往来to and fro
Pinyin: wǎng lái
Left hand, slidingAlso written: 徕
After the stopped note sounds, the left finger moves back and forth several times between the home position and a neighboring one.
How it is played
After the pluck, the finger keeps pressing and moves between the home position and the neighboring one (usually above), typically two or three round trips, settling the pitch at each stop. Old scores write it 徕 to save writing shang and xia repeatedly; some add vibrato at the upper position, which makes it wang lai yin.
How it sounds
Two pitches alternate, the ring rising and falling distinctly; wider than vibrato and with clear positions.
In the classical handbooks
假如按彈九徽得聲，隨上八徽位吟，即下九徽位得聲，又上八徽位吟，再下九徽位得聲是也。Gist: For example, having stopped and plucked at the ninth hui, move up to the eighth with vibrato, down to the ninth with sound, up again to the eighth with vibrato, and down again to the ninth with sound.
譜註徠者，免繁寫上下之故耳。Gist: The score writes 徕 simply to avoid writing shang and xia at length.
Where sources disagree
How many round trips, and whether vibrato is added
- Taking the ninth hui as example: up to the eighth with vibrato, back to the ninth, up to the eighth with vibrato again, back to the ninth. Another account has it go down one position first, return, and go down again for vibrato. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), vol. 1, left-hand pressing symbols(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- Slide up one position (chuo) and down again (zhu) repeatedly, anywhere from one to four or five times, three being most common. Source: Yihe Qin Society, “Jianzipu: a short guide to technique symbols” (the common modern reading)(opens in a new window)
- To and fro three times, from above downward. Source: 《阳春堂琴谱》（据Guoqinwang, Guqin Da Cidian (Great Dictionary of the Guqin)所录原文）(opens in a new window)
- After the note, slide up half a hui and return; do this twice. Source: 《燕闲四适》（据Guoqinwang, Guqin Da Cidian (Great Dictionary of the Guqin)所录原文）(opens in a new window)
Easily confused with
- 往来吟wǎng lái yín· to-and-fro vibratoWang lai yin stresses vibrato at the upper position; wang lai only writes the back-and-forth, and vibrato depends on the score.
- 进复jìn fù· up and backJin fu goes up and back once; wang lai goes back and forth several times.
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
- 颐和琴社《减字谱·指法符号简释》(opens in a new window)Qin community
- 国琴网《古琴大辞典·指法》「往来」条(opens in a new window)Qin community