Tools for players · Reading jianzipu

Technique Index

Look up the common techniques of guqin jianzipu notation, ordered by pinyin.

149 techniquesSymbol · Motion · Classical sources

Symbol at a glance45 / 149

勾gōumiddle finger inward

The middle finger plucks one string inward, toward the player. Old scores often write it 句.

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Character / pinyin / English / type

149 techniques, in pinyin order

A1

Timbre and harmonics按ànstopped noteThe left finger presses the string firmly at a hui position and the right hand sounds the string length measured from there.

B6

Right hand, compound半扶bàn fúhalf fu (two strings as one)Two fingers enter two strings as a single sound, half of a quan fu; used mostly in harmonics.
Right hand, compound半轮bàn lúnhalf rollHalf of a lun: two fingers pluck the same string outward one after another, two notes in a row.
Right hand, compound背锁bèi suǒthree-note lock (ti, mo, tiao)On one string, ti, mo and tiao in a row, three notes: the first two quick, the last slightly slower.
Right hand, compound拨bōthree fingers inward togetherThe index, middle and ring fingers, held together in a slanted row, pluck inward across one or two strings as a single sound.
Right hand, single finger擘bòthumb inwardThe thumb plucks one string inward, toward the player, the opposite of tuo. Rarely used on its own.
Left hand, pressing不动bù dònghold stillThe left finger stays pressed where it is while the right hand plays other strings; when it returns, play again from the same position.

C9

Vibrato and glides长猱cháng náolong wide vibratoA lengthened nao with more swings, finished with a ding nao.
Right hand, compound长锁cháng suǒseven-note lockA seven-note lock on one string (sometimes nine): mo, tiao, mo, gou, then bei suo.
Vibrato and glides长吟cháng yínlong vibratoA yin with more swings and a longer duration, still finished with a ding yin.
Vibrato and glides绰chuòslide up into the noteThe left finger slides up from below the position (the lower-pitched side) onto it, so the note enters from below.
Vibrato and glides绰猱chuò náoslide up into wide vibratoSlide up (chuo) to the note, sounding as you go, and pass straight into nao.
Vibrato and glides绰吟chuò yínslide up into vibratoSlide up (chuo) to the note and begin the yin the moment you arrive, the two in one motion.
Terms and marks从头再作cóng tóu zài zuòrepeat from the topReturn to the beginning and play the whole section again.
Terms and marks从「再作cóng zài zuòrepeat from the markGo back to the 「 mark beside the jianzi and play that stretch again.
Right hand, compound撮cuōtwo-string chordTwo fingers pluck two strings at once as a single sound; most often the index finger plucks out (tiao) while the middle finger plucks in (gou).

D16

Right hand, single finger打dǎring finger inwardThe ring finger plucks one string inward, toward the player. Used mostly on strings one and two; it sounds the same as gou.
Right hand, compound打圆dǎ yuáncircling two stringsTiao and gou alternate on two strings: two notes, a slight pause, four quick notes, then one final note to close.
Right hand, compound打摘dǎ zhāiring finger in and outOn one string, the ring finger plucks in and out for two notes in a row; mostly on strings one and two.
Right hand, compound大撮dà cuōlarge chord (thumb and middle finger)The thumb and middle finger pluck two widely separated strings together as one sound, usually an octave.
Terms and marks大息dà xīlong restA longer pause, usually at the end of a section or a large phrase.
Left hand, pressing大指dà zhǐthumb (left hand)The left thumb stops the string. The most used stopping finger, usually pressing where nail meets flesh.
Left hand, sliding带起dài qǐring-finger pull-off to the open stringAfter a note stopped by the ring finger has sounded, the finger hooks the string as it lifts off, sounding the open string.
Vibrato and glides荡猱dàng náoswinging wide vibratoSwings open at both ends like dang yin, but seeking an ancient, vigorous nao quality.
Vibrato and glides荡吟dàng yínswinging vibratoA wide, loose yin with force at both ends, as if swinging the note open before vibrating.
Terms and marks跌宕dié dàngtumbling rhythmA deliberately uneven, loose-and-tight rhythm with notes staggered; the whole must still fit the beat.
Right hand, compound叠蠲dié juāndoubled juanJuan doubled: either mo, mo, gou, gou on two adjacent strings for four notes, or simply mo and gou in quick succession on one string.
Vibrato and glides定吟dìng yínfixed vibratoThe finger is pinned to the position and does not move; only the tendons under the fingertip rise and fall, almost invisibly.
Left hand, sliding逗dòugrace flick on the attackAt the very moment the right hand plucks, the left finger darts to meet the sound, adding a brief ornament to the attack.
Right hand, compound短锁duǎn suǒfive-note lockA five-note lock on one string: two slow notes, a slight pause, then the three notes of bei suo.
Terms and marks段duànsectionThe large divisions of a qin piece, numbered “section one”, “section two” and sometimes given subtitles.
Left hand, sliding对起duì qǐqia qi after a plucked noteThe ring finger stops and the thumb hooks the string, the same as qia qi; how the two are distinguished varies between handbooks.

E1

Terms and marks二作èr zuòtwice moreFrom the 「 beside the jianzi, play twice more: three passes including the first.

F11

Right hand, compound反撮fǎn cuōreversed chordA chord with the fingers moving opposite to cuo: the middle finger flicks outward while the other finger plucks inward, both strings sounding together.
Terms and marks反复括号fǎn fù kuò hàorepeat bracketsFrames the stretch to repeat: a 「 marks the start, and on reaching “again” you go back.
Left hand, sliding反撞fǎn zhuàngreverse knockThe reverse of zhuang: the left finger jabs quickly down toward the tail and returns at once to the home position.
Timbre and harmonics泛fànharmonicThe left finger touches the string lightly at a hui without pressing it down while the right hand plucks, producing a clear harmonic.
Timbre and harmonics泛起fàn qǐharmonics beginMarks the start of a harmonic passage: from here on, play harmonics.
Timbre and harmonics泛止fàn zhǐharmonics endMarks the end of a harmonic passage: harmonics stop here.
Left hand, sliding放合fàng hérelease and matchThe left finger releases its string for an open note and at the same time stops the neighboring string for the right hand to pluck, the two notes matching.
Vibrato and glides飞吟fēi yínflying vibratoAfter a brief hold on the note, leap up and down through one or two neighboring positions, like a bird beating its wings.
Left hand, sliding分开fēn kāisplit pluckThe same string is plucked twice: one note, then the finger moves up one position, then returns to the home position for the second pluck.
Right hand, compound拂fúupward sweep (index finger)The index finger plucks inward across several strings from low to high, the opposite direction to gun.
Left hand, sliding复fùreturnAfter moving up or down, the left finger comes back to the position where the string was plucked.

G5

Right hand, single finger勾gōumiddle finger inwardThe middle finger plucks one string inward, toward the player. Old scores often write it 句.
Right hand, compound勾剔gōu tīmiddle finger in and outOn one string, the middle finger plucks gou then ti: in and out, two notes in a row, written as one character.
Left hand, pressing跪指guì zhǐkneeling ring fingerThe ring finger folds as if kneeling and presses with the side of the back of its end joint; used mostly in the high register where the hui are close together.
Right hand, compound滚gǔndownward sweep (ring finger)The ring finger plucks outward across several strings from high to low, the notes running together like rolling water.
Right hand, compound滚拂gǔn fúdown-and-up sweepGun followed immediately by fu in one breath: the ring finger sweeps down, the index finger sweeps back up, like rolling waves.

H7

Left hand, sliding浒hǔpause, then upAfter the pluck, pause briefly, then move quickly up one position: “a stop, then a swift join”.
Terms and marks缓huǎnslow, at easeSlow down: play at leisure, leaving room between the notes.
Vibrato and glides缓急吟huǎn jí yínslow then quick vibratoTwo plucks on the same string, both with yin: the first slow, the second quick.
Vibrato and glides缓猱huǎn náoslow wide vibratoA nao with a broad swing and an unhurried rhythm.
Vibrato and glides缓吟huǎn yínslow vibratoA yin with unhurried swings and a relaxed rhythm.
Left hand, sliding唤huànquick shake on the attackRiding on the pluck, the left finger shakes quickly up and down once or twice at the home position so the attack leaps out distinctly.
Left hand, pressing换指huàn zhǐfinger substitutionAnother finger replaces the one stopping the string at the same position, without releasing the string or breaking the note.

J11

Terms and marks急jíquickSpeed up: play the marked notes compactly and fast.
Terms and marks疾jíswiftSwift: a quick touch and a crisp attack; often paired with xu (leisurely).
Vibrato and glides急猱jí náoquick wide vibratoA fast, tight nao: the hand hurries but the mind does not.
Vibrato and glides急吟jí yínquick vibratoA yin with a fast, tight rhythm.
Right hand, compound间勾jiàn gōutiao and gou across separated stringsTwo strings with others between them are plucked one after the other, tiao then gou (or gou then da), usually a stopped note answering an open one.
Terms and marks紧jǐntightCompact: play closely and slightly faster, without slack between the notes.
Left hand, sliding进jìnstep upAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger moves one position up (toward the bridge) and sounds it.
Left hand, sliding进复jìn fùup and backAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger moves up one position to sound it, then returns to the home position for a third note.
Terms and marks就jiùsame position (shorthand)Shorthand: the left finger and position stay the same; play here again.
Terms and marks句读jù dòuphrase markA small circle at the end of a phrase: the phrase ends here and the line comes to rest.
Right hand, compound蠲juānindex then middle finger inward, two quick notesOn one string, the index finger plucks mo and the middle finger follows closely with gou, two notes close together. Modern scores mostly write it 涓.

L9

Right hand, compound剌làthree fingers outward togetherThe index, middle and ring fingers, in a slanted row, flick outward across one or two strings together, the reverse of bo.
Right hand, compound剌伏là fúla with dampingAfter the three fingers sweep outward (la), the palm or fingers immediately come down on the strings to stop the sound; usually a sectional close.
Right hand, compound历lìquick outward run over two stringsThe index finger flicks outward across two adjacent strings (or several) in one motion, two notes close together, light and fluent.
Terms and marks连liánconnectedSeveral notes run on in one breath without a break; a vertical stroke beside the characters means the same.
Right hand, compound轮lúnthree-finger roll on one stringRing, middle and index fingers pluck the same string outward one after another, three notes in a row.
Vibrato and glides落指猱luò zhǐ náowide vibrato on landingBegin the nao the instant the left finger lands and the note sounds, tightly joined to the attack.
Vibrato and glides落指吟luò zhǐ yínvibrato on landingBegin the yin the instant the left finger lands and the note sounds, without waiting for the ring.
Vibrato and glides略猱lüè náoslight wide vibratoA short, fine but firm nao: strength within lightness.
Vibrato and glides略吟lüè yínslight vibratoShorter than shao yin: a single light touch of yin, about “half of a half yin”.

M5

Terms and marks慢mànslowPlay slowly: relax the tempo; often paired with jin (tight).
Left hand, pressing名指míng zhǐring finger (left hand)The left ring finger stops the string. With the thumb it is one of the two main stopping fingers, constantly used for vibrato and slides.
Right hand, single finger抹mǒindex finger inwardThe index finger plucks one string inward, toward the player. One of the right hand's most common inward strokes.
Right hand, compound抹勾mǒ gōumo then gou, unhurriedOn one string, the index finger plucks mo and the middle finger gou, one after the other. Whether this is the same as die juan is disputed, with sources taking opposite views.
Right hand, compound抹挑mǒ tiǎoindex finger in and outOn one string, mo followed by tiao: in and out, two notes in a row, written as a single character in the score.

N3

Left hand, sliding捺nàring-finger press (obsolete)A ring-finger motion in old handbooks: either the ring finger moving to and fro, or a short, almost silent forward press.
Vibrato and glides猱náowide vibratoAfter the note, the left finger swings wider and more firmly than in yin, for a vigorous, archaic ring.
Right hand, compound捻niǎnpinch and twistAn old right-hand technique listed in Song–Yuan tablature: the thumb and index finger pinch the string and twist it upward to sound it.

P3

Terms and marks拍pāibeat; section (early scores)The sectional unit of early qin pieces, as in the four pai of Youlan; also the beat.
Left hand, sliding撇起piě qǐflick-off (editor mark)A left-hand sounding mark included in the editor and recorded as the open string; no reliable explanation has been found in the classical handbooks or modern sources.
Right hand, compound泼剌pō làthree fingers in and outBo and la in succession: three fingers plucking in and then out, like a fish flicking its tail, two sounds.

Q7

Terms and marks起qǐrise (component)A component of compound symbols: the left finger sounds a note as it leaves the string, as in dai qi and qia qi.
Right hand, compound掐撮三声qiā cuō sān shēngthree alternating qia and cuoLeft-hand qia qi alternating with right-hand cuo: one qia and one cuo, then two qia and one cuo. A common final cadence.
Right hand, compound掐泼剌三声qiā pō là sān shēngthree alternating qia and bo/laA variant of qia-cuo san sheng: left-hand qia qi alternates with right-hand bo and la, also used as a closing phrase.
Left hand, sliding掐起qiā qǐleft-hand pull-off to a stopped noteThe ring finger stops the lower position while the thumb, above it, hooks the string with its nail, sounding the note at the ring finger.
Terms and marks轻qīnglightPlay lightly: a light, clear touch, small in volume but not hollow.
Terms and marks曲终qǔ zhōngend of pieceWritten at the very end: the piece finishes here.
Right hand, compound全扶quán fúfull fu (several strings as one)A fu in which several strings sound as one. Qing handbooks have three fingers each take a string; older sources differ.

R3

Terms and marks如一rú yīas one soundA stopped string and an open string are sounded together and heard as one.
Terms and marks入慢rù mànentering the slow sectionFrom here on, play slowly; mostly at the end of a piece or at a turning point between sections.
Terms and marks入拍rù pāientering the beatFrom here on, the music enters a regular pulse and is no longer played freely.

S11

Right hand, compound三弹sān tántriple snapThe thumb holds back the ring, middle and index fingers, which are released in turn for zhai, ti and tiao, three notes; shaped like lun but played as snaps.
Timbre and harmonics散sànopen stringA note sounded by the right hand on an open string, with the left hand not stopping it.
Left hand, sliding上shàngslide upAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger slides along the string toward the bridge to the named hui, and the pitch rises.
Terms and marks少息shǎo xīshort restA brief pause: let the previous note settle and take a breath before going on.
Vibrato and glides少吟shǎo yínhalf vibratoOnly about half the swings of an ordinary yin, short and light.
Left hand, pressing食指shí zhǐindex finger (left hand)The left index finger stops the string. Rarely used alone; usually it shares two adjacent strings with the thumb.
Left hand, sliding使shǐdriven knock after vibratoWith no right-hand pluck, the left finger knocks forcefully as the vibrato ends and returns to the home position, all in one breath with the vibrato.
Right hand, compound双弹shuāng tándouble snapThe thumb holds back the middle and index fingers, which are released in turn, middle first, for two notes. The old handbooks also call it gu.
Vibrato and glides双吟shuāng yínpaired vibratoTwo plucks on the same string, each with a yin of the same moderate speed.
Left hand, sliding双撞shuāng zhuàngdouble knockTwo knocks in a row on the same note.
Right hand, compound索铃suǒ língstring of bellsThe left hand stops each string in turn along a slant while the right index finger plucks across them, like a row of bells; used mostly in harmonics.

T12

Right hand, single finger弹tánsnapThe thumb presses the index or middle finger, which stores force and then snaps free against the string. The basic motion behind shuang tan and san tan.
Left hand, sliding淌tǎngdrift downLet the still-unsettled ring slide slowly downward, like water running down a slope.
Vibrato and glides淌吟tǎng yínvibrato drifting downAfter the note, a fine yin while sliding slowly downward, either to the next hui or back to the position.
Right hand, single finger剔tīmiddle finger outwardThe middle finger plucks one string outward, the opposite of gou.
Right hand, single finger挑tiǎoindex finger outwardThe index finger plucks one string outward. The right hand's most used outward stroke.
Left hand, sliding同起tóng qǐlift-off with a pluckThe left finger lifts off its string at the same moment the right hand plucks another string, the two merging into one sound.
Left hand, sliding同声tóng shēngtwo strings sounded as oneTwo strings are sounded by different means at the same instant so that the two notes emerge together as one.
Left hand, pressing推出tuī chūpush-outThe middle finger, stopping string one, pushes the string outward off the fingertip to sound the open string.
Left hand, sliding退tuìstep downAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger moves one position down (toward the tail) and sounds it.
Left hand, sliding退复tuì fùdown and backAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger moves down one position to sound it, then returns to the home position for a third note.
Right hand, single finger托tuōthumb outwardThe thumb plucks one string outward, away from the player; used mostly on the sixth and seventh strings, nearest the player.
Left hand, sliding拖tuōdrag up after qia qiAs qia qi sounds, the ring finger drags the note up one position.

W3

Left hand, sliding往来wǎng láito and froAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger moves back and forth several times between the home position and a neighboring one.
Vibrato and glides往来吟wǎng lái yínto-and-fro vibratoMove back and forth between the home position and a neighboring one, vibrating on arrival at one of them.
Terms and marks尾声wěi shēngcodaThe closing passage of a qin piece, usually ending in harmonics.

X5

Vibrato and glides细吟xì yínfine vibratoA yin of tiny width and compact motion; the wrist is still and only the ring trembles.
Left hand, sliding下xiàslide downAfter the stopped note sounds, the left finger slides along the string toward the tail to the named hui, and the pitch falls.
Left hand, pressing虚罨xū yǎnhammer-on from silenceThe string has not been plucked beforehand; the left finger strikes it at the position and sounds it directly.
Left hand, sliding虚撞xū zhuàngknock away from homeAfter the pluck, first move up, down or up-and-back to another position, then knock there without plucking again.
Terms and marks徐xúleisurelyPlay or move the finger at a leisurely, unhurried pace; not the same as pausing or dragging.

Y9

Left hand, pressing罨yǎnhammer-onThe right hand does not pluck; a left finger strikes down on the string at the given position and the impact itself sounds the note.
Right hand, single finger仰托yǎng tuōupturned tuoA tuo in which the thumb, pad facing up, lifts the string and lets it slap against the soundboard; written 仛 in scores.
Vibrato and glides吟yínnarrow vibratoAfter a stopped note sounds, the left finger rocks gently to and fro around the position, letting the ring rise and fall slightly.
Left hand, sliding引yǐnslow drawAfter the note, draw the pitch slowly up (or down) to the target position; slower than shang or xia.
Vibrato and glides迎猱yíng náomeeting wide vibratoA nao that meets the note from above and presses down, connected and lively.
Terms and marks应合yìng héanswering open stringAfter a stopped note slides to a new position, the right hand plucks an open string at the same pitch to answer it.
Left hand, sliding硬上yìng shànghard upGo straight up after the note without any pause, more direct than an ordinary shang.
Vibrato and glides游吟yóu yínroaming vibratoThe finger slides up and then back down, about twice, swinging open at leisure like a fish drifting with the current.
Right hand, compound圆搂yuán lǒugou and mo on separated strings, in harmonicsTwo strings with others between them are plucked gou and mo at once as one sound, only in harmonics; some handbooks say it is the same as ban fu.

Z12

Terms and marks再作zài zuòplay againPlay the phrase or section just played once more, as written.
Right hand, single finger摘zhāiring finger outwardThe ring finger plucks one string outward. Also the opening motion of running strokes such as gun and lun.
Right hand, compound摘泼剌zhāi pō làtwo zhai then po-laThe ring finger plucks each of two strings once, then po-la is played on the same two strings, four sounds in all.
Terms and marks止zhǐstopStop here; in old scores mostly combined with other characters, as in fan zhi or “to such-and-such string”.
Left hand, pressing中指zhōng zhǐmiddle finger (left hand)The left middle finger stops the string, mostly on the low strings paired with the thumb for an octave; the push-out (tui chu) also belongs to it.
Terms and marks重zhòngheavyPlay heavily: a forceful touch and a full tone, without roughness.
Vibrato and glides注zhùslide down into the noteThe left finger slides down from above the position (the higher-pitched side) onto it, so the note falls in from above.
Vibrato and glides注吟zhù yínslide down into vibratoSlide down (zhu) from above to the note and begin the yin the moment you arrive.
Left hand, sliding抓起zhuā qǐthumb pull-off to the open stringAfter a note stopped by the thumb has sounded, the thumb hooks the string with its nail, sounding the open string.
Left hand, sliding撞zhuàngknockWhile the stopped note rings, the left finger jabs quickly upward and returns at once, so fast it sounds almost like a single note.
Vibrato and glides撞猱zhuàng náoknocking wide vibratoA nao that incorporates the quick jab-and-return of zhuang; sources describe it differently.
Vibrato and glides走吟zǒu yínwalking vibratoVibrato while moving; the old texts give two accounts, “vibrate while drawing up” and “ceaseless to-and-fro”.