This is a list of literature for the
guqin. Qin literature should be distinguished from
qinpu which contains music tablature of some sort.
There are a number of ancient sources that discuss qin
folklore, qin theory and general qin literature. Some of these books are available inserted into certain qinpu (qin tablature collections). The basic contents of qin literature is mainly essays discussing and describing the nature of qin music, the theory behind the notes and tones, the method of correct play, the history of qin music, lists of mentions in literature, etc. The detail can be very concise to extremely detailed and thorough. Some are mostly philosophical or artistic musings, others are scientific and technical.
The biggest collection of qin literature in existence is the Ming dynasty Qinshu Daquan 【琴書大全】 (1590), with a collection of 22 volumes.
Han
Qin Cao 【琴操】 by Cai Yong 蔡邕
A list of qin pieces played at the time with their descriptions
Qin Shuo 【琴說】 by Liu Xiang 劉向
Wei Jin
Chinese
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Gong Yi's teaching manual for the qin. Includes fingering and many pieces in staff notation, some with qin tablature, some with Gong Yi's new guqin staff notation form.
Zhongguo Qinshi Yanyi 【中国琴史演义】 by Yin Wei (2001)
ISBN7-222-03206-1/I‧866
An outline of the legendary and historical stories about the qin.
Guqin Shiyong Jiaocheng 【古琴實用教程】 by Li Xiangting 李祥霆 (2004)
ISBN7-80667-439-X
A very good teaching manual for the qin. Step by step with every piece explained in detail. Recommended.
Qinxue Beiyao 【琴學備要】 by Gu Meigeng 顧梅羹 (2004)
Tangdai Chen Zhuo Lun Guqin Zhifa: Yao Bingyan Qinxue Zhu Shu zhi Yi 【唐代陳拙論古琴指法‧姚丙炎琴學著述之一】 by Yao Bingyan and Huang Shuzhi (2005)
ISBN988-98739-1-5
Newly edited printing of a Tang dynasty document on finger techniques. Highly useful. In a planned series of books printing important unpublished works called Qinxue Congkan【琴學叢刊】 ("collection of printings on qin study").
Shiqu Buzhi Suocong Qi - Cheng Gongliang Dapu Ji 【是曲不知所從起-成公亮打譜集】by Cheng Gongliang and Huang Shuzhi (2006)
ISBN988-98739-2-3
An introduction to the qin, its history and culture, with short biographies of recent and contemporary players; finely illustrated. With a CD contain eight melodies by the author.