使driven knock after vibrato
Pinyin: shǐ
Left hand, slidingWith no right-hand pluck, the left finger knocks forcefully as the vibrato ends and returns to the home position, all in one breath with the vibrato.
How it is played
Typically: pluck the note at the stopping position, move up one position with vibrato, and as the vibrato ends knock forcefully upward and return at once to the original position, the right hand silent throughout. Because the finger is forcefully driven, it is called shi (“drive”). The essential thing is no break between it and the preceding vibrato.
How it sounds
At the tail of the vibrato a sudden jolt and return to the home note, with more weight than the light dou or zhuang.
In the classical handbooks
右手有彈，左手用逗曰逗；右手不彈，左手用逗曰使。Gist: When the right hand plucks and the left plays dou, it is dou; when the right hand does not pluck and the left plays dou, it is shi.
要在與吟猱中無間斷，使之連合為佳。Gist: The essence is that there be no break with the vibrato; joined together is best.
Where sources disagree
Whether shi is simply xu zhuang
- It is named shi because the finger is driven with force; those who take it for xu zhuang are mistaken. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1, left-hand pressing symbols(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- Shi is a quick xu zhuang coming down, forcefully driving the finger with a vigorous air. Source: 《诚一堂琴谱》（据Guoqinwang, Guqin Da Cidian (Great Dictionary of the Guqin)所录原文）(opens in a new window)
- Dou by the left hand with no right-hand pluck is shi; shi should be heavy, dou light. Source: Chengjiantang Qinpu（据Guoqinwang, Guqin Da Cidian (Great Dictionary of the Guqin)所录原文）(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 逗dòu· grace flick on the attackDou coincides with the right hand's pluck; in shi the right hand is silent and the left hand supplies the force.
- 虚撞xū zhuàng· knock away from homeXu zhuang moves elsewhere and knocks; shi stresses a forceful knock after vibrato with a return to the home position. Qinxue Rumen treats them as different.
References
- 《琴学入门》国家图书馆藏刻本第 2 册（Wikimedia Commons 扫描）(opens in a new window)Primary source
- 国琴网《古琴大辞典·指法》「使」条(opens in a new window)Qin community