Xiang Fei Yuan

[Si]

Just started to learn this and it sounds really difficult. Even harder for me as they have given us such a badly written score. I think its a guzheng or erhu score with chinese number etc seperate from the scruffy written qian zi pu.

Which book has all the very beginners peices in, like this one?

[kyokuhon]

Hi,
I use the version from Gong Yi's instruction book which only has staff notation and his symbols indicating some fingering and string positions. I write in the number notation myself. I also have another version given to me by a teacher that only has numbers and qin music. I don't know offhand if it's in Collected Pieces. For me it's not a hard piece to play, especially after I got some tips on doing the slides on the part right after the first harmonic section.
K.

[Charlie Huang]

XFY is not in the GQQJ. The only versions I found are a) in Gong Yi's book, and b) in the music score book that comes with Wu Zhao's Instructional VCD set. I could scan it if you want it badly.

[SCWGuqin]

For some reason I found XFY really hard to play. Basically I couldn't do the transition from knuckle to thumb-tip on the slides. Plus, doing qiaqi then sliding up with the ring finger is still one of the more difficult techniques to do clearly.

[Si]

Oh my new teacher which I have had for one moth already, she gives me the original style pure jian zi pu and i use that. I have to listen to her and follow the why she plays so I have not needed the western note values so far.

I have only just started on this one with my new teacher and I am still trying to get good harmonic sounds.

The sliding bit striaght after that is great fun!

[Charlie Huang]

The reason why people may find it difficult to go up after a qiaqi is because the ring finger lands in an incorrect contact point when doing qiaqi. The ring finger when it lands on the string should be in the same contact position as you would pressing on a string normally with your ringer finger. Some tend to land on the string slightly on the belly of the finger tip, and that causes friction when sliding up.

Transition from knuckle to thumb-tip on the slides? Where in the score is that bit?

[SCWGuqin]

As in, the opening slides. I was taught to do the first downward movement with the knuckle, then switch to 'thumb-tip' on the next string down. Perhaps this is a Mei'an eccentricity...

[Charlie Huang]

Oh, now I see. You can use the ordinary point and then jump to the next string like you normally do. Depends if you want a 'duan-yin' or not.

That technique requires practice to pull of smoothly with ease (took me a month or so). It also crops up in GSY in the 'youlai zhengzhan di, bu jian you ren huan' bit.

EDIT: Actually, if you do it correctly, the contact point for the string above will be the centre mid-point of the thumb rather than the thumb tip.

[Si]

Are you refering to the first slides after the opening Harmonic section?

I was told to press with my thumb joint on the 7th string then easy to move to the 6th string later. My teacher said it was a Mei-an technique.

I have a problem a few notes later. When I slide up fromthe qiaqi it sound very quiet - too quiet?

Anyway I have no room to talk - I am still playing each note individulay still getting the feel of it all.

[Charlie Huang]

I would suppose that is a Mei'an technique. I'm thinking that this technique maybe introducxted slightly too early for a beginner, normally, you start with pieces that require less effort to play and less stylised techniques to confuse and impede you.

[Si]

But I thought Xiang Fei Yuan was the second easy peice in the Guqin canon. Well, it is listed 2nd in the approved list for level 1 players.

I assumed all the pieces just get harder and harder from now on........

[SCWGuqin]

Among level 1 pieces, I think Kai Gu Yin and Guqin Yin are the easiest, with Feng Qiu Huang quite hard because of the high guizhi and Lou Shi Ming...not really played by anybody at all. XFY is in the middle. I actually think Qiu Feng Ci is easier than XFY.

[Charlie Huang]

I agree that QFC is easy, maybe coz it can stick in your head, whilst the others tend to have a more free rythmic pattern, like FQH.

[Si]

My teacher was telling me that usually XFY is the second piece then after that one can learn to tune the qin using the harmonics......

[Charlie Huang]

Maybe. I forgot the exact moment when I could pull off fanyin. But really, the sooner you learn to tune by harmonics, the better.