The Development of Metal Strings

    The basic materials for string are gut, fiber (in Asia, mainly silk), metal and synthetics (since Dupont developed nylon in the 1930s, this material has become common for music strings all over the world). As for metal, although there is evidence it was used for strings in ancient Persia, more substantial records seem to begin around the 10th century. New Groves mentions them in Europe at that time and Laurence Picken (Folk Musical Instruments of Turkey, p.269) says they may have been used on the huqin two-string fiddle in that Tang dynasty and were definitely used there on a harp (sic) in the 14th century. Metal strings on the Middle Eastern qanun zither are mentioned as early as the 13th century, so presumably the closely related santur hammered dulcimer had them when it was introduced into China, where it became the yangqin, about two centuries later. By the end of the 19th century the Chaozhou guzheng zither commonly had metal strings.

    This sketch is sufficient to show that, although in China all string instruments were once put in the "silk" category, other materials have long been in use. But, although there are classical writings on the "problem" of the low volume output of the qin, the suggested solutions were always in terms of the environment (quiet; solid table; play over a water vat; etc.) or qin design; never, until the 1960s, in terms of using a different material for qin strings.

    Since the Cultural Revolution this has changed, and today virtually all qin players in China normally use metal strings wrapped in nylon. Metal strings obviously expand the potential scope of the instrument but, in my opinion, the scope would be even broader if we were more careful about distinguishing a metal-string from a silk-string style, and tried consciously to develop both in the manner natural to the different sounds.

    In this regard, the metal string qin should have its own name. "Steel qin" has already been given to the Western piano, so perhaps the qin with metal strings could be called steel-string qin ( gangxian qin) or metal-wire qin ( tiexian qin). The Western guitar has certainly not suffered from people distinguishing between metal string and nylon string instruments.

    In China, metal strings initially were very smooth, but then research focused on trying to re-capture the sound of silk while still taking advantage of the durability of metal. This has led to experimenting with different coiling effects, such as metal coiled around silk or nylon, and the latter coiled around a metal core. Some metal strings are much more mellow than others, but still the sound is quite distinctive.

    For a time I also used metal strings alongside the silk ones -- switching back and forth. It is not making a value judgment but simply stating a fact to say that using metal strings has a definite effect on the way one plays. For reconstructing old music I feel most comfortable using silk strings, and so today about the only time I play with metal strings is when required to do so: while visiting other players or in a very humid environment.

    I must emphasize that I don't object to metal strings or close miking per se. The sound can be quite interesting, and indeed I hope one day to have an electric qin with metal strings and magnetic pickups. It particularly concerns me, though, that in China today virtually no one uses silk strings, almost all recordings use close miking plus reverberation, and there is little debate about this. If the Western guitar is broad enough to embrace classical, folk, popular and so forth styles, so too is qin, and the place to begin is by developing distinctive silk-string and metal-string sounds.

    With the qin this might naturally result in a classical style (reconstructing and preserving the past) and a modern style (encouraging development). And perhaps most important, since it is my observation that metal strings can damage the lovely antique instruments still being played, I would prefer to see the metal strings used exclusively on the new instruments now available, some of which are very good.

    However, development of different metal string and silk string styles need not follow this model. The resonance of metal strings, for example, can also be conducive to a meditative style. And silk strings can be quite appropriate for modern music. Preserving the old helps give a more solid base to the new. But such specifics are not as important as the need for variety: the more the better.

Recent problems in silk string production

    By the end of the Cultural Revolution top quality silk strings were not even in production. Most silk strings were either too coarse, giving a rough sound, or too thin, giving a somewhat thin sound and breaking too easily. They also have to be wrapped just right, or they may unravel. The coarse strings can be made smoother by rubbing them with the type of paraffin which melts at body temperature.

    Silk strings become more mellow with use. They usually break right where they rub against the bridge. The string is then re-tied using the extra length from the other end, wrapped around the leg under the qin. In this way a string a string can usually break about 10 times before it must be replaced. According to my teacher, Sun Yü-ch'in, strings should last for about seven years of normal use, and be at their best during the period of about two to five years. Still, none of these strings can compare with the good strings of former days.

    According to Zha Fuxi in 1955 (cf. Collected Essays on Qin Study, p. 384 ff), for about 800 years the best silk strings were said to come from Hangzhou, in particular using silk made in the Tangqi district centered about 20 kilometers north of that city. However, disruptions in China from the end of the Qing dynasty eventually led to that industry closing down. During the 1930s some qin players, in particular Wu Jinglue and Zhuang Jiancheng, got together with a traditional string maker in Suzhou, Fang Yuting , and helped Fang start a company which then produced the best strings. After 1949 Fang's company dominated the industry and the Hangzhou companies never revived.

    Unfortunately the Suzhou strings, if they ever were of the same quality as the best old Hangzhou strings, did not maintain that quality in the 1950s. Zha wrote that the government structure made it difficult for musicians (qin players in particular) directly to contract factories to give advice on quality control, and in addition the silk string factories couldn't get the best quality silk (3A) from Hangzhou. Fang wanted to move to Hangzhou, but wasn't allowed to. As of 1955 they were still trying to get a consignment of good Tangqi silk to make strings.

    The production of silk strings stopped during the Cultural Revolution. When in 1972 the young qin player Gong Yi came to Hong Kong to perform (with metal strings), Tong Kin-Woon asked him about the situation with silk strings. Gong said he was not sure if Fang Yuting was still alive, but he thought perhaps Fang's son could still make strings. Tong asked Gong if he could order some sets of good ones to be especially made. This was said to be unlikely because, as mentioned, individuals were not supposed to tell factories what to do. Nevertheless, about a year later about 100 sets of good silk strings suddenly arrived in Hong Kong from Suzhou. Another year or so later perhaps another 100 sets were also sent, but some of these were not of such good quality (the best are wrapped in purple thread; the next best in red thread).

    For my CD Music Beyond Sound I used strings from a purple-wrapped set which I had used about one year. However, there was apparently little general demand for these strings as people were turning more and more to the metal strings. Then in about 1995 reasonably good strings were again available from Suzhou, though not of the same quality as the ones made over 20 years earlier. These are now (2004) apparently available under the brand name Huqiu (Tiger Hill, a famous spot in Suzhou).

    In recent years some people again worked with the Suzhou strings makers to produce truly good quality strings. In 1998 Shum Hing-Shun of Hong Kong organized the production of some sets of thicker silk strings (I used a set of these for Folio III on my Shen Qi Mi Pu CD set), and early 2000 saw the production of some very high quality silk strings, organized by Wong Shu-Chee, now living in Vancouver. Since then Shu-Chee has produced several more sets, though in 2004 he said he would not be doing this any more.

    This, of course, is very important work. Fortunately old Chinese books have a lot of information about most aspects of sericulture and silk string making. See in particular Taiyin Daquanji (15th c. or earlier) and Yuguzhai Qinpu (1857).

    Another promising sign is the interest of some early Western instrument players in silk strings. Some strong arguments have been made that silk strings were used on medieval Western instruments. The argument is based on references in texts (references to silk are mostly indirect) as well as descriptions of sound (silk is much more resonant than gut). Currently Alexander Raykov in upstate New York is making good quality silk strings for early Western instruments. He has also made a set for me to use on qins; they are very good (upper strings only). His website has further information.

    Silk strings require good quality instruments, and since today there are again some very good qin makers it should not be surprising that good silk strings seem not to be very far behind.

Scientific analysis of the qualities of silk strings

    In addition to being gentler on the instrument, the silken sound of the qin in very distinctive. One analysis says this is largely due to the fundamental (1st harmonic) tones being rather weak but the overtones extremely rich. Is this true, and can metal strings produce the same richness?

    In 1998, with Andrew Horner and Lydia Ayers of the computer science department at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, we tried to test this. Preliminary results confirmed the richness of the overtones produced by silk strings. Other stringed instruments can also produce quite rich overtones, but so far research seems to indicate that they die very quickly (within one second on a guitar, for example), whereas on the qin the overtones remain strong for several seconds. To my ears the sound of metal strings is much less rich than that of silk strings, but the reason for this has not yet been scientifically tested with enough thoroughness.