Guqin 古琴 - Oulu Wang Ji

[emptyvide]

善哉！阁下令我汗颜，发我深思，促我长进。。。。。。叫我无地自­容。

在下习琴数载，仍难为听，难为听。

真个是，礼失求诸野。

[ImOutsideTheBox]

I noticed theres dots on the neck, are those the equivelant of fretts? a tutor told me that its a safe bet to use the pentatonic scale when emulating eastern melody (im a guitarist) as its a universal scale but I realise alot of eastern instruments have broken down their notes into quater tones (or even more) so I dont know if a slide can solve that problem

[byahnesh]

@ImOutsideTheBox

The dots mark the harmonics.

[Crpetersena]

Interesting how much it sounds like a piano in some of the tones.. Very close in nature ... Thank you for sharing this performance..

[Resodeus]

the medium of video truncates 50% of what he is actually doing. anyone with a pulse in that room would be riveted to the floor

[KangSangCheung]

I really think you are one of the best you tube qin artist outside Asia. Would love hear more textures in your sounds. The space between notes is remarkable. Personally want to be surprise with the orientation of speeds. Like it a little bit more spice;) but again, it's personal, you are great!

[Harpearpa]

.......I am a Chinese, I have to say,he is still a beginner, the quality of the qin itself is good but his skill still need to improve. The music he made is too empty.

[yoshinori31]

@Harpearpa I am a Japanese.He looks a caucasian. I also think that he is a biginner and he has to make more more great effort. But he is a good player for his sincerity. I guess he respects asian tradition very much.

私は日本人です。彼は欧米人のようですね。彼は初心者で更に努力­を重ねなければいけないと思います。しかし、彼はその真摯さにお­いてよき演奏者だと思います。アジアの文化に敬意を持っているの­だと思います。

[yoshinori31]

子曰、

「知之者不如好之者。　好之者不如楽之者。」

[lymcho]

Awsome!!!!

[2redstick]

Great job! I did wang ji (forgot you are not Chinese) in the mid of your music.

If you are good then you are good. No need to be Chinese to be a great Chinese chef...or anything els....:-)

[Jamie12345342]

awesome!!!

[batmobile13]

In your description you mention exploring "space" and architecture of sound. I think you should listen to a band called Neurosis. They have built a career heavily around this principle. I think the Guqin would fit in perfectly with these American metal pioneers who also use a type of drumming reminiscent of some traditional chinese war drums. Check them out. I recommend the song Eye of Every Storm.

[SCWguqin]

@batmobile13 Hey! I've had Neurosis recommended to me by a number of people. I'm a huge fan of Isis, who derived a lot of their sound from Neurosis - right?

[batmobile13]

@SCWguqin Isis are very much along the lines Neurosis. It's interesting to hear others have made the same connection between seemingly disparate musical styles. That song I suggested is easily found on youtube. Let me know what you think.

[lastvisiblecanary]

@SCWguqin

Not really. Aaron turner of isis knew of neurosis, but their sounds developed concurrently during most of isis's musical career. During the era of transition between mosquito control, celestial, and oceanic, Neurosis transitioned from 'through silver in blood', 'times of grace', and 'sun that never sets'. A the end of those concurrent albums, oceanic and sun that never sets, both bands entered a kind of plateau where they chose to stay within a set style for the next releases.

[TheCoolhihi]

有此声，甚于忘机，亦忘饥矣

[opidacul]

dude you have a cool sound! beautiful music

[bernard446]

da4 yin2 xi1 sheng1 da4 xiang4 wu3 xing2

means the great music consists of few notes, the great being is formless.

From Dao De Jing.

my translation, not sure if it is correct. SCWguqin might want to comment. He's quite the Sinophile! I am Chinese but listening to his music I am convinced he was Chinese in a past life!

[bernard446]

“大音希声，大象无形”出自《老子》（又名《道德经》），是老子­对“道”的阐释，应解释为“最美的声音就是听起来无声响，最美的­形象就是看不见行迹”。大音若无声，大象若无形，至美的乐音、至­美的形象已经到了和自然融为一体的境界，反倒给人以无音、无形的­感觉。　在现代，“大音希声，大象无形”则更代表一种将美融入生活的智慧­；情感热烈深沉而

不矫饰喧嚣，智慧隽永明快而不邀宠于形。拥有这种智慧的人不用刻­意地去想什么、做什么，便自然无形地把情感使用到最值得、最有意­义的地方去，从而使自己更好地享受生活！

[alaeleo]

great song.congratulation you make me extasiated ,insired and relaxed.I'm gonna buy a guqin I love the sound of yours.Please can you suggest me ??

[alaeleo]

great song.congratulation you make me extasiated ,insired and relaxed.I'm gonna buy a guqin I love the sound of yours.Please can you suggest me ??

[echoa110]

I was considering on commenting that you might have started a bit too slow, but your transition was surprisingly smooth. I would also like to compliment on how you assigned each note with an appropriate and suitable volume, making this execution as a whole not only relaxing to listen to, but beautiful as well. Outstanding.

[MichaelSmithMichael]

松间卧云起，醉在飘渺间。

[galaxysx]

I just wonder do you happen to know how to play the song "butterfly lovers"???

[SnowLeopard84]

i cant get enough of your way of playing this. I would also like to know where i could get a copy of it in any form AAC, MP3, FLAC etc?

[SCWguqin]

@SnowLeopard84 This is the only recording really - nothing like an mp3 exists separately.

[SnowLeopard84]

@SCWguqin None the less i appreciate this piece to the fullest. It really does speak to my soul. Maybe I could record this, try take out all of the background noise and cut the ending then convert it to MP3 for my personal use only if that is cool with u?

[nobeznazwyno]

could anyone please tell me where I can get the MP3 of this composition? Thanks.

[marcellabear]

BRAVO!!!

[nobeznazwyno]

this tune is simply amazing, and it:s well played. I found guqin best companion and mood creator for when I study calligraphy.

Does anyone know the performers name, and where can i get MP3 (buy) with guqin music in similar meditating tone.

thanks in advance

[Purple1cloud]

動人心弦

[funkmasteryellow]

wow ur one of the top guqin searches on youtube. congrats.

[SinyanLu]

BRAVO!

[nobeznazwyno]

I have been listening to this whole day, this music is like a spell

[nobeznazwyno]

outstanding

I have a question, is there any way of purchasing MP3 with guqin music?

[digi3444]

ming choi nam chi bin

[kunghsu1]

Your guqin looks and sounds very good, who makes your giqin?

[iamluiwai]

兄弟你的古琴很中國，比龔一什麼叫春風的歌兒強多了，厲害。真的­禮失求諸野啊。原諒我野這字，我沒有貶義。

[SCWguqin]

Wow, thank you! And no worries - I definitely consider myself a 野人.

[woshidadao]

@iamluiwai 曲目表达的意涵不同，你不能说春风很差，它是现代曲，表现的是新­疆民族风，而这首曲子是古曲，深远亢长，独树一韵

[lookitup3]

国外人很多自学几手就故弄虚玄，听来听去反而鬼佬比他们强。

[EadNomad]

you played well. its like traveling inside a chinese painting. so sorry that so few ppl play this instrument...

[abcd19790123]

很不錯 相當好聽 .GOOD~

[swarmnet]

deeply meditative... you played very well! i'm totally immersed in the music....

[Gongchime]

Sweet

[nosyzal]

so deep. i'm educated in degree standard but i'm too far away from understanding the music. every note is so wide and deep..

[fuckthejanitor]

hey im thinking about buying one of those from this dude hes asking for 500$ for it is that a good deal and could you maybe like give me some advice? on it? like how i would know if its good quality and a good deal and stuff, thanks

[wearefruitcakes]

well, my very high quality guzheng taht i got in China is around 300 or 400 USD I think, but it depends on the quality of it. If it's amazing quality, $500 could be a good deal, but you should read up on how to tell if it's good or not

[chaguanmontreal]

This is such a great piece. I was so travelling with the notes that you play, I overbrewed my tea... Hope to hear this LIVE!

[dbadagna]

I love the way certain notes die away, yet the left hand keeps executing various intricate slides. The essence of guqin. It seems to have this aesthetic in common with Zen and shakuhachi playing.

[thaistyle85]

very cute!!

[runpumpdalian]

Impressive! I am struggling with the gu3zheng1, but seeing you "make love" to that gu3qin2 makes me want to abandon my instrument and learn gu3qin2.

Fantastic!

可惜国外没有古琴老师啊！

[jts1702a]

No teachers out of China? You gotta be kidding me.

Search on Facebook first. There's got to be one within 1000 miles. XD

[wearefruitcakes]

OMG I KNOW!! I've been playing Guzheng for like 4 years now, but last year i went to china to learn more since there are no teachers in my area, and i learned in a store, and they had a guqing there

[vavictus]

You fuckin' rock, bro.

[MaxRidgway]

Very nice indeed.

[SeniorVato]

this was wonderful awesome work

[avivagabriel]

I discovered Wang Fei's version of Oulu Wang Ji first. Now...yours! I feel compelled to go back and forth between them for awhile... I wish I knew of other renditions; it's fun doing this "comparative listening." I'm intrigued by the interpretive possibilities, and I'm curious to hear differences in technical approach to the guqin, as well as variations in sound from one instrument to another. Hmmmm. I think "obsession" is just around the corner...

[avivagabriel]

I'm especially attracted to:

(1) The clarity of your tones; it's as if your attention is entirely focused on every milisecond's pulse, pitch, and waver; and

(2) your tasteful slowing down of this piece; it's awesome to hear Oulu Wang Ji played with all the empty (full) space.

[avivagabriel]

I'm especially attracted to two things about your music, Stephen.

First, a caveat: I've been listening to guqin for less than an hour, and the process only began last night, quite by accident

Okay. Back to your performance. I'm especially attracted to:

[Kaoskadosk]

You certainly have what most people lack, feeling :) An amazing song, great job.

[globaltrance86]

Out of all the Guqin songs I've heard on YouTube, this is one of the best. It's one of the most deep as well. So much feeling! Good job!

[MarcusLiewChungKwai]

Beautiful, I love it.

[daddystovepipe]

Impressive!

[blowbamboo]

Bravo~

[paulamiel]

Stunned.

[kiss18sx]

omg....so good...

[Rottenburgh77]

Hello! and Bravo! from japan.

[auburnpeninsulare]

You are just superb! The music is simply haunting! But the noise in the background...not too good...

[maoqiutong]

止于至善！！

Never heard a foreigner playing guqin so excellent!!

[LiJingJi]

醉在飘渺间

[tz712]

I bet you must have had your previous lives in east. So proud of you!

[tz712]

would you have some recitals in NYC someday???

[wera170]

Simply beautiful!! Do you have performance CDs available? I would love to here more of your work.

Peace

[bryantuten]

This is seriously one of the greatest pieces of music I've ever heard, it was so deep and majestic, very soothing

[SCWguqin]

Ah yes, finally I have a foothold in the BJJ community!

[bryantuten]

haha yep,so where did you learn to play the guqin, as internet searches have been fruitless, and also how long have you been playing?

[owowow17]

well done,dude.gloomy and wide.

[DiZhaolong]

Mr Wan Duo plays this piece as well, looks like it is quite popular among Wu Zhaoji's students.

Good skill btw, congratulations!

[timwarneka]

Seagulls and intentions ... beautifully played! Wonderful music to write by ... many thanks!

[pixy1054]

琴道贵在＂传天地之正气，写精神之至诚＂

此君大善！

[FSBspetsnaz]

君之言与吾心有戚戚焉.....

[K1Bear]

that guy playes amazing. very touching

[LiJingJi]

我从来没想到一个外国人能弹古琴 而且还这么精湛 赞一个

I never think about that a white guy can paly Chinese traditional musical instrument so well. Cool man

U R marvelous

[yayaju]

amazing!

[telewin]

nice job

[ikbeninbalans01]

awesome, thank you

[chongbaiWJL]

回jts1702a ：此帅哥的琴风"明显地"受吴景略的影响？俺不太清楚英文中大写­是为了突出还是唱反调，但是如果要领略吴帅风格，网上有吴景略古­琴艺术好下载，2CD，绝对棒。

另外，楼主弹得很好，支持一下。

[mabiao0315]

How do u do this!! Powerful I wish I can play as good as you

[dan020350]

claps

[blackcrows39]

Very strong and powerfull.

Wish that mine guqin sounded like that.

[Isaac3986]

AWESOME!!! I aspire to your level of skill. One day I will learn how to play. ;)

[jts1702a]

LOL at the guqin/guzheng misnomer.

But yeah...I see that you are CLEARLY influenced by Wu Jinglve's style, and I terribly need someone to help me record some video performances...

[Kagura785]

I'm truly glad that you like asian culture with something as sophisticated as the Guzheng invented by our ancient ancestors, who drew inspiration from nature and fuse that into a melodious music that is appreciated for generations and shaped our entire culture for milleniums to come. (^__^)

[SCWguqin]

You're right...if only I'd done it on a guzheng...

[guqinyin]

Many people play this piece.

[MaxErnst]

what a beautiful instrument

[CharlieHuang]

I'm curious. Is that a Zeng Chengwei qin?

[SCWguqin]

Nope, it's a qin so crappy as to be anonymous.

Electronics > instrument quality

[CharlieHuang]

I thought so...

[SCWguqin]

What, you thought it was either a high-end ZCW or a low-end anonymous?? ;)

[CharlieHuang]

Ha! If only my qin sounded like that!

[gooksuck]

you are so cool

[chris21ruiz]

your music brings peace to my heart

[theowind]

Only Li Xiangting plays this piece? I really don't think so. This is also one of my favorite guqin pieces, and I heard Pei Jinbao of Suzhou play this when I visited him. But, your rendition of this piece and performance are truly marvelous.

[SCWguqin]

Well, I said "most prominent" masters, and I've never heard of Pei Jinbao! Thanks a lot for your comment in any case ;)

[theowind]

Pei Jinbao is the president of the Suzhou guqin society, and was Wu Zhaoji's student. Pei is also a master guqin maker.

[cacalacapoo]

Pei Jinbao is very well respected among qin musicians!