Dapu (Realizing Qin Tablature)
Turning a rhythm-less qin tablature into a coherent, playable piece
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Dapu is the qin player's work of realization: jianzipu records string, hui position and finger movement but no rhythm, so the player must decide metre, phrasing, tempo and touch, turning an old tablature into a piece that can actually be played.
It is not composition, and not literal transcription, but evidence-based re-creation: the same tablature can yield sharply different versions in the hands of different players. How far a dapu succeeds depends on reading qin phrasing, qiyun and historical style, which is why it is treated as a test of a player's whole musicianship.
Read deeper → Jianzipu (Qin Tablature)
Sources
- 打谱在古琴谱整理中的性质与方法，参《中国音乐词典》与 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "China" 相关条目；本文为原创表述
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