Hello there!

I recently started taking Gu Zheng lessons during summer for fun, and it turned out to be quite interesting!
Currently, I am even considering of getting one to practice at home!

I am really new to this instrument and has zero musical background.
I am 21 years old and this is my first instrument I am learning! *shy*

I was wondering if are there anybody else playing Gu Zheng in this forum?
Would mind sharing your experience or give the newbies some tips?

For instance, I planning to get one for myself, but the instrument is quite pricey, any tips?

For those who do not know, this is Gu Zheng..




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guzheng

ok.... some how today is ur lucky day...

Few quest... and answer to ur quest.

1. where r u now ? Malaysia or aboard... if in Malaysia; location pls... as tis will help me to give u precise info.
2. if zero back ground in music.. never mind as the music score can be different from the normal musical notes...
3. I dun play a guzheng (i am a Sax player ) but my 2 daughters do.... i have 3 guzhengs @ home... 1 is a 21 nylon strings, 1 is a 23 steel strings and the other is a 21 nylon strings (note A) due to its size... we bought it just like tat ... until today i dun no why ! .. but handy when travelling....
4. u need to buy a guzheng for practice..... i dun think tat there is any shop renting one @ the moment......
5. there are 2 major school / clan / syllabus i should say in Malaysia ... the Dong huang and the Beijing orchestra ... one is easy and the other one is intersiting...............
the Dong Huang will be using the steel strings while the Beijing use the nylon strings and turtle shell nails....
6. my gals started about .. well i can say 5yrs ago.... both in the steel strings .... after both of the passed their Grade 3 test... one of the option to drop out to concentrate in her Dip. Music in piano while not neglecting her SPM.(O level). (guzheng is the second/ third instrument to them).
My younger daughter quit Dong Huang syllabus and joined the Beijing syllabus as she finds it more challenging.. so from Grade 1 again after 2 yrs in the previous one......within 3yrs she made to Grade 7 now... passed her Grade 5 exam early last yr....... so its not that bad as far as i notice.
7. price wise of quzheng varies....... depends ur budget and generousity..... i say from RM few hundreds to thousands..... from a normal plywood to a soild zither wood.

i hope tis will give u a starting point ......

This post has been edited by subangman: Jan 8 2010, 10:48 AM

subangman...from the way you wrote...I thought you were a Guzeng specialist! hehehe....

hyumi...guzeng is a wonderful instrument if played with feelings. Many palyers i saw play without any expression. I have a smaller guzeng at home that I bring for my shows with my Shanghai Angels Fusion Bands.

i am a music lover............ when i was young due to famili financial situation and enviroment ... i was deprevied from venturing into music.

but after i started my famili.... all my kids been encourage to learn up music if they like... so when ever they want to learn something new.. like guzheng... it took me awhile to do some research personally from buying instruments/classes/exam. etc... they are young and my HM & I have to do our role lor...

at times i prefer to invest into instruments for them rather than changing cars every now and then..

btw : u should upgrade the small guzheng to a normal full size one... prefer 21 nylon strings... rong 木 more mellow or zither loud and crips.

.......... nice hand cravings.... it's worth it... i got mine less than RM7,000 for the rong 木 and RM5000 for the Zither ... overall worth it.



This post has been edited by subangman: Jan 8 2010, 12:57 PM

hey subangman!
i'm in Malaysia, living and taking classes in PJ =)
I'm learning 21 strings, but i am not sure what the material is ><
and yes, i really need a Gu Zheng to practice, because each week I go to class I kept trying to recall last week's lesson with no practice at all!
but fortunately, the place that I learning allows us to rent a room for practice at a minimal price..
I have never heard of Dong Huang or Beijing Orchestra.. do they do performances?
Wow, sounds like your family are really into music!
i was thinking of getting a nice Gu Zheng that is sufficient for me to practice until Grade 8.. yet I do not want to invest heavily on it because my tuition fees in uni is already taxing for my parents.. so my budget would be around RM2k the most?
any ideas of which wood and string to choose?
There's a place in Ikano Power Centre called Euphony selling about RM2k - RM4k... they even have second hands at RM1980, haha not sure if thats a good buy!

hahaa.. yes it is a wonderful music.. it has very special type of sound compare to other instrument..
it's like modern yet traditional in a way.. i dunno if i am describing it properly haha..
not sure about feelings, but my instructor keeps telling me i am playing it the wrong way,
she says i use 'niu li' (cow strength), according to her, I need to learn how to play softly yet powerful.. ><


it's good to encourage your children into music!
i wish my parents did that when i was young!
haha, otherwise i won't be starting at the age of 21!
the ability to learn and absorb not as good now lol..

i can play a gu zheng but nv learn it XD

just saja saja play my friends gu zheng or my tuition teacher's gu zheng.

first identify the minor pentatonic scale of the guzheng, and they put in a chinese pentatonic song, next play the bass note with the root of the chords!

i know its the wrong way to play but man playing guzheng so fun and relaxing ^^~!

[quote=hyumi,Jan 10 2010, 03:24 PM]
hey subangman!
i'm in Malaysia, living and taking classes in PJ =)
{ then there are only 4 places i am very aware of :-
1. SS2 behind Poh Kong .. tat's Dung Huang (my 1st Guzheng from there)
2. SS2 behind Tropicana Mall .. KeeJean.... Alan owes the place Beijing Syallbus... my 2nd guzheng from there and my 3rd one from Shanghai trip wit my HM }
3. near Catholic school (Beijing syallbus) .... every fri... my daughter 2nd jamming place... preparing for show @klcc CNY... 3-4pcs instruments.
4. Euphony (Beijing syallbus)........ every sun.... jam ... 10-20 pax

I'm learning 21 strings, but i am not sure what the material is >< {its of nylon coated steel strings }
and yes, i really need a Gu Zheng to practice, because each week I go to class I kept trying to recall last week's lesson with no practice at all!
but fortunately, the place that I learning allows us to rent a room for practice at a minimal price.. { very likely u r in Alan place.. RM5 to 8 per hr but u cannot take home...... }

I have never heard of Dong Huang or Beijing Orchestra.. do they do performances? {as i said they are the syallbus just like ABRSM or Trinity syllabus.... ask ur sifu... exam wat syallbus}

Wow, sounds like your family are really into music! { yes... u can say tat... comman interst amongst all the famili members}

i was thinking of getting a nice Gu Zheng that is sufficient for me to practice until Grade 8.. yet I do not want to invest heavily on it because my tuition fees in uni is already taxing for my parents.. so my budget would be around RM2k the most?
{got but if brand new... just of plywood.... just like a Kapok brand guitar.... cheap,serve the purposes and tat's it }

any ideas of which wood and string to choose? { i perfer 21 nylon.... rong wood or zither wood}

There's a place in Ikano Power Centre called Euphony selling about RM2k - RM4k... they even have second hands at RM1980, haha not sure if thats a good buy! {i am there now... my 2nd daughter jamming there every weekend ... full orchestra .. there 2 guzhengs, 1 yang cheng, i think 5-7 erhus, 5-8 flutist, 2 pipas,..... {amateurs group}...4pm to 6ps.... i send her here .. then i lepak @ gloria jean/coffee bean till 6pm....
I check it later ... and let u know.... good buy or NOT....

hahaa.. yes it is a wonderful music.. it has very special type of sound compare to other instrument..
it's like modern yet traditional in a way.. i dunno if i am describing it properly haha..
not sure about feelings, but my instructor keeps telling me i am playing it the wrong way,
she says i use 'niu li' (cow strength), according to her, I need to learn how to play softly yet powerful.. >< {yes... u need the "feel"}

it's good to encourage your children into music!
i wish my parents did that when i was young! { well as i said ... i was deprived when i was young... now i can do and let my kids to take up wat ever they want...... in fact my 2nd daughter been aimming for a 61 strings harp for a long time.... i need to travel to Pakistan to get her a value for $ one.... but it's very diffucult to find a sifu in KL except MPO.... so she might need to learn it up herself if i get her one ....}

haha, otherwise i won't be starting at the age of 21! { dun b sad... i started of with a cheap skate yamaha plastic flute when i was 13yrs .. i like to blow the trumpet .. the band majaor said NO as i was a bit small size kid @ tat time.... so i blew that cheaplat thing for 3yrs... until recently i got my alto black laquer SAX... }
the ability to learn andbsorb not as good lol................ { dun worry.... take it easy... UNI course work 1ST.... plenty of time for guzheng ... trust unkel }..............

i haven't been back to see my sifu nearly ... 3-4mths alridi... too busy making $$$$$.....LOL.... cina ah pek mah..

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Added on January 10, 2010, 5:15 pm[quote=empire,Jan 8 2010, 10:54 AM]
subangman...from the way you wrote...I thought you were a Guzeng specialist! hehehe....

hyumi...guzeng is a wonderful instrument if played with feelings. Many palyers i saw play without any expression. I have a smaller guzeng at home that I bring for my shows with my Shanghai Angels Fusion Bands.

[/quote]


well i am an old cina ah pek... tipu & cali makan ... can onli give 2sen worth opinions... lol.

but it can b helpful to those who need it ... and happened guzheng is one of major instrument @ home...

This post has been edited by subangman: Jan 10 2010, 05:15 PM

is learning guzheng expensive...if i cant read chinese can i still play it. please recommend me a plade to learn.thanks

nope... just like other instruments..... starting from RM120/0.5hr to hr/4 weeks to blah blah blah.. depends on grade, contact hours and tutor (sifu chai as i call them).

place to learn.... read above postin....

dun need to know "man-the-lin" ... u need to know music beats, tempo, scores and MOSTLY interest.... else half way u go leeway ..and end to no way ! .. monies spent to a piece of WOOD !

This post has been edited by subangman: Jan 10 2010, 09:08 PM

learning guzheng?
nope, fees are normal.

buying guzheng? another story.

cant read chinese? no problem.
cant read notation? no problem.
cause its gu zheng use the notation in numbers.

eg
.
1 2 3 4 5 1

means

do re mi fa so do(higher do)

Hyumi : I just got back from Euponhy... seen the guzheng that u mentioned.... RM1850.00... i think overall ok lor... but i dun like its carving.... very dull & simple..... but the most important part is its top piece of wood(sound board) is NOT varnished.... so can mature ... dun like sound board which highly varnished...
it's a D scale guzheng... not the F scale one.. so if i were u... limited budget .. start wit it... then after grad... earn some money..... go china holiday.... play play ... see see.... if found one nice... bring it back..... but before buying ... PLEASE go to SS2 Keejean... look see, look see, go to Dung Huang; shop around....go Sunway Mentari (same row with Magnum 4-D) and see also (tis place is where u b attendin the Beijing Orchestra syallbus exam),.............. dun make hasty decisions...unless Santa is paying

Btw: u need to buy 2 guzheng stand, mayb a round chinese stool, a BIG "coffin" box to keep ur precious wood.... normally they give only a plastic cheap skate carry bag..... oh yeah.... the guzheng cover..... if u got ur guzheng alridi... PM me i teach u how to make a nice cheap pretty guzheng cover...... with "龙 soo"... less than RM30

This post has been edited by subangman: Jan 10 2010, 11:33 PM

You can buy a cheap keyboard Stand to place the Guzeng,. That's what I do. You can position the height in a greater dimension than a normal Guzeng stand.

or u can squat and play

but bad for u spine n back of course

then u need to buy a bar stool ... better still "borrow' from a friendly pub .....and get a extra height music stand ...

My small Guzeng is wonderful when we travel outstation for shows as it does not take up much space in the car boot.

woooohhh ... u do road show

empire very lucky, got pretty performers XD

The place I am learning from is different from what Subangman mentioned I think, I am learning in Taman Megah from a young chinese lady.
She charges RM 100 / month + RM 80 for materials which last up until grade 8 =)
would you want her contact?

wow, i am really lucky to have you guiding me in this! =D
hmm, what do mean by can mature the sound board?
okay, i will have a look around first, where's SS2 Keejean??
maybe more location details because I am quite lost with PJ actually haha..
thanks alot!


then there are only 4 places i am very aware of :-
1. SS2 behind Poh Kong .. tat's Dung Huang (my 1st Guzheng from there)
2. SS2 behind Tropicana Mall .. KeeJean.... Alan owes the place Beijing Syallbus... my 2nd guzheng from there and my 3rd one from Shanghai trip wit my HM }

is it this one: http://www.keejan.com/ ?
can't seem to find anything on Dong Huang tou ><

my teacher said her institute (Resonant Music Academy) will be getting some Gu Zhengs straight from China.. she suggested for me to wait coz it will cheaper compare to market price =)

and I tot the Gu Zheng stands comes with it? as well as the box? ><

ooo... you do shows eh?
thats nice! any upcoming events that we can watch? =D

This post has been edited by hyumi: Jan 12 2010, 03:17 AM

hi folks. You can see my Shanghai Angels Band here:

www.empireshowbiz.com.my

You can see my cute small GuZeng there.

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Added on January 12, 2010, 10:53 amhyumi...yes...can you pm me your guzeng teacher's no and name?

This post has been edited by empire: Jan 12 2010, 10:53 AM

hyumi- can u please pm me her contact number too..thanks