《仙翁操》(pinyin: Xiān Wēng Cāo) is often one of the first pieces a starting guqin player learns. It is sometimes referred to as a “finger-opening” piece to help warm up when first sitting down to play. (It can also be useful for identifying if your instrument is out of tune.)
Background
Xian Weng (Transcendent Venerable One) was one of the nicknames for Chen Tuan (陳摶), a famous Chinese Daoist from the Song dynasty (died c.a. 989). The piece is named after its repeating lyric: “仙翁仙翁，陈抟得道仙翁.” (“Xiān wēng xiān wēng, chén tuán dé dào xiān wēng.” Translation: “Xian Weng, Xian Weng. Chen Tuan obtained the Dao, Xian Weng.”)
The content of the song originated from the folk culture of the Ming Dynasty, and the tune was composed around the tenth year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign in the Qing Dynasty. As is often the case, there are many variations, and it is sometimes also known as “Tiao Xian Ru Nong”.
(For an in-depth discussion of the piece, see Melody of the Transcendent Venerable One on silkqin.com.)
Technique
Because Xian Weng Cao uses only basic fingering techniques and has a simple, repetitive structure, it may seem like an easy song to play. However, playing it well and bringing out the musicality of the song can be challenging even for advanced musicians.
For the right hand, nearly the entire song is just a collection of plucking with the index finger and middle finger in an alternating pattern. The only variation to this is in the last two notes of the song, in which the thumb is also used, both on its own and in conjunction with the middle finger. Even the pattern of which strings are plucked during the first half of the song is repeated consistently as it “walks” from the highest pitched strings (closest) to the lowest (furthest from the musician).
Similarly, the left hand primarily alternates among three techniques: open strings, pressing with the ring finger, and pressing with the thumb. The middle finger makes an appearance once near the halfway point and again near the end. Likewise, the pointer finger is used to play the first harmonic note in the closing salutation. However, the thumb and ring finger are the main performers in this piece.
In addition to standard pressed notes, a few more advanced techniques are also introduced. For instance, the practice of sliding up or down in pitch to the note being played is very widely used in qin music, as well as playing a pressed note and then, while continuing to press, sliding up or down to another note. In addition, an instance of jìn-fù is used, in which a pressed note is played, and while the string continues to sing, the finger is advanced and subsequently returns to the original position, creating three distinct notes from one pluck of the string. This is immediately followed by tāo-qǐ, in which the ring finger and thumb work together to pluck the same string at a lower pitch – the first example of the left hand plucking a string. At the end of the piece, we also see a set of harmonics (fàn-qǐ), which are played with a feather touch on the strings, as is tradition for most qin music.
As a beginner, practicing this song develops the most commonly used fingering techniques needed for most qin music. When one can play it smoothly and musically with good, clear sound and proper pitch of each note, one will have a solid foundation on which to build their repertoire.
Right Hand Techniques (*symbols)
挑 (tiāo) – index finger plucking outward
勾 (gōu) – middle finger pulling inward
托 (tuō) – thumb pulling inward toward the palm
撮 (cuō) – middle finger and thumb pulling two strings simultaneously toward the palm
Left Hand Techniques (*symbols)
名 (míng) – pressing with the ring finger
大 (dà) – pressing with the thumb
中 (zhōng) – pressing with the middle finger
食 (shí) – pressing with the pointer or “eating” finger
吟 (yín) – vibrato of a pressed note, created by sliding slightly up and down in a lively manner, centered on the position of the note
綽 (chuò) – sliding up in pitch to the note
注 (zhù) – sliding down in pitch to the note
上 (shàng) – after playing a pressed note, slide up to a higher pitch position and hold a second distinct note (without plucking)
進復 (jìn-fù) – after playing a pressed note, slide up one note and then return to the original pressed note position
搯起 (tāo-qǐ) – while thumb is pressing from a prior note, ring finger presses at the indicated position and thumb lifts, dragging across the string to make a new note
泛起 (fàn-qǐ) – feather touch harmonics
Additional Videos
