The temperament used in the guqin is the pentatonic and twelve temperament. The five tones, namely "Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, Yu", are similar to 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 in the current musical notation. That is, the palace is equal to 1 (Do), the quotient is equal to 2 (Re), the angle is equal to 3 (Mi), the sign is equal to 5 (Sol), and the feather is equal to 6 (La).

The earliest name of "Gongshangjiao Zhengyu" was found in the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,600 years ago. In "Guanzi·Diyuan", the five sounds of "Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng and Yu" were obtained by mathematical operation. This is the famous "three-point profit and loss method" in the history of Chinese music.

Then, where did the five names of "Gongshangjiao Zhengyu" come from? There are various theories. Some researchers say that it comes from ancient astronomy, that is, it comes from the names of twenty-eight constellations. For example, "Gong" comes from the center of the twenty-eight constellations - the middle palace, and the other four sounds come from different constellations. The name, this is "Astronomy".

Some researchers say that it comes from livestock and poultry domesticated by the ancients, and that the ancient pronunciation of the five characters "cattle, horse, pheasant, pig, and sheep" is similar to "gong, shang, horn, sign, and feather". "Animal talk".

Some researchers say that they originate from the totems of ancient clans. This is the "totem theory". In the ancient musical work "Le Ji", the saying is: the palace is the king, the merchant is the minister, the horn is the people, and the levy is the ruler. Things, feathers are things.

It is said that Gongyin represents the monarch, and Shangyin represents the people... This is "the saying of the ruler and the minister". Whether it is "astronomical theory", "animal theory", "totem theory" or "monarch and minister theory", all of them have certain truths, and they all add a layer of mystery, simplicity, or feudalism to music. The color of the ethic of socialism expresses the different musical concepts of the Chinese ancestors.

Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, and Yu are 5 tones, which refers to these 5. They are 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 in the musical notation. In ancient China, it was the pentatonic temperament. Later, in a certain dynasty, 8 temperaments, 1234567 <treble>1, came from Babylon in ancient times, which enriched our country's music, and later it was 12. temperament.

1. [Palace] One of the five tones

Usually equivalent to the do sound in the roll call of this key. The sound of "Gong" is the lord of the five sounds, the king of the five sounds, and the commander of all the sounds. "Guoyu·Zhou Yuxia" says: "The husband's palace is the master of sound, and the first is the feather." "Book of Rites, Music Book" says: "The palace is the king, the business is the minister, and the corner is the people..."

Song Zhangyan's "Etymology: Five Tones" also said: "The palace belongs to the earth, and the king's image... The palace is in the middle, in the center, smooth in the four directions, singing and giving birth, and it is the outline of the four tones." The "lord" and the "lord" of the tune (form) are referred to as the so-called "high tune" today.

"Sui Shu·Music Zhi" says: "Every palace should have five tunes", "Niu Hongsui, due to the old translation of Zheng, asked him to follow the ancient 'five tones and five rhythms' as the palace: 'Ya Le' has one tune in every palace. , but 'Yingqi' plays five tunes, which is called 'five tones'; 'manle' uses seven tunes..." This so-called "gong" is connected with "jun".

There are tune (type) names composed of palace sound as the main sound and knot sound. Tang Duan Anjie "Yuefu Zalu·Bie Leshi Pentatonic Wheel Twenty-Eight Tunes" says: "The first seven tunes of the palace are used for the Zhenggong tune, ... the sixth is for the Xianlu Palace, and the seventh is for the Huangzhong Palace."

Zhang Yan's "Etymology" also said: "Twelve laws and Lu each have five tones, and they are played as palaces for tunes... Huang Zhonggong (all): Huang Zhonggong (mode), Huang Zhongshang (mode), Huang Zhongjiao (mode), Huang Zhongbian (Variation Zheng mode), Huang Zhongzheng (mode), Huang Zhongyu (mode), Huang Zhongrun (Run Palace mode)."

2. [Shang] One of the five tones

Usually equivalent to the re sound in the roll call of this tune. The sound of "Shang" is the second level of the pentatonic, ranking next to "Gong". The ancients believed that "Shang, belongs to metal, and is the image of ministers", and "officials are reconciled with them".

There are tone (type) names composed of the main tone of the business tone and the tone of the knot. For example, in "Yuefu Miscellaneous Records · Bie Leshi Pentatonic Wheel Twenty-Eight Tunes" in Duan Anjie's "Seven Tunes of Entering Sounds".

3. 【Angular】One of the five tones

Usually equivalent to the mi sound in the roll call of this tune. "Jiao" is the third level of the five syllables, ranking second to "Shang". The ancients believed that "the horn belongs to the wood, the elephant of the people".

There are key (type) names composed of horn tone as the main tone and knot tone. For example, the "seven tunes of the upper voice angle" in "Yuefu Miscellaneous Records · Bie Leshi Pentatonic Wheel Twenty-Eight Tunes" by Duan Anjie of Tang Dynasty. In ancient tunes (forms), there are horn tunes with horn sound as the tune, or horn tune with the horn as the horn.

4. [Sign] One of the five tones

Usually equivalent to the sol sound in the roll call of this tune. "Zheng" is the fourth level of the pentatonic, ranking next to "Jiao". The ancients believed that "signs belong to fire, and things signify". There are tone (type) names composed of the main tone of the sign and the tone of the knot.

5. [Feather] One of the five tones

Usually equivalent to the la sound in the roll call of this key. "Yu" is the fifth level of the five-tone, ranking next to "sign". The ancients believed that "feathers belong to water, and the image of things".

There are tune (type) names with Yuyin as the main tone and knot tone. For example, the "Pingshengyu seven tunes" in the "Yuefu Miscellaneous Records · Bie Leshi Pentatonic Wheel Twenty-Eight Tunes Map" by Duan Anjie of the Tang Dynasty.

6. [Variation Sign] One of the "two changes" in the ancient scale

The musical sound between the horn sound and the sign sound. "Historical Records Jingke Biography" says: "Gao Jianli attacked the building, Jing Ke and song, for the sound of the change, all the soldiers were weeping and weeping."

In the Twelve Laws, it usually refers to the sound of the same tone below the Zheng sound (equivalent to #fa). Together with Su Kui, he said, "Today...'Qingle' Huangzhong Palace (both) uses Xiaolu (Zhonglu) as a sign of change".

There are tone (type) names composed of the main tone and the knot tone. "Sui Shu Music Records" records that Su Kui said: "Every palace (all) should have five tunes (forms), and if you don't hear it, you will change the palace and change the second tune (form) into seven tunes (form)."

Zheng translated it: "Zhou has the rhythm of seven tones... If we don't use 'two changes' as the tune, it will be the tone of winter and summer, and the four seasons will not be ready. Therefore, every palace (all) must have seven tunes (forms) )." Everyone followed suit. In Song Zhangyan's "Etymology: Eighty-Four Tunes", there are seven tunes (forms) under the twelve palaces (both), and the "modes" of "variable signs" are listed.

7. [Change Palace] One of the "two changes" in the ancient scale

The music between Yuyin and Gongyin. Song people called it "Run Palace". In the Twelve Laws, there is a sound that is lower than the palace sound (equivalent to si), such as "Later Han Dynasty Lizhi" says: "The yellow bell is the palace... The bell is the palace of change".

There are also uniform sounds (equivalent to bsi) on the sound of the feathers. For example, in "Book of Jin, Lu Lizhi", it says that "the tone of Qingjiao (scale) takes Guxi as the palace, and Taicu is the palace of change." There are tune (type) names with the main tone of the palace as the ending tone.

Where did the five names of "Gongshangjiao Zhengyu" come from? There are various theories. Some researchers say that it comes from ancient astronomy, that is, it comes from the names of twenty-eight constellations. For example, "Gong" comes from the center of the twenty-eight constellations - the middle palace, and the other four sounds come from different constellations. The name, this is "Astronomy".

Some researchers say that it comes from livestock and poultry domesticated by the ancients, and that the ancient pronunciation of the five characters "cattle, horse, pheasant, pig, and sheep" is similar to "gong, shang, horn, sign, and feather". "Animal talk". Some researchers say that they originate from the totems of ancient clans, which is "totem theory".

In the ancient music work "Le Ji", the saying is: the palace is the king, the business is the minister, the horn is the people, the levy is the thing, and the feather is the thing. It is said that Gongyin represents the monarch, and Shangyin represents the people... This is "the saying of the ruler and the minister".

Whether it is "astronomical theory", "animal theory", "totem theory" or "monarch and minister theory", all of them have certain truths, and they all add a layer of mystery, simplicity, or feudalism to music. The color of the ethic of socialism expresses the different musical concepts of the Chinese ancestors.