大撮large chord (thumb and middle finger)
Pinyin: dà cuō
Right hand, compoundThe thumb and middle finger pluck two widely separated strings together as one sound, usually an octave.
How it is played
Spread the thumb and middle finger and let them fall together from the air: the middle finger hooks inward on the distant low string, the thumb plucks outward on the high string near the player. Used for octaves four strings apart, such as one and six or two and seven; when the index and middle fingers cannot reach, da cuo takes over.
How it sounds
A wide octave or fifth, broader and fuller than cuo.
In the classical handbooks
挑勾並下兩絃同聲，或勾與擘同聲，名曰撮。或一按一散，或俱按俱散，隨譜用之。Gist: Tiao and gou falling together so the two strings sound as one, or gou together with bo, is called cuo. One stopped and one open, or both stopped, or both open, as the score requires.
Where sources disagree
Whether the thumb's stroke here is called tuo or bo
- Da cuo is the tuo-gou method: the thumb plays tuo, the middle finger gou. Source: 《荻灰馆琴谱》 (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- Da cuo is written “middle finger gou, thumb bo”; the two fingers fall and rise together as one sound, mostly on strings one and six or two and seven. Source: 《治心斋琴学练要》 (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
- The Guangling school writes “gou and bo sounding together”. Here bo is the outward stroke, the same motion as what is now called tuo; only the names tuo and bo are swapped. Source: Chengjiantang Qinpu, “Qinpu Zhifa” section(opens in a new window) · View the original page
Whether da cuo deserves a separate name
- No separate name; gou and tuo falling together is also just cuo. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- When the strings are three or four apart and tiao-gou cannot reach, tuo-gou replaces it and is called da cuo. Source: Jinyu Qinkan (via the Guoqinwang technique database)(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 撮cuō· two-string chordCuo uses the index finger's tiao and the middle finger's gou on strings close together; da cuo uses the thumb and is reserved for wide intervals about four strings apart.
References
- 国琴网指法库「大撮——今虞琴刊」(opens in a new window)Qin community
- 国琴网指法库「大撮——荻灰馆琴谱」(opens in a new window)Qin community