Message-ID: <alpine.NEB.2.00.1307260011170.25581@panix3.panix.com>
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>
To: Cyb <cybermind@listserv.wvu.edu>, Wryting-L <WRYTING-L@listserv.wvu.edu>
Subject: Qinqin
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 00:12:22 -0400 (EDT)
Qinqin http://lounge.espdisk.com/archives/1177 (best) http://espdisk.com/alansondheim/qinqin.mp3 the Chinese qinqin uses a heptatonic - seven-note - scale, with equidistant pitch intervals (the traditional Western scale uses a twelve-note scale with the same). because of this, its relationship to either the Western or Chinese pentatonic scales is problematic; on the other hand, it relates strongly to Cambodian and other musics. I'd wanted to play a qinqin for a long time, in order to explore what seemed from an aural distance as an unknown terrain - the result is the above, which I find quite lovely. it takes a while to get into the differences - and a while for me to create a smooth flow between them - but it happens. my instrument, by the way, has three strings tuned in fifths.