gi qin
Occidental listeners have great difficulty in perceiving the delicate shades of ch'in [qin] playing and in appreciating its spirituality. But the average Oriental cannot appreciate it either. The ch'in does not court popularity, nor does it suit dilettantism. It is the instrument of philosophers and sages. In the privacy of a closed room, alone or before a few selected friends who listen respectfully and silently, the immaterial notes of the ch'in reveal to the listeners the ultimate truths of life and religion.
-Curt Sachs, The History of Musical Instruments
古琴心声
耳根随道
花香吹过
鼻观皆禅！
...
释法通
sounds of the mind from a Guqin
hear flowing with the way
floral scents blowing by
smells, contemplates, that all is zen
_ Shi Fatong
吉琴 Gi qin
It is an experimental project in the search for composition and expression in the meditative field.
The concept born of rapprochement between one of the most beloved and globally extended instruments, the "classical guitar", daughter of lute and vihuela Arab-European origin and "Guqin" Chinese lute or harp dating from an archaic activity, since they are recorded data of its existence more than three thousand years documenting a story that suggests almost five thousand years during the flourishing cultural evolution under the tutelage of the famous Yellow Emperor ago.
His deep sound and meditative character is different and away from the vast popular music. Wide variation in subtle details in their performances combine sounds from delicate pianissimo to strong shocks always in an intimate atmosphere and a spirituality connected to nature. Well tuned to behave consistently with essential roots that it was created.
In Chinese "Guitar" (吉他 Jita) name derived from the original etymology, the Greek Khitara, Zhitara or Cítara.Este is the literal meaning of the second ideogram "Guqin".
Gu 古: ancient, Qin 琴: zither.
In turn if we escaped the phonetic origin of the word 吉他 Jita, we find that the first ideogram means Jí 吉: cheerful, lucky.
We then used the classical phonetic origin of the word and evoke a new semantic exegesis.
吉 Gi: happy, lucky, Qin 琴: zither.
吉琴 (Jí) Gi qin -Lucky Qin
古琴 Gu qin -Ancient Qin
吉他 Jítā - Guitar
metamorphosis
The work consists of stringing a traditional classical guitar with six lower strings. Two sixth, two fifths and two quarters. Now we seek tuning that more suited to the desired sonority, both in terms of string tension and tonalities derived as timbre, from the darkest to brightest.
This is an instrument that operating in a traditional context will sound rich in harmonics and open strings so the modal scale and chosen for tuning, seal his character.
The different and subtle elements used in the execution of a piece for this instrument requires a new technics conception that combines from the state of meditative concentration and listening to different practices like open srtings slide-neck, harmonics, slaps, glissandos and other experimental practices .
Using scores of type "gongche" traditional notation of sounds, not by position (Tabs), try printing in implementing the spirit of the ideograms as a sign of conceptual interpretant.
_Inversely to the guitar strings are numbered from the lowest to the highest as the first to sixth.
_In all cases the seventh string will not be considered.
(Guqin)Chart for mode keys and tunnings:
(Guqin)A few irregular variations which are used in some traditional works: