There are two basic methods of playing the guzheng, which are the lifting method and the adding method (the pressing method). The difference between the two lies in the direction of movement, sound quality and sound effects.

The finger-lifting direction of the finger-lifting method is from diagonally downward to diagonally upward, or it can also be generalized to lift and play towards the palm of the hand. The clipping method is to move the fingers diagonally from the top to the bottom, and use the joint as the fulcrum to exert force to press the play obliquely downward, which is also called the pressing method. In terms of sound effects, the lifting is more crisp and the sound quality is clean and round, while the clipping method is thicker and fuller. Lifting is a method of playing with the wrist, and does not require support; clipping requires the support or support of the ring finger or the little finger to play.

Both the lifting method and the clipping method have their pros and cons. The method of lifting is an important method of playing fast, and the method of clipping is the basic method of playing in beginners, and it is also an important method of playing traditional zheng music, which is conducive to maintaining and relaxing the hand shape. Lifting can guarantee a considerable speed, but the action of touching the strings quickly can easily cause sound insulation, noise (the sound of fingernails rubbing against the strings), etc., and the clip is stable and stable, but in fast playing, especially in large spans, long distances, etc. It is inconvenient to play distance notes.

So, what does sticking mean? Sticking the strings refers to the stringing, which is a preparation before playing. Whether the finger is played with the strings attached or not, the guzheng playing method has derived a variety of methods of touching the strings, such as lifting the strings with the strings, lifting the strings off the strings, etc.

Sticking to the strings and lifting refers to the process of touching the strings with fingers, first sticking to the strings, and then playing hard. Attaching the strings is a preparation before the strumming, waiting to be released. Lifting off the strings means not sticking the strings before playing, but sticking the strings while playing. The two steps are the same step, and there is no precedence.

The method of sticking the strings and picking up the strings is an important method of fast fingering in modern zheng music. It can ensure the coherence and connection between the fingers and make the music tones connect smoothly. The advantage is that the fingers are prepared in advance, reducing the error of touching the string, the speed is also fast, and the sound is light and convenient. Of course, there are also disadvantages, which are embodied in the fact that when playing difficult fast music and passages, the preparation of fast string attachment is easy to cause sound blocking, and even there is a lot of noise. Sticking to the strings and lifting can ensure the explosiveness of the finger force, so that the sound is quick and convenient.

So, how to do the string picking? Or what should be paid attention to in order to stick to the strings and play?

Relax and tuck your hands. Whether the playing hand is in place or meets the requirements is the key to affecting the speed and accuracy of playing. When it comes to this issue, we have to mention and emphasize the problems in the teaching of guzheng for children. In general guzheng teaching materials and education, the teaching is often followed in the order of octave symmetry such as hook, support, and large pinch. This octave symmetry teaching causes children's hands to open octave too early. , which results in the premature opening of the hand shape, which violates the objective law of palm growth from small. With the increase of age and the steady practice acquired, the hand shape has already adapted to the octave symmetry, or the hand shape can no longer be retracted to the original natural state, which has caused huge damage to the fast fingering in the future.

Another more common hand shape is a loose hand shape. This hand shape is not condensed towards the palm of the hand with the heel joint as the base point, but radiates outward from the joints of the finger bases and is "eccentric". The overly scattered hand shape provides an obstacle to fast playing. The overly scattered hand shape causes the fingers to be in a playing position at the beginning, or in a tense state, without forming a certain centripetal force with the palm as the core. The fingers are eccentric and cannot be retracted, and the string can only be touched by jumping up and down the forearm. Therefore, the explosiveness of the momentary force from the rest position with the joint as the fulcrum will be eliminated. saved. Also, the time for the sloppy fingerwheels to come down and touch the strings has been extended, and fast strumming has been extended. In the fast fingering sequence, all the joints of the fingers are involved in the playing or preparation. The root joint is the source and control part of the force, and the middle and small joints are the key parts of the force. Whether the root joints are reasonably retracted toward the palm of the hand is the key to fast playing. The shape of the hand for fast playing should take the big finger as the center, and the other four fingers should use the root joint as the root to surround the big finger. The palm of the hand is like pinching an egg.

The wrong choice of kinematic joints can have a huge impact on fast playing. For example, in the fast fingering technique, every joint of the finger is working. Among them, the movement of the middle joint is the most typical and obvious. The root joint plays an important transition, fulcrum or driving role, while the middle joint directly controls the strength of explosive force. If the explosive force is transferred to the root joint, then the speed of playing will be another state, not as flexible as the middle joint. Just like our kicks. If you put the power point on the knee joint, close the calf, and pop the calf instantly, it will have a strong explosive force. And if the base of the thigh is used as the force point, the force that comes out will be a bit clumsy, unless it is assisted by the bouncing action of the whole body. The same is true for playing the piano.

In addition, the intervention of excess power is also an important reason for the unsmooth and fast playing. The excess force here refers to the force caused and generated by tension in a certain part of the arm. For example, a large jump up and down the forearm. When playing the strings, the movements of the fingers and the palms should be adjusted according to the different sound zones and string positions, and should be shifted in parallel with the arc-shaped string surface. That is to say, the arm should prepare forward or backward preparatory movements during the movement, and send the fingers to the chord position to be played at the right time. This parallel displacement gives the connection of the melody and the unity of the timbre. , Fluency provides convenience. In other words, the strength of the arm should go in the direction of playing, it should be the force in the front and rear direction, and cannot be changed into the force in the up and down direction, otherwise, the force that originally provided convenience for the performance will become resistance, or delay the force. time of action.

The inability of the fingers to play strings independently is also one of the important reasons for not being able to play fast. We can divide the force from the arm into five equal parts and spread them over the five fingers. But we can't always fix these forces on a certain finger, because some fingers are involved in playing, and some are always in a resting position. Like four o'clock practice. The fingers involved in playing are the big, food, and middle fingers, so we should release or transform the strength on the ring finger and the little finger, instead of holding it tightly, otherwise it will cause tension in the two fingers, and then Affects the playing of other fingers. When some people play, the ring finger or the little finger keeps running with the middle finger, which actually makes the ring finger and the little finger bear part of the force, but they do not participate in the playing, and the dispersion of the force causes the lack of strength of the string fingers , and gradually developed the habit of playing with the ring finger, instead of being able to play the strings independently. In fast playing, we should all pay attention to which fingers are involved in the playing, and pay attention to which finger should start and which finger should rest at what time. It is necessary to exercise the ability of each finger to play the string independently, instead of making one finger a vassal of another. The strumming technique is different. The middle, name and little finger should become a complete and separate system, so that the strength and energy emitted can be shocking.

In fact, there are two types of sticky strings. From the simultaneity of sticking and strumming, it can be divided into simultaneous sticking and picking and non-simultaneous sticking and picking. The former refers to the fact that while the finger is playing the string, the other finger is attached to the string of the next note. That is to say, the playing of the previous string and the sticking of the next string are the same steps. Asynchronously sticking and picking up the string means that after the previous finger is playing the string, another finger falls on the string that is played, and the sticking and playing of the latter string are the same step. Among them, the non-synchronized string picking is generally used when the span between two notes is large, the distance is long, and there is a reverse fingering order. Playing here requires the coordination and assistance of fulcrums such as shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and a parallel displacement momentum or preparatory action must be brewed in the movement, ready to go. And you can't wait until it's time to play a certain long-distance note, and just realize that you need to "bounce", which will inevitably cause an obvious big jump and a state of impatience.