How to maintain guqin

First, the maintenance of strings Ancient strings are mainly divided into nylon-coated metal strings and silk strings. Guqin's nylon-clad metal strings were successfully developed by the older generation pianist Mr. Wu Jinglue and related people in the 1970s. They are widely used in today's guqin performance. They are characterized by long aftertaste, clean timbre, low price, easy maintenance, durability, long service life, and are the first choice for beginners. There is also a traditional string made of silk. Its advantages are simple and quiet timbre, but its disadvantages are expensive, difficult to maintain, easy to break strings, easy to run strings, and easy to damage fingers and nails due to large friction. Sixian is more suitable for piano friends who can control their finger mana freely after a certain level. Here is mainly about the maintenance of nylon-covered metal strings. This kind of string is made of metal and wrapped in nylon, which can withstand the friction of nails. The nylon metal string with better quality feels smooth. Be careful not to let hard objects, sharp and rough objects scratch the strings. Once the nylon skin is scratched, it may lose silk and the whole thread is wasted. If there are children or pets at home, be careful not to let them touch the strings. Children like to use the piano as a toy, and pull the strings up with their hands. Too much force is likely to break the strings. Pets have sharp claws and teeth and are likely to scratch their threads. Beginners should pay attention to the vibration direction of strings if they want to try to play by themselves before learning the correct fingering. The best direction is to make the strings vibrate at a 45-degree angle forward or backward. Don't let the strings vibrate up and down, which will make the strings shoot directly on the piano surface and make noise, and also make the strings loose and confuse the pitch. Some brands of nylon metal strings, such as the "Shangyin" string with good quality and relatively expensive price, have thicker first and second strings, and the color will turn red soon because there is copper alloy in it. It may be mixed at first, but it will become red slowly, and the thinner string will not. This is a normal phenomenon. If a beginner accidentally breaks the string, he must consult the teacher first and tell the specific situation, and don't handle it by himself. The best nylon-wrapped metal string, the current genuine market price does not exceed 200, and the single one is about 30 yuan. Changing strings seems easy, and you can't get it all day without experience. You can ask the teacher for help. If properly used and maintained, the thinnest string can last for more than two years, and the thick string is likely to last for ten years. Second, the maintenance of the paint surface The traditional piano-making process is mostly made of large paint antler cream mixed in proportion to make gray tires, dried and polished in layers, dried to a certain extent after several months to a year, and then painted on the outermost surface, which was called "polishing method" in ancient times to achieve a warm and shiny effect (different from the thief's bright chemical paint). People often say that the painted antlers are as hard as cement, and the nails can't move, yes, but we often see that the surfaces of walls and components made of cement will be weathered and worn for a short time, so don't blindly think that the surface of the traditional craft guqin is strong and does not need maintenance. Through the understanding of guqin handed down from ancient times, we can know that the jacket of guqin, especially the part below the chord, is often worn because it is often pressed back and forth or knocked off, so many guqin jackets have traces of repair, some of which have been repaired through the ages, and now the overall color of the piano has changed. Therefore, we should also pay attention to the maintenance of guqin paint surface to prevent dust, exposure, blowing, water shower, sudden cooling and heat, and scratching by hard objects, and don't rely too much on heating. There are tiny ash particles everywhere, and some invisible ash particles will hide at the bottom of the strings. When playing the piano by strings, it will be caught between the strings and the panel, resulting in friction and wear of the finish. Therefore, before playing the piano, use a soft cloth or a wet tissue made of boxed harmless cloth sold in the supermarket to cool it a little, and wipe the piano surface with a certain humidity, especially the bottom of the strings. When you practice the piano for a long time, the top paint under the chord diameter of the piano surface may wear on the paint surface with many chords, exposing the gray tire below, which is also normal. Don't worry without affecting the performance. When there are many worn places, the parts that are often played below have already affected the appearance. At this time, you can contact the pianist to repair it and redo the topcoat. A reputable piano manufacturer will give you a guarantee. In addition, when beginners practice the piano, they may wrap adhesive tape on their fingers, and the cloth surface of the adhesive tape is thicker. In order to reduce the abrasion of nails and tape on the piano surface, medical "white vaseline" (available in pharmacies) should be used to properly lubricate the piano surface and strings. Third, put the newly-made guqin that is qualified for production indoors. Its arch structure and strength can bear the tension of strings for a long time, and it will not collapse and deform if it is laid flat for decades without loosening strings. You can put it on the piano table at ordinary times. Mainly to prevent falling ash, prevent direct sunlight, do not put it too close to the radiator, and avoid sudden changes in humidity and temperature. In winter, the piano should be placed indoors with a relative humidity of 40-55%, and there must be a humidifier indoors, or the piano should be close to the basin. At least there should be a bigger basin under Longchi and Fengnvma, which should be close to the water. Natural air is humid in summer. If possible, if the nail wrapped in soft bag or wood is fixed on the wall and the distance is calculated, the stress on the guqin will be more reasonable. If you don't play the string for a long time, you should relax properly. The newly bought guqin has a stable period, so it's best not to loosen the strings. Please adjust the strings to the standard pitch and observe the changes of the piano body. Generally, after the northern guqin spends the winter under normal string tension, please ask the teacher to see if it is ok, even if it has passed the stable period. Fourth, don't use decontamination and brightening products containing solvents to clean guqin, such as "Bilizhu". Although it shines for a while, after long-term use, chemical components will penetrate into painted tires. It is best to wipe the sweat and fine dust on the piano surface with a soft and clean cloth or glasses cloth dipped in pure water every day. Don't rub hard with rough cloth, because it is easy to wear the piano surface and make the strings fall off the steel wire. Fifth, guqin is generally equipped with a piano box, and some pianos are also equipped with a hard piano box, which can be carried over a short distance. Hold the piano with the big head up and the tail down. Pay attention to protect the piano and strings from being bumped. When traveling for a long distance, you should first put the piano into a soft piano bag, and then put it into a hard piano box with a buffer layer. If you fly, some flights are allowed to be placed directly on the luggage rack on the seat, and some flights are required to be checked in the bottom cabin of the plane. The strings of the piano to be inspected should be properly relaxed, and the supporting piano box is just stuck in the box. The unsupported piano box should be filled with soft cloth. Guqin should not be exposed in the car, nor should it be put in the car for the night in autumn and winter. Guqin is the most taboo in autumn, winter and dry season. Fly directly from the humid south to the north. If necessary, you should consult your teacher and take special protective measures to prevent the piano body from being deformed and cracked due to sudden drying. However, it is generally no problem to bring the northern piano to the south. Many guqin lovers in the south often order pianos from famous northern pianists, but there is no obvious climate impact. However, pianos made in the south are prone to deformation and cracking in the north. Qin material is characterized by fear of dryness, and humid air is more suitable for the maintenance of musical instruments.