擘thumb inward
Pinyin: bò
Right hand, single fingerAlso written: 劈
The thumb plucks one string inward, toward the player, the opposite of tuo. Rarely used on its own.
How it is played
The thumb plucks from the outer side of the string toward the player, with a little nail at the tip; the wrist should not roll with it. Often paired with tuo on the same string, one stroke in and one out.
How it sounds
The inward stroke is more concentrated than tuo and the tone heavier; too much force brings noise.
In the classical handbooks
大指向身彈入曰擘。身在內，故曰入。然擘不多用。Gist: The thumb plucking in toward the body is called bo. The body is inward, hence “in”. Bo is not used much.
嚴氏天池……又以大指向徽彈出曰擘，向身彈入曰托，命名不同，其用指則一也。Gist: Yan Tianchi … instead calls the thumb's outward stroke toward the hui bo and its inward stroke tuo. The names differ, but the fingering is the same.
擘也，右大指向外。Gist: Bo: the right thumb moves outward.
Where sources disagree
Which thumb stroke is tuo and which is bo (pi): the two directions are swapped between sources
- Tuo is the thumb plucking outward (toward the hui markers, away from the player); bo is the thumb plucking inward. Most modern textbooks and jianzipu symbol tables follow this. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1; Chinese Wikipedia, “Jianzipu”(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- Tuo is the thumb plucking inward (toward the player) and bo outward. The Song–Yuan encyclopedia Shilin Guangji and the Ming Pangong Liyue Shu both say so. Source: Shilin Guangji (Comprehensive Record of Affairs), sequel vol. 4; Pangong Liyue Shu, vol. 5(opens in a new window)
- The late-Ming Yushan school (Dahuange Qinpu) and the early-Qing Guangling school (Chengjiantang Qinpu) also call the thumb's inward stroke tuo. Source: Dahuange QinpuChengjiantang Qinpu (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- The early-Qing Chengyitang Qinpu notes that the old handbooks called the inward stroke bo and the outward stroke tuo, that recent handbooks follow Yan Cheng (Tianchi) of Changshu in reversing them, and that it follows Yan's usage too. Source: 《诚一堂琴谱》 (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- English-language sources mostly follow the Yushan lineage: tuo is the thumb inward, and bo (written 劈, romanized pi) is the thumb outward. Source: English Wikipedia, “Guqin playing technique”(opens in a new window)
Whether the character is written 擘 or 劈
- The great majority of handbooks and modern writers write 擘; the jianzipu symbol takes its lower part, 尸. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1; Chinese Wikipedia, “Jianzipu”(opens in a new window)
- Qinxue Zhengsheng, explaining tuo, says “the meaning is clear from the shapes of the characters 劈 and 托”, setting 劈 against 托. Source: 《琴学正声》 (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- English sources romanize it as pi, following 劈. Source: English Wikipedia, “Guqin playing technique”(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 托tuō· thumb outwardBoth use the thumb but in opposite directions: bo plucks inward toward the player, tuo plucks outward (in the current usage).
References
- 国琴网指法库「托——琴学正声」(opens in a new window)Qin community