Guzheng strings - too tight/loose/just right?

[guzhenglover]

Dear guzheng lovers out there!

Does anyone have an opinion regarding how one would determine whether a guzheng's strings are too tight/loose (or, for that matter, just right)? I know many people have an opinion about this one, esp. since this could be seen as a bit of an elementary but essential topic for all who play zithers of any description...

To add my piece to this topic first, I've received two contrasting opinions from two different guzheng professionals. One reckons that guzheng strings should be tight - esp. one that we are using for pratice - as that would allow us to acquire finger strengths needed for all kinds of guzhengs. But the other person begs to differ, saying that a guzheng's strings should be neither tight nor loose - and I agree with this view - since, at the end of the day, it's the musicality of the instrument that really counts. I myself have found that tight strings do not help when it comes to doing the long flourishes with the thumb.

Though I agree with the second opinion, the question still remains as to how one would determine an appropriately tightened set of guzheng strings. I know there are many different points of consideration - and I know some of these as I am not a complete beginner - but I am just wondering if you guys would be good enough to add your say to this topic...

Thanks a lot!

Guzhenglover

[carol]

hmm, I think everyone has his/her personal definetion on "tight" and "loose". Most of us tune the guzheng to "just right" for ourselves, aren't we?

Nowadays, most factories provide manual with the guzhengs. The recommended bridge distance in the manual is pretty standard. I set my guzhengs a little tighter than the recommended distance. I feel just right with the distance, even though many people complain it's too tight. I feel the guzheng sounds brighter, more resonant and longer sustension in this distance. It's easier to pluck, and the tension with bending is perfect for me to bring out the music. When I make it loose, it's easier to push down the strings, but harder to make "Xia Hua Yin" well-rounded. A little resiliant makes it easier to do Xia Hua Yin nice.

The perfect tension for me is when I can bend to the next note with some resistance, and it sounds bright and round. If I can't bend it all the way to the next note, it's too tight for me, and it sounds too bright and metallic. If it's easy to push down to the next note, it's too loose for me, and it sounds flat too.

[guzhenglover]

Thanks Carol. What do other people think (even if you play other zithers rather than the guzheng)? Like Carol said, this question seems to call for personal perferences and subjectivity rather than objectivity; still, I am just really puzzled by how things should be. It's just that my previous teacher and my current teacher are completely at odds regarding this one and I somehow suspect that my progress has been affected by the strings being too tight initially.

I am not sure that the manual does much to help at all in answering this question since, as Carol said, each individual often adjusts the bridge distance - among other things - according to his or her personal preferences. And I do agree with Carol's rationale in adjusting the bridge distance her way. Still, how does one make string adjustments so that strings aren't too tight, without compromising on the brightness, roundedness and resonance etc. of the sound (like how guzhengs should sound when all conditions seem to be "right:)?

Anyone? Guzhenglover

[davidmdahl]

Hey Guzhenglover, it seems to me that you already have the answers to your questions. There is no one way to set up the guzheng. It is going to vary with the experience and preference of the player, the requirements of the music, and the quirks of the particular instrument. As with many musical instruments, we have to compromise the ideal according to our physical limits. Your new teacher should be well-equipped to help you find the best compromise.

Best wishes,

David

[guzhenglover]

Thank you David, you are very encouraging! I guess the three aspects to my concerns (as I posed in my initial question) were(1) I wasn't sure whether the strings being too tight/loose affects one's long-term progress (and I suspected so); (2) whether the strings break more easily if they are too tight - and I am the sort of person who's never quite felt comfortable changing strings and tuning, even though I know how to; and (3) somehow I feel that some passages are easier to tackle if the strings are moderately (or more than moderately) tight. An example I have in mind for point (3) is the fast passage in yu2 zhou1 chang4 wan3. But then I am sure everyone's different and not everyone will agree with what I've just said even with regard to the example just given.

Thank you fellow guzeng (zither) lovers!

Guzhenglover

[carol]

It's easier to pluck when strings are tight, but it's harder to bend. In the long term, tighter strings will build up your left hand strengh for pending, and progress faster because it's easier to pluck. Then it's really hard to play loose strings once you are used to tight strings.

If strings break really easily, then it's too tight. Normally strings don't break in the tight condition if you don't keep tightening it. The time that the strings are most easy to break is the day you turned it tighter. If you do big bending right after tightening the strings, they might break.

[dsouthwood]

The strings on my guzheng are tighter than those on my teacher's harps that she brings to the lessons. But since it was my teacher's mother (also a teacher and a competition judge) who brought my guzheng from China when she visited and set it up for me, I decided not to question the master. I do think the sound is better--more of a ring to the high notes instead of the "plinky" sound from a slacker string. When I use a different instrument during the lessons, it is not hard to adjust to the softer feel of the strings, but if I forget, I'll hit the soundboard when I bend a string. (If that is a problem for any of you with tighter strings, be careful of long fingernails. They can dent the soft wood of the sound board.)

[guzhenglover]

Hi dsouthwood

Now that you've mentioned it, do dents and scratches on the sound board say anything about the strings being too tight or too loose? Or does someone have an opinion about this? I've received contrasting views about this issue as well. One person said that there are bound to be dents and scratches on a guzheng - even if it's a newly acquired one - and this doesn't necessarily mean that the guzheng is of a poor quality or that the strings are too tight (and the person suggested ways of getting rid of the dents and scratches). The other person, on the other hand, said that dents and scratches is surely a sign that something isn't quite right, like the strings are indeed too tight. Well what do people think about this one?

I think we are probably getting farther away from the topic; still, I kind of think that dents and scratches on the soundboard may indeed have something to say about the tightness of the strings....