Modern Tuning device

[Gishin]

Hi to all!!

I would like to know where could I get a modern tuning device for my Guqin. I do understand some of the drawbacks being aesthetics and also affecting some of the sound.

I have seen a nice one that was made in 2 parts to hook on each feets making it safer for the Qin on taobao.com but the seller was a crook asking us about 40$ for standard air shipping from China postal service. I knew for sure this did not make any sense since the item was about 300g in total and the size is quite small. I ordered and received numerous books exceeding this size and weight and the price for shipping was never this high in China.

Now you might ask yourself why I want this device so much when in fact it is no so hard to string and tune properly. I used to be able to do so but now with Multiple Sclerosis I just don't have the strength to make the strings tight enough and to add to the frustration here in Quebec we have very dry winters and the tuning pegs are loose and the strings need to be tuned constantly.

Any help on getting this device will be appreciated.

Thanks

Sebastien 義真 Cyr

www.myspace.com/shunpukandojo

[Charlie Huang]

Contact Wang Fei of NAGA in America. They should have one to sell you.

[Gishin]

Thank you for the reply!

I did contact the NAGA people more than a week ago by email but I never got any response from them. In any case my wife did order the tuning device from China and got it sent to her mother so it will be sent by her mother to Canada insuring we do not get robbed on the shipping.

That put aside maybe you can confirm if I am crazy or just corrupted by old school stuff. It seems to me the semi modern Qin notation is just wrong in my eyes reading from left to right is to me not the way it should be when in the old days it would be from right to left and then Up to Down.

The reason I mostly feel that the old Qinpu are better is that I have been playing Shakuhachi for more than 10 years and I did only learn the old type of Shakuhachi scores which in many ways resembles the Old style Qin notation.

Is it just me clinging to old stuff or should I push myself to adapt and read modern scores?

Also where can I order old style Qinpu (also which one do you recommend) without going to taobao.com and having the mother in law ship it to us afterwards

Thanks!

[kyokuhon]

Hi, Gishin, nice to meet you. I'd say you can read from any notation that you like and that makes sense to you. Tradition is wonderful! Personally my advice, though, would be to remember that any notation is only a device, a convention. Not to preach to the priest, but clinging to it will bring suffering . The main thing is the music.
I don't know about ordering traditional qin scores, though. I play from modern.
Best to all, and keep playing.
K.

[Gishin]

I hear you on that one. I guess in my case its mainly because I have played Shakuhachi and read Sutras etc in this format for too long that it just feels more natural to me.

Now back to that tuning device. I received it 3 weeks ago and after ebing very carefull in installing and stringing it 2 strings blew up. One whi was salvaged then blew up again and the other blew up badly very soon as well.

My suggestion after all this is to just use the old method and if it is too hard for you to install fro any reasons then just get someone to help you.

Now that being said I ordered in the meantime the silk strings from the NAGA website knowing that they are too expemsive and probaly not really silk but I did this bacuse I did not want to bug my mother in law too much with my Qin issues.

I ordered almost 3 weeks ago still did not receive the strings and was not told by the seller if itwas sent from their shop in California or from China.

All I have to say is that #1 they are very expensive in most of the stuff they sell and #2 for the price we pay plus shipping I feel better info or support should be given as to delivery speed etc. I have dealt so far internationally into getting expensive Shakuhachi and the info was always clear and shipping was fast etc etc.

I truly feel the Guqin people are very poorly served outside of China.

[Charlie Huang]

The reason why I do not like the new tuning device is that it does make a difference to the sound quality, for the worse. Plus, it looks like a torture device... I have one, just to show people what it looks like and to tell them to avoid it.

[charliecharlieecho]

I understand what Gishin means about tablature alone v. tablature + staff (or cipher). The problem with tablature alone is that it was intended to be used with a teacher's guidance and therefore gives very little information about tempo, dynamics or rhythm. The modern notations get over that to some extent but ideally you still need a teacher or at the very least a recording of the version you want to learn, played by a competent player, and to understand that almost all players, and especially the greatest, use the tablatures as guides, and often play something slightly different in actual performance.