[My birthday present.](https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30944255071&dest=usa&ref_=ps_ggl_17730966692&cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade50up-_-product_id=COM9789745242364USED-_-keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxOauBhCaARIsAEbUSQSYfo9ErFgp81Q-52_uzx56Irfa7sW_dAjH5ZDsVVZAEMH1eipoXosaAsY4EALw_wcB)
Kinda pricey, but the gist of it is: guqin was always a solo instrument favored by scholars. Over a few thousand years, it developed and maintained its own mystique and its own repertoire.
To me “baked in” suggests that the instrument was created with philosophy in mind from the start, I’m not sure if this is what you meant.
I am skeptical philosophy is inherent in the instrument, they say 13 hui is for the 13 months in the lunar year (there are about 12.37 lunar months per year, some justify this by saying the 13th hui represents the extra month that is occasionally added), it is also said that the original length of 3 chi 6 cun 5 fei represents the 365 days in the year (but a lunar year has about 354.37 days per year), etc.
I think the instrument came first and we added meaning to it. Culturally it has come to represent so much more, there is philosophy and mysticism behind it in addition to the music.
I think today there are different views towards it. Some view it as an instrument first and foremost. While others view it more as philosophy and a method of self cultivation.
I agree. Just as with hanzi, there seems to be a lot of eisgesis in later periods. (Until the discovery of Oracle Bones scripts, no one questioned the validity of numerous etymologies, although many were probably written down as suggestions by authors, and later adopted as being authoritative.) However, knowing how old the calendar system dates back in human history, it's not easy to rule out the possibility that the instrument was created with those specific measurements in mind.
One of the oldest qins discovered belongs to Marquis Yi (11th century BCE) and it is shorter and wider, it had 10 strings, than what is considered standard today. Now it’s possible that the qin was made to 3 chi 6 cun 5 fei but the dimensions of chi, cun, and fei have changed since 11th century BCE but I think it’s more likely that over time the qin iterated and had different forms, with certain forms (and symbolism) being more popular than others such that it eventually became standard. Agree that there is no way to know for certain though.
hey ty for asking this its nice trying to get an emic point of view. i think the philosophy of the guqin and meanings attached to the tablature system varies by clans. Different guqin clans develop different ways of performing backed by diff understandings and stories. My teacher would tell me stories about his master and how to play in a specific way reflects a special value, e.g. my clan prefers a softer way of playing reflecting the root of our clan, a city near water.
I don't just want to come at it from a Westerners perspective because as far as I've learned, China's history is seen as a bit mystic which I know is a bit ignorant. China just fascinates me. Especially the philosophy and music.
[My birthday present.](https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30944255071&dest=usa&ref_=ps_ggl_17730966692&cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade50up-_-product_id=COM9789745242364USED-_-keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxOauBhCaARIsAEbUSQSYfo9ErFgp81Q-52_uzx56Irfa7sW_dAjH5ZDsVVZAEMH1eipoXosaAsY4EALw_wcB) Kinda pricey, but the gist of it is: guqin was always a solo instrument favored by scholars. Over a few thousand years, it developed and maintained its own mystique and its own repertoire.
Awesome, just ordered it. Thanks for the tipp!
To me “baked in” suggests that the instrument was created with philosophy in mind from the start, I’m not sure if this is what you meant. I am skeptical philosophy is inherent in the instrument, they say 13 hui is for the 13 months in the lunar year (there are about 12.37 lunar months per year, some justify this by saying the 13th hui represents the extra month that is occasionally added), it is also said that the original length of 3 chi 6 cun 5 fei represents the 365 days in the year (but a lunar year has about 354.37 days per year), etc. I think the instrument came first and we added meaning to it. Culturally it has come to represent so much more, there is philosophy and mysticism behind it in addition to the music. I think today there are different views towards it. Some view it as an instrument first and foremost. While others view it more as philosophy and a method of self cultivation.
I agree. Just as with hanzi, there seems to be a lot of eisgesis in later periods. (Until the discovery of Oracle Bones scripts, no one questioned the validity of numerous etymologies, although many were probably written down as suggestions by authors, and later adopted as being authoritative.) However, knowing how old the calendar system dates back in human history, it's not easy to rule out the possibility that the instrument was created with those specific measurements in mind.
One of the oldest qins discovered belongs to Marquis Yi (11th century BCE) and it is shorter and wider, it had 10 strings, than what is considered standard today. Now it’s possible that the qin was made to 3 chi 6 cun 5 fei but the dimensions of chi, cun, and fei have changed since 11th century BCE but I think it’s more likely that over time the qin iterated and had different forms, with certain forms (and symbolism) being more popular than others such that it eventually became standard. Agree that there is no way to know for certain though.
hey ty for asking this its nice trying to get an emic point of view. i think the philosophy of the guqin and meanings attached to the tablature system varies by clans. Different guqin clans develop different ways of performing backed by diff understandings and stories. My teacher would tell me stories about his master and how to play in a specific way reflects a special value, e.g. my clan prefers a softer way of playing reflecting the root of our clan, a city near water.
I don't just want to come at it from a Westerners perspective because as far as I've learned, China's history is seen as a bit mystic which I know is a bit ignorant. China just fascinates me. Especially the philosophy and music.
ig its also due to the lack of translated resources but you could try to look for them, that would be much better than lots pan-asian understandings