打圆circling two strings
Pinyin: dǎ yuán
Right hand, compoundTiao and gou alternate on two strings: two notes, a slight pause, four quick notes, then one final note to close.
How it is played
The index finger plucks tiao on one string and the middle finger gou on another (or thumb tuo with middle finger gou), one note each; after a slight hold, repeat the pair twice quickly for four notes; then a slow tiao to finish. The whole spirit lies in the four quick notes in the middle: even and round, with tiao no heavier than gou.
How it sounds
Two notes alternating back and forth, compact in the middle, as if going round in a circle.
In the classical handbooks
打圓也，兩絃共得七聲也。一挑一句各彈一絃，先得二聲，少緩，復急作二次，又得四聲，再慢挑一聲，共成七聲是也。Gist: Da yuan: seven notes on two strings. One tiao and one gou each pluck one string for two notes; a slight hold; then quickly twice more for four notes; then one slow tiao. Seven notes in all.
照上兩聲，一挑一勾，或一擘一勾，少息，即急作二次，連得四聲，又應下之一聲以完。Gist: Repeat the two notes above, one tiao and one gou (or one bo and one gou); a short rest; then quickly twice, four notes in a row; then answer with one note below to complete it.
Where sources disagree
How many notes, and whether the previous two notes are repeated
- Seven notes on two strings: two, four quick, then one. The Guangling school specifies “repeat the two notes above”, that is, the two preceding notes. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1; Chengjiantang Qinpu, “Qinpu Zhifa” section(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- The two preceding notes played quickly and then slowly, six notes in all. Source: Chinese Wikipedia, “Jianzipu”(opens in a new window)
- The Ming account: gou on string four and tiao on string seven, three times in a row. Source: Taiyin Daquanji (per the silkqin.com translation)(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 间勾jiàn gōu· tiao and gou across separated stringsJian gou is one tiao and one gou on separated strings; da yuan repeats that alternation into a run.
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