The Game of Ornamentation: An Analysis of a Guqin Player’s Vibrato Technique

In the performance of the guqin, the vibrato technique executed by the left hand is a vital component of its playing system. This research utilizes performance footage and corresponding scores of six Guqin pieces by the renowned guqin player Yu Shaoze (喻绍泽, 1903–1988) as its data set, with the performer's physical actions serving as the central observational perspective. The holistic embodied practice of Yu Shaoze’s vibrato techniques is investigated by combining the observation and description of Yu Shaoze’s bodily movements with a comparative analysis of the differences between the score and the actual performance. Furthermore, this research attempts to analyze the formation of the performer's vibrato techniques through the correspondence between “concept and behavior,” aiming to reveal the diversity of individual performers in vibrato practice and to provide a valuable reference case for future studies.