Tuning the Guqin
The guqin has seven strings, numbered from the thickest (nearest you, string 1) to the thinnest (farthest, string 7). The most common tuning is zheng diao (正调, "standard tuning").
Standard tuning (zheng diao)
Below is the usual reference. Many players tune relatively rather than to concert pitch — a very common approach is to set string 5 to a comfortable pitch and tune the others by ear against it, since the intervals matter more than the absolute pitches.
| String | Pitch (1 = C) | Solfège | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | 5 (low sol) | thickest |
| 2 | D | 6 (la) | |
| 3 | F | 1 (do) | |
| 4 | G | 2 (re) | |
| 5 | A | 3 (mi) | |
| 6 | C | 5 (sol) | |
| 7 | D | 6 (la) | thinnest |
A simple beginner method
- Get string 5 to a comfortable, stable pitch (A works well; tune it to a tuner or a reference note).
- Tune the rest by matching harmonics — the guqin's harmonic points (the hui dots) make it easy to hear when two strings are in tune, because a beat or wobble disappears when they match.
- Check octaves: string 1 and string 6 are an octave apart, as are string 2 and string 7. When the octave rings clean, you're close.
Tuning by harmonics is itself good ear training — the same listening you'll use to play fan yin (harmonics) in Lesson 13.
Pitches here follow the common modern reference; historical and regional tunings vary, and the qin tradition has long favored relative tuning over fixed concert pitch.