半扶half fu (two strings as one)
Pinyin: bàn fú
Right hand, compoundTwo fingers enter two strings as a single sound, half of a quan fu; used mostly in harmonics.
How it is played
The usual form: the index and middle fingers, one string apart, pluck mo and gou inward together so both strings sound at once, neither louder than the other. Some sources have the index finger alone brush two strings at a slant.
How it sounds
Two notes fused into one chord, thinner and lighter than quan fu.
In the classical handbooks
摟圓也，兩絃同得一聲也。間絃中用句抹各彈一絃，一齊竝發，使兩絃同得一聲，勿為偏重，惟泛音用之，即半扶也。Gist: Lou yuan: two strings yield a single sound. With a string between, gou and mo each pluck one string and release together so the two strings sound as one, neither heavier. Used only in harmonics; this is ban fu.
食指散緩半扶宮商Gist: The index finger, open and slow, half-fu on gong and shang.
Where sources disagree
How ban fu is actually played
- The index and middle fingers, one string apart, release gou and mo together so two strings sound as one; this is lou yuan, used in harmonics. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- Wuzhizhai and Ziyuantang have the ring and middle fingers sweep one string together, with the sense of lun in stopped notes. Source: Yang Zongji, 《琴学丛书》转述 (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- The index finger plucks mo across strings six and seven as one sound. Source: 《太古遗音》 (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- The index finger plucks mo on seven and the middle finger gou on six, entering the two strings slightly staggered as one sound. Source: Taiyin Daquanji (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 全扶quán fú· full fu (several strings as one)Quan fu is three fingers on three strings; ban fu is two fingers on two.
- 圆搂yuán lǒu· gou and mo on separated strings, in harmonicsQinxue Rumen treats lou yuan as the same thing as ban fu; other handbooks distinguish them only by whether harmonics are involved.
References
- 管平湖《古指法考》（北京古琴文化研究会 编，中国书店出版社 2019；据 1963 年中国音乐研究所油印本整理，依《琴用指法》《乌丝栏》《太音大全》《琴书大全》考订古指法）Scholarship
- 国琴网指法库「半扶——琴学丛书」(opens in a new window)Qin community
- 国琴网指法库「半扶——今虞琴刊」(opens in a new window)Qin community