_0:1369628367_3k5_921534849&spm=2014.12309527.1.0