Standards of the Guqin

This book contains essential knowledge for beginners of guqin, namely the Chinese notation system in written music (jianzipu). It also contains very high level music theory information, which might go over the heads of less knowledgeable musicians (myself included). Though I have played multiple instruments, this is the most music theory I have read, so it presents a new challenge, just like the instrument itself.However, this book shows a great opportunity to grow as a musician with guqin. Repertoire songs have a short section after that aids in increasing the lessons you will learn from each piece.It is very unfortunate that my copy has blank musical staffs for Shang Motif (p174), Celestial Air (p176), and Hidden Virtues (p178). Despite that, I still believe this book is fundamental (and more!) to a guqin learner who is not fluent in Mandarin.

The author claims that it’s written at the high school level, but even then, all the complex and abstract musical theory and mathematics makes it a rather dense read. At best, I think that most of the reading is suited at the college level. I just wish that the author could have included detailed and easy to understand info on how to play it. It goes from score symbols, to complex and dense reading, and then straight to the music scores; also, I wish that the author could have written the accompanying musical scores in jianpu rather than western musical theory. At best, it is better suited for college level reading and academia; and I highly regret saying that because I personally stay away from tedious academic writing. I also wonder why the author chose to use numbers to mark tones in Mandarin (e.x. mo3, gou1, ti1), instead of pinyin?Anyway, it is a good introduction to the guqin that is written in English; this is perhaps the only English written manual for the guqin as it is extremely rare to find anything else in English. Use it as a supplement for your lessons and as a review. I highly suggest that you find a teacher and use this manual to supplement your learning.

This book describes the guqin so well and in such detail, that although I have not received the instrument in the mail yet I already feel like I I know everything I need to know to start playing the instrument. It has very well illustrated instructions, detailed explanations, and goes very in-depth about everything it needs to. The book even includes various practice pieces in the back, which is not something I was expecting! Absolutely fantastic, I can't wait to start using it when I get the instrument in! :-)

This has the best finding chart I have found and good info. I'm really glad that the book that came with my guqin has simple learning bars though, since this one skips to more advanced music. I will use the charts and explanations in this book to help notate my book that is in Chinese. The pair of books should get me a good base knowledge.

Got my new guqin and started looking for resources. Got a nice book in Chinese from the shop, got lots of explanations for the notation online and from the Abiding in Antiquity translation.This book brings it all together in one place, in English. Seems to be the only source for learning guqin in English, so five stars for that.

The only book of it's kind in English. Now in it's third edition, "Standards of the Guchin" provides the quintessential introduction to China's most mysterious, celestial music and it's history. Everything is here with references to on line instructional videos and full length performances by the author. Aesthetics, notation, tuning systems, technique and lessons with many pieces serve as a complete beginning curriculum for private and group instruction. This comprehensive volume addresses a world of specific knowledge never before available to English readers and fosters a love and appreciation of the Guchin and it's music,from the most ancient times up until today.

Thank you for this book on standards in Guqin. I am new to the qin and found this very illuminating. Thank You!

Wow... I was looking for a book to start Learning about the Guqin before I purchased the instrument itself. If you are new THIS is the book for you, you might even want to buy 2.