Literati listen, PLAY, make and treasure Xiao. 賞「品」鏤集 簫者之行

Let's start with basics - VOICING. 

發音是洞簫的基礎。

讓我們一起來作基礎練習吧。

《Exercice - Long Notes in Low Register 中低音長音練習》

With tube note 5 fingerings,   play middle 4 to low 5, then from low 5 to middle 4.

以筒音5指法，吹奏長音：中音4 至 低音5，再由 低音5 至 中音4。

Remember: 

1. Breathe in slowly to belly with your nose, make it full.

2. For every note, stop where good tone is no more sustainable . 

3. Adjust the playing angle to achieve full and even tone.

要點：

一、用鼻吸氣到腹部，舒緩的，氣要吸足

二、一口氣一音，吹多久是多久

三、拿揑吹奏角度，讓發音要均勻、飽滿

To be strong is not merely forceful. Think to be good rather than to be heard. Find the optimum pressure for the strongest resonance.

在演奏中，控制音量是重要的。

強音要做到「強而不燥」，要領是要四兩撥千斤，尋找最大共鳴，而不是一味用力用氣。

《Exercice - Strong Notes for the Lower Register 中低音強音練習》

Try to be strongest. From middle 4 to low 5, then from low 5 to middle 4.

以最大音量吹奏，由中音4到低音5，再由低音5到中音4。

Remember: 

1. Be plentiful in your reserve of air before you start.

2. Feel the resonance with your lips, fingers and ears.

要點：

一、氣要吸足

二、發音最強最好的時候，嘴唇、手指和聲音都能感受到

Just think of Xiao as your throat. By voicing I mean to articulate. The subject is the blend of frequencies and utilization of resonance. 

So voicing is basic to Xiao playing. And accuracy is basic to voicing. 

Basic to basics. Let’s learn how to be accurate, through playing softly. As soft as you can.

簫聲猶如人的語言，着重發音。美好的嗓音總有恰當的頻率調配和優秀的共鳴。

品簫以發音為基礎，發音以準確為基礎。

我們一起練習基礎的基礎吧！輕聲吹奏，保持準確，愈輕愈好。

《Exercice – Soft Notes for Low Register 中低音弱音練習》

Try to be softest. From middle 4 to low 5, then from low 5 to middle 4.

以最小音量吹奏，由中音4到低音5，再由低音5到中音4。

Remember: 

1.      A thin gold chain is still gold. Keep the quality, soft but not hollow. 

2.      There is just ONE accurate angle, find it and stick to it. 

要點：

一、小的金項鍊仍是金的。保持聲音的品質，弱而不虛，跟正常音量無異。

二、準確的角度只有一個，發現它，保持它。

When an air stream hits a blowing edge, three factors affect the tone, viz. shape, angle & pressure. For high notes, we need SMALL stream size, LARGE angle & HIGH pressure . 

簫是邊棱發音的樂器，氣柱衝擊在邊棱上，其發音受氣柱的形狀、角度及壓力所影響。吹奏高音時，宜氣柱小、角度大、氣壓大。

《Exercice – Long Notes for High Register 中高音長音練習》

With tube note 5 fingerings, play middle 5 to high 6, then from high 6 to middle 5.

以筒音5指法，吹奏長音：中音5至 高音6，再由 高音6 至 中音5。

Remember: 

1. Make sure that your embouchure is sturdy enough to maintain a small air stream with high pressure. 

2. Raise the air stream as you raise the note.

要點：

一、吹高音時，要保持穩健的口型，以提供大的氣壓給細小的氣柱。

二、發音愈高，氣流角度愈大。

The full power of a punch is not demonstrated with the arm fully extended. Likewise the strongest note is not emitted by just blowing hard. What we need is a pressure in between, that gives the strongest resonance.
格鬥家的重拳在全臂之內。同樣地，光猛力吹奏不見得就是最強的樂音。最強的共鳴要在中間尋找。

《Exercice – Strong Notes for the High Register 中高音強音練習》
Try to be strongest. From middle 5 to high 6, then from high 6 to middle 5.
以最大音量吹奏，由中音5到高音6，再由高音6到中音5。
Remember: 

1.            A good supply of air is needed, so have the biggest reserve before you start.
2.            Adjust the pressure until you feel the resonance with your lips, fingers and ears.
要點：
一、強音需要較大的氣流，吹奏前氣要吸足。
二、調校氣壓，使嘴唇、手指和聲音都感受到共震。

Fine Music is fine in all respects. To be fine and expressive, tone quality is of paramount importance. One has to be very accurate. And accuracy is trained.

精緻音樂就是精緻。精緻而有表現力的簫聲，音色是至關重要的。吹奏要十分準確，而準確性是要訓練的。

《Exercice – Pianississimo for High Register 中高音弱音練習》

Try to be softest. From middle 5 to high 6 then from high 6 to middle 5.

以最小音量吹奏，由中音5到高音6，再由高音6到中音5。

Remember: 

1. It sounds like ringing when you are accurate. 

2. Try not only fine, but also elegant. 

要點：

一、準確的時候，會有如鐘響一般的共鳴。

二、精緻之餘，也請嘗試優雅一點。

There are many ways to start a note. Without colouration, tonguing is quite a modest way of doing this. Keep your normal embouchure, blow as you retreat your tongue. Just as to articulate the sound “tu”.

起音的方法很多。其中，吐音不雜染色彩，是比較樸實真摯的一種。保持正常吹奏口型，像說「吐」字一樣，舌頭往內收的同時往外送氣。

《Shepherds’ Song of Tien Shan 天山牧歌》

Remember:
1.      Every note is started by tonguing.
2.      Tone Quality in staccato phrases should in no way be compromised.
要點：
一、每個音以吐音開始。
二、雖然是斷奏的樂段，發音仍要保持最高質量。

We do staccato passages with our tongue. Tonguing is a sharp attack and creates a clean start to a note, which becomes a vivid illustration of how we dance.

我們用舌尖做成斷音。這吐音的方法為樂音提供清晰的起音方式，能展現如舞蹈一般的生動情境。

《金蛇狂舞》

Remember:
1.      Prerequisite for good tonguing is good voicing. It is worthwhile to go back practise your voicing if you find yourself stuck.
2.      To be firm and steady is the key for speed. Practise with slow tempo, you gain speed when you’re on the right track.
要點：
一、好的發音造就好的吐音。破柴沒效率往往因為刀子沒磨好吧！
二、沒提速前先得穩健與均勻。先慢練，方法正確後速度自然能跟上的。

A substantial amount, if not most, of Xiao techniques are hidden. They’re inside the mouth, can be told but not be seen. Language distorts things！And to learn by mere imitating embouchures from without is even more undesirable. Learn the principles, and conjecture how you can do it from within.

很大部分簫的技巧都是隱藏在嘴巴裏的。不讓目睹，只能言說。可惜言辭總在實相之外！學習更不能單憑模仿別人嘴型的外相。要學習原理，推敲如何在嘴內完成。

《秧歌 Peasants' Dance》

Remember:
1.      Rich full tones are expected for low 5 and low 6.
2.      Do notes outside slurs staccato, tonguing.
要點：

一、低音6及低音5要吹得厚實飽滿。
二、沒連線的部分以斷音吹奏（吐音）。

You don’t have to explain anything to a baby before it learns to walk. Nonetheless athletes need theories and analyses if they aim to run really fast. The same applies to xiao playing and making. To a certain extent, one has to be analytical. But the fact is: Theories and models are by no means complete and exhaustive for a complex system like a sounding xiao. So please get to know your xiao by playing consciously and frequently. Experience constitutes Instinct.

孩童學步是不需教導的。然而，運動員要提速的話，理論與分析是有用的。同樣地，品簫與鏤簫是需要分析的。可是，洞簫其實是一個極其複雜的系統，沒有任何理論與模型能盡其詳。要懂你的洞簫，「有手無心」是簫者的大忌。簫不離手，久而久之你將擁有無與倫比的吹奏本能。

《滿工對唱 Han Workers Sing》

Remember: 

1. Distinguish between slur and staccato. 

2. Slow is Fast. Play as slow as you may have it fluent. 

要點：

一、分辨連線與斷音，正確吹奏。

二、「慢就是快」。先以慢速吹奏，流暢要緊。

While we marvel at the beauty of a rainbow, try not to forget the tremendous expressiveness of a single colour. Depth, shade, sturdiness and the flow of lines and shapes can well be expressed with just one colour.

Likewise, never underestimate the power of a single xiao tone. 

彩虹之美讓人神往，但請勿忽視單一顏色那極大的表現力。物與線的深度、明晦、穩健與流動，單一顏色已能表達得很好。

同樣地，切勿低估單一簫音的能力。

《西藏舞曲 Tibetan Dance 》

Remember: 

1. Deep breath, concentrate on every note. And practise playing long phrases. 

2. Strength and rhythmic form go hand in hand, matching each other. 

要點：

一、氣要吸足，認真吹好每個音。練習用一口氣吹奏較長的樂句。

二、吹奏的力度要隨樂曲的節奏型作出變化。

You’ll never run really fast if you don’t walk well enough.

Xiao playing is like building a tower out of sand. It is a day to day work and the tower rises bit by bit.

沒走得穩何能跑得快？

練簫是聚沙成塔的過程，日復一日，一點一滴。

 
《繡荷包 Embroidering my Little Purse》

Remember : 

1. Practise playing fast.

2. Keep your sound quality.

要點：

一、練習快速的吹奏。

二、保持音質。