He Yue Zhai Guqin Music Center to open in Singapore

Another guqin music center is opening in Singapore's Sims Avenue area, headed by Mr. Zhong Zhiyue (https://www.facebook.com/zhong.zhiyue). This is good news for the guqin music educational environment in Singapore. Congratulations to them! *smile*

The other 3 guqin maestros teaching in Singapore are: Mr. John Thompson (www.silkqin.com) located just opposite near Sommerset mrt station, and Mr. and Mrs. Kee Ji Koon in the Tampines area.

For more info about Mr. Zhong Zhiyue's guqin school, please goto their facebook webpage at https://www.facebook.com/heyuezhaiguqin/

If you wish to attend their opening ceremony on Wednesday, October 9 at 7:00pm, you can register at their facebook webpage at https://www.facebook.com/events/633159416704134/

Alas, I won't be able to attend their opening ceremony as I will be working on that particular Wednesday night. Too bad for me. hahaha

Video: Taiwanese professor explains how to pronounce Ancient Chinese language

[Special thanks to 卓育興 for sharing this video in Fb]

Taiwanese Professor of Ancient Chinese language discusses about how to pronounce the ancient tongue. Please enjoy!

This may mean that old guqin tunes should also be sung in Ancient Chinese in order to experience its original flavor. haha *smile*




[Update: Link was provided by 卓育興 in Fb. Special thanks!]
To learn how to pronounce in Ancient Chinese the passages in the 4 books written by the famous sages, you can goto this website at http://ftp.ntu.edu.tw/ftp/NTU/fourbooks/

Mid-autumn yaji 2013 organized by Mr. Kenny Leong in Singapore

癸巳中秋雅集 Mid-autumn yaji organized by Mr. Kenny Leong in Singapore on Saturday 28th September 2013. (According to Mr. Leong, this yaji was pushed back 1 week after the mid-autumn festival due to the Formula 1 Singapore night race which was located very near to the yaji's venue) From the pictures, I could see that it was a great success. Alas, I could not join them as I was in recluse, struggling to meet an important work deadline. hahaha

For more the pictures of the yaji, goto https://www.facebook.com/writekennyleong/media_set?set=a.10152529738091758.1073741831.535396757&type=1

[Please kindly note: This yaji was not affiliated to, or organized by the Han Cultural Society of Singapore. This was another group of people in Singapore and they organized their own guqin yaji at a different location. Neither is Mr. Kenny Leong affiliated with the Han Cultural Society of Singapore. Yes, there is more than one group of people involved in Hanfu movement in Singapore, which is a good thing, in my humble opinion. Diversity and redundancy is always better for building the resilience of a movement.]

please teach me how to play this symbol from 瀟湘水雲 Xiao Xiang Shui Yun

Ladies and gentlemen, can someone please kindly teach me how to play this symbol? It's from the tune 瀟湘水雲 Xiao Xiang Shui Yun in Book 3 of 古琴考級曲集 Gu Qin Kao Ji Qv Ji, section 2, line 3 on page 94. Thank you very much for helping me! *smile*

Please leave a comment! Thank you!

[Update] Special thanks to Mr. Jim Binkley, who explained how to play this symbol: yang tuo (looking up tuo). WWG: 仰托。"put the 'p' of the right hand (p is pulgar hence thumb) in the "flank" of the string, and then, play it up -ward making the string slaps the board."

Spotted another Yang Tuo 仰托 in the first note of section 3 in the tune 瀟湘水雲 Xiao Xiang Shui Yun. This time, it's a pressed note at the 10th hui of the 7th string. I tried to flex my right thumb and angled it so it's under the string and moved it upward on the pressed string. It made a pretty interesting sound when the silk string slapped onto the lacquered top of the guqin ... kinda like a short beautiful "emotional outburst" --- a carthasis almost, if I may suggest --- even when I had not intended them to sound like that at all. There were actually 2 sounds that were produced in quick succession: one made when it was plucked by my right thumb, and another of the same pitch when the silk string hit the lacquered top board of the guqin. hahaha It was fun! 

Audio: Duet between Shakuhachi and Guqin, composed by Chang Peiyou

As a person who knows a tiny little bit about playing shakuhachi, and also only a tiny little bit about playing guqin, performances that involve both shakuhachi and guqin have always intrigued me. This is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard, because unlike most xiao and guqin performances, it is a real duet, not simply playing the same notes at different octaves.

Composed by Miss Chang Peiyou. Performed on guqin by Miss Chang Peiyou and on shakuhachi by Mr. Glenn Shouyuu Swann.

What's especially interesting about this piece was: both the guqin and the shakuhachi have departed from their traditional motifs (patterns/styles of playing). The shakuhachi was not played in a particularly so-called Japanese Honkyoku In-sempo style (with minor pentatonic scale). Neither was the guqin played in a particularly so-called Chinese style. However,  both musical instruments blended very nicely together and the piece worked very well. Well done! I enjoyed it very much! I wish more people would compose more pieces with shakuhachi and guqin. *smile*




Speaking of shakuhachi, my friends, you must not miss this free event in Singapore. Bring your family and friends.  Register at http://www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/JCC/invite_wasabi_2013.html

CONCERT INFORMATION
DATE: Tuesday, 22nd October 2013
TIME: 8:00 pm (Doors open from 7:30 pm)
DURATION: 90 Minutes
VENUE: Genexis Theatre, Fusionopolis, 1 Fusionopolis Way S(138632)
*Located just above One-North MRT Station
ADMISSION: FREE (by email registration only)

Performance at Esplanade Concourse

In addition to the main concert, WASABI will also be holding a free performance at the Esplanade Concourse

DATE: Monday, 21st October 2013
TIME: ① 7:15pm - 7:45pm
②8:15pm – 8:45pm
VENUE: Esplanade Concourse
1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
www.esplanade.com
ADMISSION: FREE

Video: rare footage of guqin master teaching his student

Video: rare footage of guqin master 劉正春 (pinyin: Liu Zheng Chun) teaching his students, and explaining how he teaches guqin.

[Special thanks to Miss Chang for sharing this on her fb page.]

Taipei ROC Mid Autumn Guqin Yaji

臺北琴道舘於2013年9月21日舉辦中秋琴茶雅集 Taipei ROC (Republic of China) Mid Autumn Guqin Yaji on 21 September 2013. Enjoy!

You can subscribe to their Facebook news feed at https://www.facebook.com/ChineseGuqin

Video: 4th Han cultural clothing fashion design competition in NewYork City 2013

Frankly, I'm not even sure if I am part of the Han ethnic group. haha

Neither do I wear or aspire to wear ancient Han clothing and walk around Singapore. haha Nevertheless, this fashion design competition is very interesting. Enjoy!

[Special thanks to Miss Amy Zhao for sharing this in Fb]


Source webpage: http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/gb/2013/09/21/a970743.html

PDF version of Lore of the Lute (Guqin)

[Special thanks to Miss Wu for sharing this on Fb]

Ever wished you could read the pdf version of this book on your mobile tablet?

The Lore of the Chinese Lute: An Essay on the Ideology of the Ch'in
by Robert van Gulik  (in English)

You can download the pdf at http://ishare.iask.sina.com.cn/f/9524696.html
(If you can't read Chinese language, just click the green download button on the left of that webpage to download the pdf file.)

Happy reading!

Fixnzip.com's brilliant solution to my guqin case's fragmented zippers

Several weeks ago, both of the soft low quality metal zips on my JunTianFang guqin's hard foam case simply fragmented, after about one and a half year of use every other day.

Fortunately, Fixnzip.com has the ideal solution! I have received the 3 zips I ordered after waiting for about 10 days for them to arrive by airmail from the USA to Singapore. They work wonderfully as advertised! I am super happy! *smile*

Animated film in Chinese painting style with guqin music

Animated film in Chinese painting style.

The old man in the story was carrying a guqin wrapped in a soft cloth bag. Later he played a tune on the guqin. Enjoy!




Feeling from Mountain and Water is a Chinese animated short film produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio under the master animator Te Wei. It is also referred to as Love of Mountain and River and Feelings of Mountains and Waters. Wikipedia
Initial release: 1988 (China)
Director: Te Wei
Running time: 19 minutes
Screenplay: Wang Shuchen

Guqin talk and performance by 成公亮 Cheng Gong Liang

Guqin talk and performance by guqin maestro 成公亮 Cheng Gong Liang. Enjoy!



[Update] After watching his video, I agree with Mr. Cheng Gong Liang that one should not make a big deal out of playing the guqin. hahaha. He said that's why he did not even dress up in Hanfu or grow a beard to play guqin. He just came to deliver his talk in his normal clothes which he usually wore at home. He said that a person should treat the guqin like a musical instrument, nothing more. Guqin is not to be revered as a mysterious sacred object. He's quite upset that guqin prices have been artificially jacked up by many guqin sellers in China who play up the mysteriousness of the guqin. I agree with him. I really like his candor. *smile*

Teaching myself new guqin tune 潇湘水云 Xiao Xiang Shui Yun

Embarking on a new journey to teach myself a new guqin tune that's an old classic favorite with many guqin enthusiasts: 潇湘水云 Xiao Xiang Shui Yun (Clouds Over Xiao and Xiang Rivers)

There are 10 pages in the score, so that means I may take more than 20 weeks to memorize this new tune, presuming that I can memorize one page per 2 weeks. hahaha *smile*

The score of this tune in the book I am using is based on Master Wu JingLue's version, which can be heard in the embedded video below:

You can read about the story behind this beautiful tune at this link curated by Mr. John Thompson.

There are many people who play much faster versions of this tune. However, my fingers are not fast enough, so I'd be mimicking the much slower version, as performed by 成公亮 Master Cheng Gong Liang. You can listen to the performance by Master Cheng Gong Liang at this link.

There are also many excellent renditions of this very famous guqin tune. Here are just a few. Enjoy! *smile*

















Here are some pictures which I took after trying out the first few lines of this tune in my guqin practice session at home.

Very beautiful 3D animation of Chinese/Japanese-style calligraphy and painting

Very beautiful 3D animation of Chinese/Japanese-style calligraphy and painting. Enjoy.

[Special thanks to Jyoti Naoki Eri for sharing this in Fb]

Mid Autumn Festival in Singapore

Happy Mid-Autumn to you! Bring your family and friends and enjoy a series of mid autumn festival events in Singapore's Esplanade Theaters By The Bay. Alas, there is no cool autumn in Singapore, or four seasons in Singapore. hahaha

Here are 2 pictures taken using my Nokia Lumia 925 Windows 8 Phone (without flash light) when I brought my kids to a mid-autumn festival event near my neighborhood. hahaha

Visited GTar Enterprise in Bras Basah to test play guqin

Hi there, just to share about my adventure... I dropped by during lunch break on Friday 13th September (Oooo... Friday the 13th) to check out guqin at GTAR Enterprise. Bras Basah Complex Blk 231 Bain Street #03-55 Singapore 180231 email: gtar_ttt@hotmail.com There were only 2 guqin resting against the wall. I test played them.

One (the left guqin in picture, a ZhongNi shaped guqin was in the blue bag) was about SGD$4000+(the sales rep could not quote me exact figure even after making a phone call to ask the 'warehouse') it was not so audible and was harder to play. Shan wood.

The other was SGD$880 Tong wood (right guqin in picture) It was louder and easier to play, as it required less strength to pluck the strings to project the sound. Maybe I'm a beginner, that's why. Haha.

Faux leather guqin carrying case costs extra $$. It seems that they do not have any hard foam guqin cases.

Guqin lessons are available at SGD$200 for 4 lessons per month, 45 minutes per lesson. I was told they have more guqins "in the warehouse." GTAR Enterprise is closed every Thursday.

If I were you, I'd buy the cheaper SGD$880 Tong wood guqin. It may sound good with silk strings (in the future if you wish to change to silk strings) because it's loud enough. Happy playing guqin, dear friends! *smile*

 

After playing with silk strings for about 1 and a half years now, I tried to play two qin with metal-nylon strings in a shop in Singapore's Bras Bash complex last week, and I realized that my so-called normal playing finger 'force/strength' was too much for metal-nylon strings. I was very conscious trying to avoid making the metal-nylon strings buzz too loudly. I had to dramatically reduce the amount of strength in my fingers and play with the lightest of touch on metal-nylon strings. With silk strings, I could play as hard and as forcefully as possible without such worries, as there is no metal inside silk strings. Very good for training my finger strength and for venting my emotions whenever I feel very stressed. Because there is no metallic buzz in silk strings, I don't feel any aural fatigue and can play for hours per practice session. Hahaha... just some silly observations of mine. *smile*

Online Guqin 太古 Yaji 雅集every night 9pm at YY.com (video chat service)

[Special thanks to Mr. Kelvin Leung for sharing this info!]

According to Mr Kelvin Leung:

我在國內有個每天晚上八點都有十多人的網上雅集。一夥人都有同一樣的興趣。在YY頻道的幫助下互相進步幫助精進。YY頻道。太古遺音古琴頻道40407473

Translation: Every night at 8:00pm PRC time, many people log on to an online Yaji (elegant gathering) in YY (a video chat service in China). The 太古遺音古琴 'Tai Gu Yi Yin Guqin' channel number is: 40407473

According to Athena X. Cool (special thanks!), another alternative is just visit http://yy.com/40407473. no software is need. but if you want to speak/play guqin, you need to register for an account

You can download the YY software at http://www.yy.com/s/download.html [special thanks to Ms. Juni Yeung for sharing this info in Fb]

More info about YY (video chat service) can be perused at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YY_%28social_network%29 [special thanks to Mr. Jim Binkley for sharing this info in Fb]

Interesting! China already has online yaji. I wonder if anyone outside has done something similar with Google Hangout or Skype? *smile*

 

SFZD.cn - Shu Fa Zi Dian website (useful resource for Chinese Calligraphy)

[Special thanks to my former Chinese calligraphy classmates in NAFA for sharing this very useful info!]

Check out this very useful resource at www.sfzd.cn

It shows you how to write a character in different styles. Very cool.

So, what does Chinese calligraphy have to do with the Guqin? Well, in my personal opinion, training how to use my wrist to write with a 'light' touch really helps me when I play the qin. Also, there is a natural rhythm in writing Chinese characters and my rhythm in breathing (usually one breath per small sized character, or one breath per stroke in larger size characters, so my hand won't shake) that can also be applied to guqin playing. Guqin music, in my personal opinion, does not sound that good if played with a straight-laced Occidental-styled 44 (four four) beat, or a 34 (three four) beat. To me, guqin music sounds much better if one mimics some of the natural rhythms found in nature, for example, the rhythm of the circada, or the rhythm of the sea lapping gently onto shore or water ripples or rushing water, or the rhythm of leaves fluttering in the wind, or the sounds of the howling wind. But that's just me. *smile*

In my personal opinion, if a person only learns how to play guqin without learning how to write Chinese calligraphy, he or she is seriously missing a huge part of the experience of learning how to 韵 (pinyin: yun) with one's wrists.

Still Cloud guqin on display in Singapore's National Library

Took some pictures of the Ting Yun guqin made by Wang Peng specially for Singapore's Tan Swie Hian. This guqin is on display on level 10 of Singapore's National Library at Bugis Street. Check it out if you're in the area. It was so close but so far away in its glass case. Alas! I could not get my hands on it to play it. If you look carefully at the real thing when you visit the library, you can see that it is mounted with metal-nylon strings, not silk strings. Maybe they figured that nobody's gonna play it anyway, or know about the difference anyway, so why waste the silk strings? hahaha... (just kidding! metal-nylon strings guqin fans.... don't flame me...)

This is the address if you're not familiar with its location:
National Library Board
100 Victoria Street
Level 10
Singapore 188064

Hmm... interesting! There is a small piece of paper wedged between the bottom of the guqin and the metal-nylon strings, presumably probably used to stop some buzzing sounds by the last player who used this instrument. Or.... maybe it's a secret message! hahaha... you never know! ^_^

Also, if you look closely, you'd see some metal 'loops' at the end of the strings, which means they are modern metal-nylon strings, not traditionally used guqin silk strings. I wonder if the metal-nylon strings were mounted by WangPeng in Beijing or by the Singapore player/owner who played on this guqin. Hmmm.... hahaha (laughing at my silly self).

This is the view from inside the level 10 exhibition gallery.

audio recording of me playing guqin tune - Liu Shui 流水 (Flowing Waters)

[UPDATE: If you click on 'Download' link on the right hand side of the Soundcloud widget above, you can download the audio file free-of-charge. It's not well played by me. However, I hope you'd enjoy the colorful tones of silk strings.]

This is just an audio recording to check for my own playing mistakes. hahaha

It sounds much slower than other Liu Shui performances by experienced guqin maestros, firstly because I am just a beginner who self-learned and memorized this tune from scratch just 7 weeks ago from a score in a book. hahaha

Secondly, this tune was played on silk strings (Tobaya brand) mounted on a guqin made by Zhang Yong (bought online from Taobao.com via SgShop.com.sg), and it was tuned much lower at B-flat (also shown as A-sharp on electronic tuner) on the thickest first string of the 7 string guqin zither.

Thirdly, I only tried to play according to what was written in the score. I realized that many other professional guqin players employ their own bag of special techniques to make their rendition of this tune Liu Shui sound much more exciting than what I have played. hahaha. I am still trying to figure out how to play like they do. hahaha

Well, this is just the beginning. If I continue to practice this tune everyday, I may be able to play it better one fine day in about 10 or 20 years' time. *smile*

Happy playing guqin, everyone! ^_^


If you compare my poorly played version to that of an actual professional guqin maestro (also played on guqin mounted with silk strings), you'd see that I still have a long way to go. hahaha




This is the same tune, played by the same professional player, but using metal-nylon strings, not silk strings.

What ancient Chinese language sounded like in Antiquity

Ever wondered what the Chinese language sounded like in High Antiquity? Check this out. (Yes, guqin fans, there is guqin music in the video. hahaha)



[Thanks to 卓育興 for sharing the link to this video in Fb]