Yang Chun has been a very popular melody title in both the qin repertoire and the repertoire of other musical instruments or ensembles. The title can be found in early qin melody lists,4 and in many surviving qin handbooks, but this clearly encompasses quite a variety of melodies.

In literature Yang Chun is usually paired with Bai Xue (White Snow).5 In addition, in many music repertoires there are melodies called Yangchun Baixue.6 In the qin repertoire the two melodies seem equally popular: versions of Yang Chun can be found in 37 surviving handbooks from 1425 to 1946, while versions of Bai Xue are in 38 handbooks from the same period.7 It should also be noted that in these qin handbooks Yang Chun and Bai Xue, while sharing similar commentary, are two very distinct melodies, rarely paired.

In fact, it seems that from ancient times Yang Chun and Bai Xue have been associated with different modes: as stated in the original prefaces both here and under Bai Xue, Yang Chun is in gong mode and Bai Xue in shang mode. Since in most surviving early qin handbooks melodies are grouped by mode, in these handbooks Yang Chun and Bai Xue would never be paired.8

In the qin repertoire there are at least two distinct melodies called Yang Chun in Ming dynasty handbooks: both are in gong mode, but otherwise seem completely unrelated musically.

1. First there are the versions related to this, the earliest surviving version. These seem to occur in only three handbooks, published in 1425, 1552 and 1670 (see also 1910 in the appendix below).

2. Next, a much more common Yang Chun can be found in at least 34 handbooks from 1539 (Fengxuan Xuanpin, #2) to 1946.9 A handbook dated 1552 has both of these versions, saying that the second melody should actually be called Longmen Taolang Yin.

Then, in addition, an apparently new melody called He Yangchun was published in 1673. Also in gong mode, it survives in at least 11 handbooks from 1673 to 1878.10

The version of Yang Chun played today is the one that can be traced back to the version in Fengxuan Xuanpin (1539), which for other pieces usually follows SQMP. However, this 1539 version has lyrics and some textual problems, so for this version I play the related Yang Chun in Xilutang Qintong [1549].11

According to R.H. van Gulik,12 Yang Chun and #30 Bai Xue (White Snow) were melodies of the southern state of Chu, originally popular in the 5th c. BCE, but of such continuing popularity that the names were soon ascribed separately or together to a great variety of melodies. They were also long associated with a variety of famous people, including Shi Kuang, Song Yu and Liu Juanzi.

It is thus not surprising that there is a certain amount of confusion when trying to trace the origin of the stories mentioned here by Zhu Quan.13

When reading this, one should keep in mind that these stories are mainly for their literary and historical associations, and probably have little to do with the actual origins of any surviving melody. Of this we can only say that the Yang Chun published in 1425 CE was probably copied from a 13th century manuscript of uncertain age.14

Zhu Quan follows to a certain extent the introductions in Yuefu Shiji not to Yang Chun (which are not in the qin melody section), but to Bai Xue Ge (which are). That introduction is translated under the introduction to Bai Xue.

The Yang Chun in Yuefu Shiji are all included under Qingshang quci. First is a single entry in Folio 50, which has the following explanation:

Xin Xu by Liu Xiang says,15 "Song Yu responding to the questions of King Wei of Chu" says,

When a visiting singer in Zheng (the capital of Chu) began by singing Lower Village (and) Man of Ba, a thousand residents accompanied him; when he sang Yang A (and) Picking Scallions, several hundreds accompanied; when he did Yangchun (and) Baixue those who accompanied did not exceed a few dozen; when he sang using non-standard pitches (yin shang ke jiao, za yi liu zhi), only a very few residents could accompany; this is because the more elevated the piece the more rare are those who can accompany it. Moreover, the origins of Yang Chun are far off.

Yuefu Jieti says, "Yang Chun is grief".

Yuefu Shiji Folio 50 then includes lyrics by Shen Yue entitled Yang Chun Qu.

In addition, Yuefu Shiji Folio 51 has six sets of lyrics called Yang Chun Ge, then four more called Yang Chun Qu. There is no commentary; the original lyrics can be seen under the 1549 Yang Chun.

According to Van Gulik the common attribution to Liu Juanzi, a 4th c. CE Daoist doctor, is from the Qin Treatise16 by Xie Zhuang (421-466); the story about Shi Kuang,17 a qin master from Confucian times, is from Huainanzi (see Liu An; perhaps 2nd c. BCE), with the part about Song Yu, a nephew of the famous 4th century BCE poet and official Qu Yuan, being available from many sources, quoting a Han dynasty original; that in the Bowu Zhi Zhang Hua actually says Su Nü 18 played the piece on a se zither; and that the information about Lü Cai19 is from the Xin Tang Shu (New Tang History).

Besides my own, a transcription and recording by Yao Bingyan can be found in Bell Yung, Celestial Airs of Antiquity. Yao Gongjing's version follows his father's.20 Other Yang Chun recordings are of the contemporary Yang Chun descended from the 1539 version.21


Original preface 22

The Emaciated Immortal says:

Qin History23 states,
"Liu Juanzi was good at playing the qin. While at Ying he played the tunes Yang Chun and Bai Xue."
Qin Collection24 states,
"Bai Xue, written by Shi Kuang, is a tune in the shang mode."

Song Yu told (King) Xiang of Chu,

"(As for) Yang Chun and Bai Xue, the more refined the tunes, the fewer those who can accompany him."
And Zhang Hua stated in his Bowu Zhi 25
"The Celestial (i.e., Yellow) Emperor caused Su Nü to play the five stringed qin; she played Yang Chun and Bai Xue."
By the time of the Tang emperor Gaozong (r. 650 - 84) this tune was not played any more, so in 658 he ordered the Great Regulations Department (taichang) to supplement and revise the old tune. (Taichang official) Lü Cai reported,
"Yang Chun and Bai Xue were refined tunes, but those who could accompany them were few. From the time of Song Yu to now 1,000 years have passed and no one can play them. Now, imitating the qin melodies amongs old pieces, we have determined the notes and composed this piece."