从头再作repeat from the top
Pinyin: cóng tóu zài zuò
Terms and marksReturn to the beginning and play the whole section again.
How it is played
Written at the end of a section to say: go back to the first character and play once more, two passes in all, with no separate start mark. Used mostly for short sections or forms where a whole section repeats unchanged. In the Lingxian editor, “from the top again” can currently be inserted only from the symbol panel (the text input does not yet recognize the four characters); playback repeats from the first note of the current section.
In the classical handbooks
從頭再作也。自此段首起，再作一遍，共二遍也。Gist: From the top, again: play once more from the head of this section, two passes in all.
從頭再作也。前段已畢，又鼔後段，共成操縵一章。Gist: From the top, again: when the first section is finished, play the second section again, together making one piece of caoman.
Where sources disagree
Whether “the top” is the head of the section or of the whole piece
- Play again from the head of this section. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1, left-hand symbols(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- “The top” may be the beginning of the whole piece or of the present section; both occur. Source: Yihe Qin Society, “Jianzipu: a short guide to technique symbols”(opens in a new window)
- In the ceremonial caoman scores, the first section is played and then repeated from the top as the second section, making one piece; here “the top” is the start of the whole short piece. Source: Li Zhizao, Pangong Liyue Shu, vol. 5(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 再作zài zuò· play againZai zuo only says to replay the preceding text; the start depends on other marks in the score.
- 从「再作cóng zài zuò· repeat from the markCong zai zuo returns to the 「 beside a jianzi and can repeat just a stretch inside a section.