往来吟to-and-fro vibrato
Pinyin: wǎng lái yín
Vibrato and glidesMove back and forth between the home position and a neighboring one, vibrating on arrival at one of them.
How it is played
Taking the ninth hui as example: after the note, move up to the eighth and vibrate, return to the ninth, up to the eighth and vibrate again, back to the ninth; like two jin fu in a row, with vibrato at the upper position. Scores write 徕 to save writing shang and xia one by one.
How it sounds
The pitch shuttles between two positions, vibrating at one end, a swaying ornament of the melody.
In the classical handbooks
假如按彈九徽得聲，隨上八徽位吟，卽下九徽位得聲，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 and vibrate, down to the ninth with sound, up to the eighth and vibrate again, and down to the ninth with sound again.
Where sources disagree
Up first or down first, and at which end the vibrato falls
- Up first, then down: move to the upper position and vibrate, return to the home position, repeat once. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), first explanation given(opens in a new window) · View the original page
- Down first, then up: after the note, move down one position, return to the home position, then down to that position again and vibrate there. Source: Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies), the “alternative explanation”(opens in a new window) · View the original page
Easily confused with
- 飞吟fēi yín· flying vibratoFei yin leaps quickly up and down without stopping to vibrate at either end.