The Study Of Guqin Culture On Harmony

In China,Guqin is widely described as the “national zither” or “the king of national zither”.This is deeply interrelated with many aspects such as its history,craftsmanship,structure,meaning of the name,timbre features,playing method,the tablature as well as the spirits conveyed by all the artists.The timbre of Guqin is quite meditative and thus it has been become an instrument for Chinese scholars and the literati to entrust their thoughts.For this reason,a unique complete theoretical framework has been developed,which other solo instruments have not,and it is inherited to this day.Harmony is the center subject of the traditional Chinese artistic aesthetical ideology.And harmony thus is the main guiding ideology and aesthetic principle of Guqin culture.The etymology of the character “Qin”,which means the instrument itself,and “He”,meaning harmony,reasonably comes from the physical analysis of its timbre,pitch,note length,and sound volume.It is also concerned with the early-stage music theory created by both Confucianists and Taoists.These factors together shaped the Harmony ideology of Guqin culture.Crafting Guqin is a process concerned with the balance of yin-yang.The shape and materials also coincide with the yin-yang philosophy.Ancient Chinese people regarded the pentatonic scale equally with the four seasons and five directions,and they conceived that these notes on Guqin are coexisting with the natural calendar.The various playing techniques and complicated rhythm are deeply connected with our body pulsing.To integrate our emotions into the immense universe full of mountains,forests,rivers,clouds and all the living beings,the Chinese people has been pursuing the nature-human integration long ago.The tablature of Guqin is a unique system reconstructed from the Chinese characters,and is one of a kind.Various genres are inherited among many districts in China,which is an evidence of the diversity of the Harmony ideology.The harmony ideology in Guqin culture contains the following topics:The unity and limitation of the nature-human integration,the contradiction and integration between art music and folk music.They are all reflected in the Harmony ideology of Guqin.Though the nature-human integration concept has been essential to the oneness of China and the stabilization of social order,it has contradictorily restricted freethought and thus limited the development of the Chinese musical aesthetics.As an educational toll,Guqin is the container for both the artistry as well as the philosophy behind it,but it is historically unfortunate that its artistry has fell behind its philosophy.The art music and folk music represent the contrasts,the differences,the conflicts and the integrations of cultures from different spaces and times.The Harmony ideology involves with the development of history,and is still of practical significance today.Its timbre beauty and rational playing style are beneficial to our body and spirit.Guqin can be accompanied by vocals or other instruments,which make it a perfect tool for communication and promoting harmonious interpersonal relationships.Under a current circumstance that science is respected and ecology is paid attention to,Guqin can be adopted into our world with its harmonious culture and meditative essence,bringing more guidance for human beings on how we should transform the nature and how we should protect it,which hopefully will lead to the ideal nature-human integration.