About the Guqin
The guqin, a seven-stringed zither, is China's oldest stringed instrument with a documented history of about 3,000 years. It became part of a tradition cultivated by Chinese scholars and literati since the time of Confucius.
The guqin came to be viewed as one of the "Four Evils" and was the only musical instrument to be banned during the Cultural Revolution. As a result, the practice of playing the guqin and the instrument itself became endangered.
Today few people can play the guqin and it is rarely seen even in China. In 2003, UNESCO declared the art of the guqin a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. More recently, the guqin featured in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony and the movie Red Cliff.
We teach the appreciation of Chinese culture through guqin music. Classes will be held soon on a Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm in Union City, CA. Our fee is at $60.
Class summary
Confucius said: “To educate somebody, you should start with poetry, emphasize rituals, and finish with music”. The guqin is not merely a musical skill, it embodies the whole gamut of Chinese culture and tradition. So, the guqin was a very important subject in his education system.
Wang Fei studied guqin under Professor Li Xiangting, one of the great qin master of this century, since 1985. She has inherited the traditions, styles, concepts and masterpieces of her “grand teachers” Zha Fuxi, Wu Jinglue and Guan Pinghu, the three greatest qin masters of the last century, and transmits them through her own guqin teaching, performance and promotion in the Western world.
Wang Fei is one of the few qin teachers who offer guqin lessons in traditional form, covering both qin playing and qin study. She frequently uses the guqin as a vehicle to promote Chinese culture in mainstream universities.
The topics Wang Fei will cover include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Guqin in Chinese art
The Guqin in Chinese poetry
The Guqin in Chinese philosophy
The Guqin as a musical instrument
Qin history, tradition, theory, handbooks and repertory
Introduction to qin masterpieces
How to evaluate the guqin music you hear, how to observe a player's posture and hand gestures, and how to recognize different styles
Dapu (reconstruction of early pieces from the original scores) and improvisation
Tips for playing and performance
Appreciation of qins from different makers: form, construction, sound quality, etc.
Fitting strings, tuning, how to select a qin, and qin maintenance
These classes are open to all who are interested and who would like to know more about the guqin and Chinese culture. Classes will be interactive consisting of lectures, audio-visual sessions, demonstrations and discussions.
For details of any of these classes and to enroll, please send me a message through Thumbtack.
North American Guqin Association
Location
Union City, CA 94587
