急猱quick wide vibrato
Pinyin: jí náo
Vibrato and glidesA fast, tight nao: the hand hurries but the mind does not.
How it is played
Quicken and tighten the swings without flurry: the hand is fast, the intent stays unhurried, the sound connected and the breath calm; otherwise the sound is vulgar and the hand ugly to watch.
How it sounds
Urgent, forceful wide tremor, tense but not disordered.
In the classical handbooks
急猱者，音雖甚疾，但過急太忙，不惟聲出必俗，而指法亦覺醜看。所貴手急而意漫，音連而氣舒，臻於大雅矣。Gist: Ji nao: though the sound is very quick, if it is too hurried and flustered, not only is the sound certain to be vulgar, the fingering looks ugly too. What is prized is a quick hand with a leisurely intent, a connected sound with an easy breath, reaching true elegance.
緊而疾速。Gist: Tight and swift.
Easily confused with
- 缓猱huǎn náo· slow wide vibratoHuan nao is slow and broad; ji nao is fast and tight.
- 急吟jí yín· quick vibratoJi yin is narrow; ji nao is larger in both width and force.