连connected
Pinyin: lián
Terms and marksSeveral notes run on in one breath without a break; a vertical stroke beside the characters means the same.
How it is played
Asks for several notes to be played in a single breath, the line unbroken with no gaps. It may be written with the jianzi 车 for 连, or as a vertical line drawn beside the characters. The preface to Wuzhizhai Qinpu says the book uses a long vertical stroke to signal “quick and connected” and warns not to overlook the marginal marks light, heavy, slow and connected. Lian often appears with ji, but lian means unbroken while ji means fast.
In the classical handbooks
連也。數音氣連……譜字傍用直豎者亦連也。Gist: Lian: several notes connected in one breath … a vertical stroke beside the characters also means connected.
輕重緩連勿渾看。Gist: Light, heavy, slow and connected: do not read them carelessly.
Easily confused with
- 急jí· quickJi means fast; lian means no break between the notes, whether fast or slow.