淌吟vibrato drifting down
Pinyin: tǎng yín
Vibrato and glidesAfter the note, a fine yin while sliding slowly downward, either to the next hui or back to the position.
How it is played
After sounding a note at a position, keep the pressure (the handbook takes the thumb as example and asks for inner strength from its high knuckle) and, while making a fine yin, drift slowly down toward the tail, for example from the ninth hui to the tenth; or drift down and then return to the position.
How it sounds
The pitch trembles as it sinks slowly, like water running down a slope, continuous and unbroken.
In the classical handbooks
如在九徽得聲，用大指高骨內勁力，細音緩緩而淌下十徽，或仍上本位，故曰淌吟。Gist: For example, having sounded at the ninth hui, use the inner strength of the thumb's high knuckle to drift slowly down to the tenth with a fine tone, or return to the position: hence tang yin.
Easily confused with
- 走吟zǒu yín· walking vibratoZou yin (in one of the hand-posture illustrations) draws upward while vibrating; tang yin drifts downward while vibrating.