二作twice more
Pinyin: èr zuò
Terms and marksFrom the 「 beside the jianzi, play twice more: three passes including the first.
How it is played
Written like “from 「, again”, with a 「 beside the starting jianzi, but the passage is played twice more, three passes including the first. Zuo in the scores means one pass, so forms like “three zuo” also occur. The passes should not be identical: the Ming Xilutang Qintong, discussing such repeats, asks the first pass to close evenly and the second, after a short rest, to rise boldly.
In the classical handbooks
二作也。照譜上文用「字起，再作二遍，共三遍也。Gist: Er zuo: from the 「 in the preceding text, play twice more, three passes in all.
谱中有从勾二作者。必分为二段。先一作平其声。以结前段之意。少息后一作取声猛壮。Gist: Where the score says “from gou, twice”, it must be divided into two sections: the first pass evens out its sound to close the preceding idea; after a short rest the second pass takes a fierce, strong sound.
Where sources disagree
Whether er zuo means two more passes or two passes in all
- From 「, play twice more, three passes including the original. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1, left-hand symbols(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- Where the score writes “from gou, twice”, divide into two parts: the first pass closes evenly, and after a short rest the second rises boldly; by the sense of the text, two passes in all. Source: Xilutang Qintong (excerpt via Daizhige)(opens in a new window)