Analysis on Three Realms of Guqin

The skill, art and Taoism of guqin are the focus of debate among Qin people today. Some people value skills, but they are ashamed to talk about it. Some people talk about it after learning a little skill. It is difficult to distinguish between men and women, and it is also difficult to make simple judgments with right and wrong. The following is a detailed explanation of the three levels of guqin that I have compiled, hoping to help you.

The first layer is "technology"

Qin people's piano skills are the main landscape on the first floor, that is, the basic playing method of guqin, which is called the stage of "combination of strings and fingers" in Xishan Qinzhan. If a piano player doesn't know the "eight methods of right hand", can't recite notes, and starts talking about piano art and Doe Ching, then we don't need to know this person again, so we can know his shortcomings. Therefore, only by mastering the playing method of guqin in a down-to-earth manner can the pianist March to the second floor and be qualified to talk about piano art. I don't think it can be generalized. How long does it take to master the basic techniques of guqin? As soon as we answer, it is easy to fall into the disadvantage of "the blind touch the elephant". Compared with my own experience in learning erhu and guzheng, what is my definition of guqin? It is easy to learn, but difficult to learn. Although it is not difficult to get started with Guqin, it is difficult to get to the second floor if you stop or have insufficient talent.

The second layer is "art"

The second layer is "art". Art is a kind of sublimation of piano skills, which is called the stage of "combination of finger and sound" in Xi Shan Qin Condition. Only by accumulating certain piano skills can a pianist reach this level. If he only knows "acting" and doesn't know how to express the connotation of music, it is difficult to reach the second level of guqin and climb to the second floor. There is only one way to open the key to the second floor: diligence and talent in reading, which is the only way for piano players to get to the second floor. Our modern pianists often only know how to play the piano to death, ignoring the importance of talent and reading. Of course, success requires diligence, but without that talent and cultural accomplishment, it is difficult to succeed. Talent and reading are like catalysts in chemical reactions. Although these things are not the main reaction substances, without the addition of these catalysts, everything is just ready, except the east wind.

Therefore, it is very important for a pianist to sublimate from "skill" to "art" and appreciate the scenery on the second floor. Talent and reading are crucial. As an artist, I know its taste, just like practicing calligraphy. If temporary posts keep coming, it won't be a problem to enter the posts, and it's not difficult to write as before. The hard part is to post them. Without that aura, it's hard to be famous and get married. This rare gas field is what we often call "talent". Yuan Mei used to evaluate Huang Tingjian's sentence is ". In fact, many categories are also the same. Just like composition, a person who can write a good article must be knowledgeable and read a lot of books, but a knowledgeable and read a lot of books may not be able to write a wonderful article. You can ask him to write a reference book, and he will compile it carefully and do it well, but the article may not be written well, because writing needs atmosphere. The same is true of learning piano. If a pianist plays the piano carefully and spends time, he can learn something and become a teacher. However, if a pianist does not have enough talent and a lot of cultural accomplishment, it is difficult to become an artist, so only a few piano players can climb to the second floor.

The third floor is "Qindao"

The Qin Dao mentioned here does not mean that the five strings of the guqin should correspond to the five elements, and the piano body contains heaven and earth. Although these things are also an important culture of guqin, they have little to do with the level of playing the piano. Even if we piano players don't know the meaning of seven strings, it won't affect their actual performance level, because this is another research system of guqin. The "Qin Dao" mentioned here is an internal spirit of guqin, and the "Xi Shan Qin Condition" is called the stage of "harmony between sound and meaning". Jiang Keqian, a pianist in the Ming Dynasty, called the highest state of this kind of guqin "forgetting the machine": "So, as for the players who forget the machine, he can understand the gods, such as Boya guqin, Liu Ma Yangyu, Qiba guqin, and bird dancing and diving". A seven-string action can make six horses dance, a bird dance and a fish jump. What a state it is! This shows the concept of "forgetting the machine". The same is true of Confucius' saying that "do whatever you want and don't overstep the rules". Only when the piano moves freely and the music moves freely can we "do whatever we want".

However, the third floor must climb up from the first two floors. If there is no accumulation of the first two layers, it will be "super-moment" at every turn. Just as we often praise grandma's beautiful white hair, if people have that kind of white hair in middle age, it is not praise, but ridicule, because it is not beauty but premature aging! My teacher, Mr. Li, once gave me an analogy: "Qindao is like productism, but this is only the direction we are pursuing, and it is not easy to mention it early, because the road to this goal is very long and out of reach." History proves that my teacher's statement is correct. In the 1960s and 1970s, the slogan of China's national plan was "catch up with Britain and catch up with the United States", and in a few years, it will reach * * * productism. History has proved that this is just a joke. So is Guqin. Without the accumulation of the first two layers, it is easy to talk about the piano road in vain. Therefore, "Qindao" has often become a "fig leaf" for some musicians, and the level is insufficient, so we have to say "Qindao" to cover our ears.