Laying Guqin (7 string zither) on a Table with Sandbags / meletakan Gugin di meja menggunakan kantung pasir

Laying a Ch’in on a Table with Sandbags

In laying a ch’in horizontally on a table, the head goes at the right and the tail goes at the left.  The fu-chang (鳧掌)[1] and tuning pegs should fall through to the bottom side of the table. The yen-tzu (雁足)[2] should be straight on the top of the table. This configuration is the case with specially made ch’in tables.  In order to make tuning easier, if you put a ch’in on a long narrow side table, then leave three or four finger widths on the right hand side.  Don’t put the ch’in in the center of the table. Put it near the edge of the table (near the player) in order to make fingering easier. 

As for sandbags, make one pair.[3]  One need not limit the material to cloth or silk, and can use soft leather.  (A bag) should be five inches long and two inches wide and the same all around.  The inside should have an appropriate amount of fine sand well sewn up in the bag with no leaks.  One bag should be placed under the ch’in’s neck.  The other goes under the yen-tzu.  The ch’in should be level and flat and not move.  If you do not use sand bags, then when you play forcefully you may push or move the ch’in on the table.  If you take a minute amount of water and moisten the bags, then they will stick firmly to the table surface and be less likely to move. 

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[1] The right hand side feet that are actually finger guards to prevent accidental movement of the tuning pegs.

[2] The left hand side feet or “wild geese feet” underneath the ch’in.

[3] The character jian (“mat”薦) is used here, but he makes it plain that he is talking about a small sand bag.