Resources
Chaozhou School

    Chaozhou Guzheng is originated in the Chaozhou area of Canton Province.  It’s
    considered as the leader of the southern style guzheng music.  Chaozhou Guzheng
    Music also has great influence on the Vietnamese Dan Tranh music.  


    Chaozhou Guzheng music is played on steel-stringed guzheng.  Generally, 16-stringed
    guzheng is used, but 18-stringed or 21-strigned instruments are seen.  The
    characteristic of a steel-stringed guzheng is that it has long sustention after plucking.  
    Therefore, detailed vibration is applied to one pluck to express the subtleness of the
    music.  This is known as “One sound many tone”.   The left hand vibrating technique is
    considered more important than the right hand plucking.  Left thumb is often used along
    with the other 3 fingers to push two or three strings at the same time.


    Traditionally, Chaozhou Guzheng Music uses 2-4 notation.  It’s a unique music notation
    system that Chaozhou people adopted from western notation.  Although the 2-4
    notation is no longer used, many Chaozhou music terms came from this 2-4 notation.  


    The scale of 2-4 notation is two three four five six seven eight, which equals to 5 6 1 2 3
    5 6（so la do re mi so la ）in the numeric notation currently used.  6(la) and 7(si) share
    “three”; 3(mi) and 4(fa) share “six”.  Therefore, tune such as “heavy six” means push all
    3(mi) on the notation into 4(fa).         


Types of Chaozhou Tunes











    Often the same song can be played in different tune for the desired effects.

    The masters of Chaozhou Guzheng Music are Lin Maogen, Guo Ying, and Chen
    Leishi.  Famous music pieces include “A Young Lady Named Liu Qing”, “Pink Lotus”,
    “Winter Duck Playing the Water”, and “Sand Wash”.
Tune
 Playing Method
 Characteristics
Light Six
 No Push on 3(mi)
 For Lively Music
Heavy Six
 Push  3(mi) to 4(fa)
 For Passionate Music
Lively Five
 Heavy vibration on 2(re)
 For Sad Touching Music
Light Three Heavy Six
 No Push on 6(la), and push on
3(mi)
 For Loving Music
Sound of China Guzheng Music Promotion Center