Introduction: 4 Ways to Be a Guzheng Pro With No Music Experience
Think Experience in Musical Lesson is The Only Possible Way to START? BIG NO!
I have started playing Chinese Zither (Guzheng) in early 2020),and this was a big start for me.
Why? Because i never have received any music lesson before, yet i never thought I'll be playing any music big yet elegant music intrument at this age.
And, here let me tell you my story why I choose Guzheng and how i get my self a start on it!
First, I have a habbit of binge watching especially on Chinese series drama, and here i get exposed with this beautiful instrument. Its soothing melody does give me a good and relaxing feeling.Since then, I'm getting more obsessive & addicted to listen more Guzheng playlist from youtube and imagine myself as a guzheng proplayer strumming guzheng string.
Then, the stronger reason that makes me decide to get really exposed with is the COVID!. Yes the pandemic outbreak! I can't go out anymore, go out for a business trip like I used to. Therefore, i easily get more stress at home alone.I need a companion, and I enecourage my self to pursue it.
In fact, i have no music background at all, yet this special connection or what might you call a new passion does really give a big energy to give a go!
So, for those who are reading this, before you're really pursuing something you must ask your self "WHY"? Find the reason can be your biggest motivation in going forward.
Now, I can play like a pro! I meant not that professional, since there are so many things to be improved. However, some friends and acquaintance never thought i start to play this music at this age. They thought i was playing music since i was young, in order to be able to sync my both hands quite well & play some popular songs.
You may check HERE is my latest song I played. It's OST song from a Chinese series darma that I havent watched yet, but I love its melancholic melody by Ren Jia Lun.
If you have a similar experience or you want to pursue the same dream to be a pro without any musical experience, you can keep reading. The steps given are all based on my own experience.
Supplies
So you have already decided to be a Guzheng pro NOW! It's NEVER TOO LATE!
Now, it's time to get your self some basic instrumental tools:
*) Guzheng
*) Guzheng Stands (H type or A type)
*) Nail Armors
*) Bandage (not Aid bandage)
*) Tuner
*) Metronome (Can use mobile)
*) Music Stand
*) Empty Paper
*) Basic Music Sheet
Step 1: Find That Right One!
Finding the right GuZheng is Essential, yet you dont know where to start?
Don't worry, I'm glad to help you here. Everything can be well leveraged with technology and internet.
I my self starting with two things:
1) Search the Online Forum/ Community about Guzheng either in English, Chinese, and or even other languages (depends on where you live). I myself stared with Facebook Groups ("Guzheng For Beginners" or Guzheng Play", etc). You can get more reference from the Youtube and Instagram as well. You also can see some updates from Reddit, Quora, or even the Discord. Keep exploring any website or platforms that you've used already and you will find the direction, such as what brand or which type of guzheng and in what size usually people use. You can also listen and watch their play and see the sound difference, the aesthetic looks, and some of their testimony.
2) Check on the Tutor.and i started with visit some of the on site tutor who also selling their own brand of guzheng.
There you will directly hands on and see the tutor play. You can search more in the internet or thru some people's recommendation in community. I myself found it in Online website when am scrolling & I ended up sending line messages to few of them.
RESULTS?
Well, after done some period of time in research to find the best Guzheng, i myself bought it from official musical instrument store. I bought Dunhuang Duo Crane Facing The Sun 696D (21 Strings - 163 cm).
It was quite a big decision for me, since the price can be said out of my budget league. Initially, I would try with second hand & smaller size of guzheng or maybe get something cheap from Shopee and or other online stores.
However, I have managed to find a good tutor and best thing is she is very much patient and insightful. It takes around 2 months of talk in line before i confirmed to purchase myself & took her as my tutor.
Therefore my recommendation for all of newbies are find the best tutor/ expert to get some advices on which best instrument to give. Some tutors can be too salesy, cos she just want to promote her own brand. So be selective & keep exploring! Finding the right tutor is a blissful thing during the process.
Action Points:
1) Find the right tutor/ expert to talk with. You might want to see if he/ she is the right person to be your tutor and helper.
2) Find the right guzheng and you'd better have a clear reason on getting a certain type of guzheng. Get ready with some advantages & disadvantages
Step 2: Set Up Yourself for the Best
NOW Your Lovely Guzheng is HERE! And You can't wait to assemble & start your first drill!
When i received my guzheng, every directions are written in Chinese Simplified version (since its brand is from China). It's difficult for me to follow. What I've done is i asked my tutor, and she said better to wait for her first class. However, I cant wait that too long. I was full of enthusiast to check on my self through internet & give it a try.
I know setting up yourself can be so intimidating, since you dont know the right how to set up. I found myself freaking out trying to tighten some of thin strings below the guzheng. It looks so fragile, thin, and sharp and i was afarid either it's gonna hurt my fingers or I will break it (I once broke its tiniest string due to tuning process. hahah..).
I recommend you to give it a try to set up your guzheng yourself. It will bring you more on the overall idea of the instrments also more power and courage coming yourself when you've started to hands on it.
Still, you need to be attentive here, cause you dont want to break it, especially when you choose the pricey guzheng.
Here are some of important steps by steps that you can follow during the set up:
1) Set up the stands (the one used to prop the guzheng). It usually has two types, either A design (coming with 2 separated stands) or T design (I see it more like "H" one). Well, mine is "A - design type", so I start with placing the taller/wider stand on your right and placing the shorter one on your left.You will basically sit & play in the right side. Keep the distance range between these 2 stands around 90- 100 cms apart from each other.
2) Ravishly yet carefully unboxing and place the guzheng (zither) on those stands. The head part (wider end) which coming with the tools box should be placed on the right side in the higher position. Here, you can lock the stand into curved area under the head's part. The tail (slimmer area) of the instrument should be place lower on the left side.
3) Unpack the bridges (small wooden thingy that you will need to place under the strings). The amount are usually vary (starting from 18,21 or 26 pcs depends on your instrument's size type. Mine is the general size 163 cm with 21 strings, so i have 21 bridges. Bridges are important for fine tuning. Before you place these bridges, you can find and put out ruler paper (mine is in brown coloured paper labelled with numbers inside the bridges package). This can be used to help you with arranging those bridges better. Place this paper on the top of guzheng (see pictures above).
4) Line the bridges orderly (from 1 to 21 in the right order from biggest in the top & smallest for the lowest string below). You can determine each of positions based on the number given below the bridges.
5) Now It's tuning time!!! Here is the part that you've should be carefull in tightening/ stretching the string. You don want to exert too much power, cause you might break one of the tiniest string. First, you take out the tuning wrench & tuner (set to 442Hz). Start tighten each of the strings (rotate the tuner forwardly) & flick it to see if the sound showing the right tune . Always pull the string, check if it's stretched enough, and then tighten the string. Repeat this step until all of the the strings are well settled & tuned (D for Do, E for Re, F# for Mi, A for Sol, and B for La).
Fyi, guzheng is pentatonic (Don't have the sound for "4 - Fa" and "7-Si")
Step 3: Generating Your Own Chromatic Scale
Well, here is the step where I'm doing an improvisation.
"Yes, I generated my own tone ruler to help me in memorizing the music notes. You can also use the other way and give comments on what is the best approach for you to drill better."
1) Take any empty sheet of paper & you can start to make your own ruler or scale on the 5 music notes. There are basically 4 different Octaves & you can write it in order from the lowest to highest:
D1 -E1-F#1-A1-B1 (With 2 dots under)
D2-E2-F#2-A2-B2 (With 1 dot under)
D3-E3-F#3-A3-B3 (Flat)
D4-E4-F#4-A4-B4 (With 1 dot above)
D5 (With 2 dots above)
2) I always put this sheet on the right side of strings & it does help me to identify "Do"-"Re"-"Mi"-"Sol"-"La"
3) To help you better memorize, "GREEN String" refers to "Sol - 5"
Step 4: Drill and Kill It!
Yeap, It's time for Drill and it's so essential if you want to gain the skill proficiency and mastery.
This part, I'm showing you all my first time drilling moment, and you can see I was still using my own chromatic scale to figure out the right tone. (Please bear with the melody generated)
1) Every process starting with "getting used", which you can obtain through drilling. Make sure to drill only after the zither (guzeng) is properly tuned (might need to tune it regularly). This will let you to get used with the right tone of each string.
2) Before you start it, you need to apply the nail armour & the bandage correctly. As a starter, you can use for three fingers on the right side only (Thumb, fore finger, mid finger). The flat part should be placed in the inner side (attached to your finger).
3) Drilling (flick each of the string) from the top to down & vice versa will help you memorize better each of notes. For the beginning, you may drill 1-2 hours daily.
4) You can choose the most basic music sheet that you can find in the internet to help you better drill.
Hope this informnation can be help for you all. It's my 1st time writing how-to blog and I know there are some of assets (pictures/ videos) might not be perfect, and I'm looking for improvements.
I'd also like to share a good website (unrelated to th emusic), but yu can gain more insights & practice directly with the selected experts (in Digital Maarketing) area HERE.
