What are the techniques of guzheng playing?

In the era of rapid development of guzheng playing techniques, as a teacher specializing in guzheng, how to help students master these techniques as quickly and solidly as possible in teaching is an important issue before us. Through years of professional learning and teaching experience, I myself have summarized some methods of training fast techniques.

One, the process of practicing fast skills, must master a key to relax, only to make the shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist muscles, fully relaxed, in order to focus all the power to the fingertips. If any part of the tension, the power in the process of sending to the fingertips, will be weakened, while restraining the flexibility of the fingers. It is like a clear spring coming down from above and suddenly being cut off halfway. Therefore, we should relax ourselves and not stiffen the muscles so that the fingers can be actively mobilized. If not, the arm as the fulcrum to drive the wrist, and thus drive the fingers, so that the arm, wrist, fingers are all in a state of tension, which not only affects the playing speed, but also affects the tone and clarity. The so-called playing the piano, the fingers should be used to play, to the root of the finger as the fulcrum, the smaller the movement of the finger, the faster the speed; the larger the movement, the slower the speed.

Two, when practicing fast techniques, you can't rush. In the initial basic training, should consciously slow down the speed, increase the strength. For example: sixteenth notes played into eighth notes, quarter notes played into two, until the finger muscles gradually adapt to this process and then gradually increase the speed and density. In addition, we can also do to change the rhythm of the exercise, such as: the average distribution of the notes in the middle of the addition of dots, or the average of the two notes in the middle of the notes, change the original rhythm, so that the fingers to adapt to a variety of complex rhythms of frequent changes. The next is the finger muscle energy of several training.

1. Fast four-point exercise: you can train the finger position is relatively fixed, playing to avoid collision. Especially the big finger to pay special attention, must be placed on the outside of the index finger, each in its own way.

2. Stick to the strings exercise: the fingers can not be staked, can not leave the strings at the same time, the training of the fingers of the active alternating walking ability, for the future of the fingers of the rolling exercise to lay a good foundation. This exercise emphasizes two points: one is the strength; the second is the speed, can not just play.

3. Finger rolling exercises: must be played on the basis of good string practice before this training, otherwise the strength and speed of the finger and the ability to control can not meet the new requirements. Through this training method, the fingers must be proactive, the first finger strumming, the second finger should be ready to fall, while playing at the same time fall, finger strumming can not be interrupted. Especially on the fourth finger and the second finger to focus on training, because these two fingers of the muscle energy is relatively weak, pay attention to the first slow and then fast, gradually accelerated, to maintain the strength, and the strength should be uniform, play the tone to be uniform. After these systematic training in order to allow the fingers to play its initiative, so that the muscles get progressive exercise, in the performance of rapid techniques in order to fast but not chaotic, and ultimately to achieve or even exceed the original speed.

Three, the practice of fast skills to be different, according to each person's different physiological conditions, to make the appropriate training program, can not be blindly a grasp. Some people, finger muscle energy is poor should be through the development of the four fingers, the use of symmetry, 'qualitative principle, so that each playing finger to its root joints as a fulcrum, to get rid of wrist constraints. Initially, from a slow start, the ability of each finger to practice the average, and gradually master the laws of symmetry and inertia (playing the wrist joint as the fulcrum, do a back and forth swing, this proportionate transfer of the center of gravity, back and forth movement of the playing style, called "symmetry". J inertia is to maintain a tendency to play multiple tones and fingers), and then switch between symmetry and inertia, so that the hand can adjust the center of gravity and change the direction of movement at any time. In the transition between different playing styles, whether it is symmetry to inertia, or inertia to symmetry, or inertia to another form of inertia, the transition should be made through symmetry. Because symmetry is the traditional playing techniques, the prevalence and use, only to symmetry as the basis for a variety of transitions, in order to play in the fast, fast but not chaotic, so as to obtain the maximum relaxation and flexibility, so that also gives full play to the flexibility of the fingers, to achieve the best results.

Those who have strong finger muscle energy should adopt the method of comprehensive practice in the training process. When playing traditional zheng music, the use of fast four-point technique (that is, through the middle finger, big finger, index finger hook, support, wipe the rapid alternation, to play), in modern repertoire, such as "fight the tiger on the mountain", "the sun is red on the Jungang Mountain", can be used in the prescribed finger sequence technique, but also according to their own conditions, self-defined suitable for the individual playing fingering. For example, Luo Jing of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music did not follow the original fingerings in the repertoire when she played "Red Sun on Jinggang Mountain". In the first section, most of them only use the symmetrical technique of fast alternation between the index finger and the big finger to play, and the same effect of clarity and coherence is also obtained. As long as the same purpose can be achieved, as for the use of which fingering, depending on personal conditions, flexible grasp. The flexibility of the fingers can be utilized to achieve the best results. Finger muscle energy stronger people, in the training process, should take a comprehensive approach to practice.

When playing traditional zheng music, use the fast four-point technique (that is, through the middle finger, the big finger, the index finger hook, support, wipe the rapid alternation, to play), in the modern repertoire, such as "Fighting the Tiger on the Mountain", "the sun is red on the Jungang Mountain", can be used in the prescribed finger sequence of the technique, but also in accordance with their own conditions, the self-defined suitable for the individual playing the fingering method. For example, Luo Jing of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music did not follow the original fingerings in the repertoire when she played "Red Sun on Jinggang Mountain". In the first section, most of them only use the symmetrical technique of fast alternation between the index finger and the big finger to play, and the same effect of clarity and coherence is also obtained. As long as the same purpose can be achieved, as for the use of which fingering, depending on personal conditions, flexible grasp.

These are some of the lessons I have learned from years of professional teaching. The process of practicing is hard, as long as we seriously explore, summarize the lessons learned, and grasp the good methods suitable for their own, we will be able to practice fast skills, so that their own early from the "Kingdom of necessity" into the "freedom of the next country".