轻light
Pinyin: qīng
Terms and marksPlay lightly: a light, clear touch, small in volume but not hollow.
How it is played
Asks for a light touch here. Light is not empty: Xu Shangying says the light places are the hardest, for without skill they turn hollow and dim; lightness must be sought within clarity and substance. Qing scores note light, heavy, slow and connected beside the characters, and their prefaces warn readers not to overlook these marginal marks.
In the classical handbooks
輕也。輕彈也。Gist: Qing: play lightly.
第音之輕處最難。工夫未到。則浮而不實。晦而不明。Gist: The light places of a sound are the hardest. Without skill they float and lack substance, dim and unclear.
輕重緩連勿渾看。Gist: Light, heavy, slow and connected: do not read them carelessly.
Easily confused with
- 重zhòng· heavyZhong is a forceful touch with a full tone, the opposite of qing.