定吟fixed vibrato
Pinyin: dìng yín
Vibrato and glidesThe finger is pinned to the position and does not move; only the tendons under the fingertip rise and fall, almost invisibly.
How it is played
After the note, the left finger is nailed to the position without any to-and-fro; only the tendons and pulse within the finger tighten and loosen slightly, so the ring keeps its life. It can stand alone and is also the final step of an ordinary or long yin. It takes long training in finger strength to be steady without stiffness.
How it sounds
The pitch hardly changes; the ring holds only a barely perceptible wave, calm but not dead.
In the classical handbooks
左手得音，以手指血脈微微起落按之，外邊不覺指動，故曰定吟。Gist: Having taken the note with the left hand, press with the finger's pulse rising and falling minutely, so that from outside no movement is seen: hence ding yin (“fixed yin”).
按彈得音位，以指中筋骨微微運動，不離按位，乃以指釘琴面而取其機活有聲爲妙，故曰定吟。Gist: Having stopped and plucked the note, move the tendons within the finger minutely without leaving the position, nailing the finger to the board yet keeping a living sound: hence ding yin.
Easily confused with
- 细吟xì yín· fine vibratoXi yin has a fine to-and-fro; ding yin never leaves the position and shows no movement.